Good day to you! This week I've got a plant that is fantastic to use on scrapes and burns: Aloe Vera.
The botanical name of this plant is Aloe Barbadensis Miller.
Aloe vera is a very nutrient-dense plant, containing minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients. This plant is fantastic to use for things like sunburn, scrapes, wounds on your skin, as well as acne. You can use aloe straight from the plant by cutting a section of a leaf stalk off and simply rubbing the gel of the plant on problem areas. Or you can easily find aloe gel in stores, already prepared and easy to apply without having to have your own plant. Aloe has naturally occurring anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, and is even good for your hair when used as a hair treatment. You may see it prepared as lotion, gels, soaps, or cosmetics.
The gel of the plant is also known to help with digestive issues, BUT it's highly recommended that if you're going to be ingesting aloe, that you use a commercially available product that has been labeled as able to be ingested. The reason for this is while the gel of the plant is safe to consume, the latex layer beneath the skin of the plant can actually act as a laxative and cause digestive issues like severe stomach cramping. If you try to scrape the gel out yourself and eat it, you're risking accidentally eating some of the latex part of the plant.
Have a magical day,
Jenny
PLANT INGESTION WARNING!
As with all herbs and plants you plan to ingest, never ingest them before doing your own research and/or talking with your doctor - it’s possible that medications you take or health conditions you have could have a negative effect if paired with aloe vera. Better safe than sorry!
