We all know about the benefits of Aloe Vera in Australia – the soothing serum from the plant is perfect for calming down the effects of too much sun exposure and sun burn. But sometimes we don’t always have a bottle of After Sun on hand, and for some reason we have several potted Aloe Vera plants in my house. So one day I looked into do-it-yourself recipes and other benefits of Aloe Vera, and here are our favourite uses:
Soothing Sun Exposure and Dry Skin
It can be as simple as adding the gel like liquid to a bit of water and placing it into a spray bottle and spraying it on to your skin. We add some ice water to the mixture for added cool factor. Rinse it off after 20 minutes with water.
Use it as a massage oil
Make a homemade body scrub by mixing up together two tablespoons of aloe vera gel, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoon of organic brown sugar, mix and apply. Wash off after use.
Moisturise and protect against scarring and stretch marks
The moisturising properties of the aloe vera gel/juice can be used to help soften and moisturise skin, just remember to wash it off after 20 minutes. For rougher patches of skin that need a bit of scrubbing, mix 2 cups of sea salt, 1 cup of coconut oil, 1 cup of aloe vera and 2 tbsp. of organic honey together for a home made shower scrub.
Use it as an aftershave
Just as it calms down sun burn, aloe vera gel and juice is a great natural option for calming down your skin post shave for men and women.
Speed Up Hair Growth
Aloe Vera reportedly helps speed up hair growth and makes for a natural alternative to conditioner. To improve hair growth, massage your scalp with aloe vera and leave it in for 30 minutes and rinse properly. Or use it as a replacement for conditioner for shiny moisturised hair.
