Aloe Barbadensis Extract

Can you think of a plant that is both medicine and food? One that can be used as a cosmetic or a pharmaceutical? A plant that can be cleansing for your body, inside and out? One plant that does all this is the aloe. Known as “Nature’s Gift,” “the Miracle Plant,” and the “Plant of Immortality,” the aloe plant has many uses for your health and natural beauty.

Close to 500 different species make up the aloe family. The one you may have in your garden or on your windowsill may be the same one that is a key ingredient in Paul Penders cosmetics, the aloe vera (aloe barbendensis). A succulent plant, the aloe vera holds water in its leaves. Cut or break open a leaf and you will find a non-greasy gel inside. This gel has many properties and when applied to the skin supports moisture balance.

Used medicinally for thousands of years for healing of burns and injuries, the aloe is used in cosmetics for its soothing, regenerating and moisturizing properties. For Paul Penders products, we use organic aloe vera, a fresh extract of the inner gel.

Aloe vera in Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM), the aloe is considered a “cold” plant. It is considered to have a unique ability to “clear heat” from the body. If you are hot -- have a fever, cough, parasites or other intestinal issues, jaundice, sunburn, or “hot blood” -- then TCM herbalists might recommend that you regain a neutral balance by taking aloe, either topically on the skin or by mouth. They use it, too, to help elimination --

Chinese cooks, too, find its cooling properties a summertime treat. They boil it up to make a soup or use the gel in a sweetened dessert.

Western science, too, is recognizing the value of this plant medicinally. Doctors and nutritionists now recommend drinking aloe vera juice for soothing digestion and as a purgative to clean your intestinal tract. Dermatologists suggest that aloe vera gel soothes and cools skin irritations.

Aloe vera in Ayurveda

In India’s Ayurvedic Medicine tradition, aloe holds a special place as it is considered to be a women’s tonic. It even has a special name, “Kumari,” meaning ‘young girl.’ It is believed to be a great toner for the liver and for the reproductive organs. The tradition also acknowledges its purgative properties that helps eliminate parasites and unhealthy bacteria from the body.

Grow aloe at home

Aloe is one of the easiest plants to grow at home. If a friend has a plant, you can simply cut off a few of the shoots along the base known as “pups,” bring them home and allow the ‘wound’ to dry out for 2 days. Then repot in loose, sandy soil and put the pot in a sunny place. As a succulent plant that acts like a cactus (but is actually related to onions and lilies), the aloe is adapted to drought conditions and stores a lot of water – so let the soil dry out before watering.

Get a sudden (minor) burn when cooking? If you keep your aloe plant in a kitchen window, you can break off a leaf fast and smear the gel on the burn. You’ll feel its soothing, cooling properties right away.

Make aloe a part of your natural beauty regime…

By Teviot Fairservis.

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