|
Aloe
Aloe vera
Fresh juices from the leaves heal skin wounds and burns.
Used in cosmetics such as hand creams, suntan lotions, skin care products
and shampoos.
Many households keep a plant on a nearby windowsill, to deal with kitchen
burns or scrapes
and wounds.
The fresh sap is the very best at healing wounds or soothing burns.
The plant is happily grown on a windowsill - one of the best indoor plants -
in full or part sun,
the same kind of site outside, but only in frost-free weather, no lower than
41 degrees. Aloe
enjoys sandy, well-drained soil.
How to use:
In Cosmetics - the leaf sap makes a soothing and healing moisturizing cream,
suited for all
skin types. For itchy, dry scalp, mix the sap into shampoo. For a healing,
soothing effect,
add to suntan lotion.
For Medicinal Uses - For burns, eczema, dermatitis or chapped skin,
use either the sliced
leaf or the crushed sap as a poultice. For small burns, break a leaf and
apply the sap. For
large burns, split a leaf, open it up and lay the sappy side to the injured
skin. Lightly bandage
so it stays put. Renew often. Make sure to see a health care provider for
serious burns.
WHOLE Aloe leaf may be used internally when a cathartic is needed (a
cathartic is a
substance that purges the body, usually the intestine, and cleanses the
system). In a small
dosage it increases menstrual flow, when it should be combined with
carminatives (which
stimulate the peristalsis of the digestive system and relax the stomach), to
reduce griping.
Many naturalists recommend the use of a drink containing the juice of the
INNER leaf to
soothe stomach ulcers, and the entire digestive tract, as when the colon is
extremely
aggravated.
(some information obtained from "The Complete Book of Herbs“,
by Leslie Bremness,
and from "Holistic Herbal" by David Hoffmann.)
Back
^Top
|
