How To Grow Aloe Vera At Home (And Health Benefits)
Aloe Vera is a member of the Old World succulent group known as Aloaceae.
The plant has numerous healing properties and has been used across many continents for thousands of years.
It’s a perfect houseplant for families since it can be used to safely heal children and adults alike.
Internal Uses
Aloe is excellent for boosting the immune system and warding off disease. The pulp contains a large number of antioxidants, which fight damage caused by free radicals (1).
Free radicals are found in almost everything in your environment. They produce oxidative stress, which contributes to the cell aging process. This is why Aloe gel is often as an anti-aging skin treatment. It also helps your skin produce metallothionein, an antioxidant protein that protects against radiation damage.
Additionally, the plant reduces inflammation due to injury and arthritis, offers anti-viral protection and inhibits tumor growth by boosting immunity. It also improves digestive health, particularly in patients suffering from ulcerative colitis and can treat constipation if taken in a high enough dose.
Tip: For best results, drink about 2 ounces of Aloe Vera. It may be 10 hours before it takes effect. It may also be necessary to drink this once a day for 10 consecutive days.
Topical Uses
Aloe Vera can be found in millions of beauty and skin care products all over the world because of its healing and soothing properties.
The gel keeps the skin looking healthy and youthful by helping it retain moisture and stimulating the production of elastin and collagen. Both of these fibrous proteins increase skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles.
Aloe also binds skin cells together to prevent flaking, making it useful in the treatment of eczema and psoriasis. It has also been successfully used to combat the effects of erythema and improve acne.
How To Grow This Miracle Plant
Aloe vera is a succulent, meaning that it’s very simple to grow. It is also easily harvested and propagated. It can be purchased from your local garden store or health food store. You can also grow a new plant by transplanting the pups of a mature plant.
Aloe thrives in the same kind of soil as most cacti. This means obtaining premixed cacti soil mix or make it yourself by mixing five parts potting soil, two parts pumice and one part coir or one part soil and one part sand. Place the soil in a well-draining pot such as terra cotta.
Although Aloe is typically kept indoors, it can survive outdoors in most climates. During the warmer months, the dew provided from sitting outside on the deck overnight is generally sufficient for watering Aloe plants. However, it should never be allowed to sit in the rain.
During cool or cold months you must move your Aloe inside. Like other cacti, it does not do well in extremely low temperatures. The plant also requires less frequent watering during these months. A good rule of thumb is to water it once the top three inches of soil are dry.
Aloe vera plants that have reached the age of five years old have the most potent properties. Many people only transplant them once every five years, but a new plant can be relocated once after its third year of life. It’s also important to wait 5-6 days before watering a newly planted Aloe.
