When you have a lot of aloe ready at once, you don't have time to casually include it in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use it up before it goes bad without getting sick of using it the same way. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.
Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve aloe vera leaf gel:
- Make aloe juice, also called aloe water, by combining 2 tablespoons of aloe leaf gel with 1 cup of water and drink the mixture. Honey, fruit juice, sugar, or other sweeteners can be added to taste if desired, as the juice is fairly bitter.
- Freeze aloe juice. Aloe juice can also be frozen for later use. Follow the instructions for making aloe juice above, pour into a freezer bag or ice cube tray, and store in the freezer. Frozen aloe juice can be thawed for drinking or smoothie addition, or it can be applied directly to the skin while frozen for an extra cooling and soothing effect.
- Add aloe juice to smoothies. Follow the instructions for making aloe juice above. Then add the juice to smoothies. This can be a great way to cut the bitter taste without adding sweeteners.
- Make an aloe skin gel. This can be used as a combination cleanser-moisturizer when applied to the face. Mix the gel from 1 large aloe leaf with 3-4 drops of tea tree essential oil or lavender essential oil for additional skin cleansing or soothing benefits, respectively. The gel should keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, but be sure to check for any signs of spoilage before each use.
- Use it as a burn balm. This is perhaps aloe's most widely-known use. Aloe gel can help with recovery time and discomfort relief for sunburn and other burns.
- Use it as a scalp treatment. Apply the leaf gel directly to the scalp. Let it sit for 20 minutes before rinsing it out.
- Use it as a clear eyebrow gel.
- Use it as a makeup remover, especially for facial makeup like foundation.
Aloe latex (the thin yellow substance found between the leaf's skin and gel) can be used in herbal preparations like tinctures. However, unlike with most herbs, homemade tincture preparation is not recommended due to latex's anthraquinone content, which is standardized to a lower dose in commercial preparations. Please see the safety information in the gardening facts article here.
Aloe gel should not be ingested during a staph infection. Please see the safety information in the gardening facts article here.
Further Reading
Growing aloe? Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.
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