The aloe vera plant is one that you must have heard about, especially as it is a beautiful addition to many medications. This plant is a succulent one that stores water in its leaves long green leaves in the form of a gel.
This gel is a highly moisturizing one and is terrific for sunburns, cuts or wounds bug bites, and other skin challenges.
However, many of the store-bought aloe vera extract or products have potentially harmful additives such as dyes.
This article is specially designed to teach you how to easily extract aloe vera gel at home using fresh aloe vera leaves.
Here’s are the things you need
Aloe vera gel is quite easy to make in your kitchen, using either the fresh leaves of an aloe vera plant you have in your home or ones that you have purchased from a grocery store or from a local farmer’s market.
To make your own aloe vera gel, the things you need include:
- A fresh aloe vera leaf
- A sharp knife or vegetable peeler
- A tablespoon
- A blender or mortar
- An airtight plastic or bottle container for storage
- powdered vitamin E or vitamin C (optional)
You should use just one or two aloe vera leaves at a time because the gel will only last around one week without any extra preservatives.
If you feel like keeping it for longer than one week, you will need to freeze it or include a preservative either in the form of powdered white vitamin C or Vitamin E.
Directions of extraction
Once you have been able to gather all of the materials you require, you only need about 30 minutes to get your aloe vera gel done.
1. Prepare the aloe leaves
To get your gel from a fresh aloe leaf cut from your garden, first slice of one of the healthy outer leaves from the base of the aloe vera plant.
You can try out a store-bought aloe vera leaf.
Wash the aloe vera leaf thoroughly, make sure that any dirt on the leaf is washed off, and then stand the already washed upright in a bowl or cup for 10–15 minutes. This process allows the plant’s yellow-tinted resin to drain out of the aloe vera leaf quickly.
The resin in the aloe vera leaf contains some latex, which can easily irritate your skin, so it is essential to complete this step.
After the resin has been successfully drained entirely, all you have to do is wash off any extras on the aloe vera leaf and peel off the plant’s thick skin with the aid of a small knife or a clean vegetable peeler.
2. Make the gel
Once you have successfully peeled the aloe vera leaf, you will see the natural aloe vera gel in the middle.
Using a tablespoon, make sure to scoop the gel into your blender. Do well not to add any of the pieces of the plant’s skin into the blender.
Blend the aloe vera gel until it is frothy and liquefied, which will not take more than a few seconds.
At this point, your aloe vera gel is set to use. However, if you have plans on keeping the gel for more than seven days (1 week), you will have no choice but to add preservatives.
3. Add preservatives (optional)
Vitamins C and E are lovely preservatives that can go a long way to extend the shelf life of your homemade aloe vera gel.
Though the aloe vera gel naturally contains some of the vitamins mentioned above, it is not accurate enough to preserve the aloe vera gel for more than one week.
Still, if you want, you can include more of one vitamin or both of the mentioned vitamins to extend your aloe vera gel’s shelf life.
Plus, both preservatives contain antioxidants, as well as anti-aging properties, so these two additions will significantly help to boost the aloe vera gel skin-protecting power.
Take note that For every 1/4 cup (60 ml) of homemade aloe vera gel you have, you must assume 500 mg of powdered white vitamin C or a total of 400 International Units (IU) of powdered vitamin E. If you want, you can include both of them.
To use these preservatives, simply include the powdered vitamins right into the blender and do a fast mix of the gel and vitamins. Make sure to blend until both additives are fully incorporated.
Storage directions for homemade aloe vera gel
Homemade aloe vera gel without any added vitamin E or Vitamin C can be preserved in the refrigerator in an airtight container for as long as one week.
However, when you add one or both of the vitamins mentioned above, they will significantly increase the aloe vera gel shelf life to up to 8 weeks (2 months) in your refrigerator.
What is more? You can freeze your aloe gel in little batches — for example, in your ice cube tray — to have tiny amounts at the ready when you need some. Frozen aloe gel is great to have around as it can be stored in the freezer for as long as six months.
How to use homemade aloe vera gel?
Aloe vera gel can easily be used directly on your skin to treat immediate skincare issues, such as minor cuts, sunburn, and skin irritation.
It’s an excellent moisturizer for your hands, face, skin, and can offer a protective antibacterial barrier for simple wounds.
Plus, it comes with high antioxidant properties that may assist with skin protection from the dangerous effects of excessive sun exposure. Therefore, it is widely used to offer excellent sunburn relief.
Aloe vera gel is wealthy in unique polysaccharides, which are known to be a long chain of natural sugars that researchers believe are responsible for aloe Vera’s many health benefits.
What’s more, this plant is one that is rich in many vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, and E, which are known to help promote the healing of wounds, as well as healthy skin.
The bottom line
Aloe vera gel is an excellent moisturizer for the skin and will significantly help to heal and even prevent skin damage.
The homemade variety is known to be a healthy alternative to the store-bought products, which may have some harmful chemicals in them.
It is straightforward to make this fantastic skin-nourishing gel in your kitchen using freshly cut aloe leaves, a blender, and a knife or even a vegetable peeler.
We hope this article has been of help. Please leave a comment below.
