It’s summer time here in the Northern Hemisphere, the time of year when I stock up on the childhood remedy my mother swears by. What is this wonder product, you may ask? It’s aloe vera. While I laud the pros of summer, like the abatement of my seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and the lack of chill in my bones, summer is not without its cons, like bugs and their bites. Mosquitos are the most pressing but I have had run-ins with some spiders and recently, the largest flies I have ever seen. I use aloe to help treat these bites.
In addition to bug bites, I use aloe vera for other minor skin irritants. When I’ve become stressed recently, I have been breaking out in hives. Aloe vera to the rescue. Unlike other products, I am able to apply it liberally and as often as I need. I purchase Fruit of the Earth gel and I keep small containers of the stuff throughout my home next to my lotion and lip balm: in my office, in my car, and in my bedroom in case I wake up itching in the middle of the night.
This succulent plant originates from the Arabian Peninsula and grows in the tropical, semi-tropical and arid climates around the world. It can also be a houseplant; I recall at least one in my childhood home. A quick web search will bring up a large list of articles and studies on the uses and effectiveness of aloe vera, which is considered safe for most of the population, with about 1% having allergic reactions.
Aloe is considered an invasive species, I can say that the way my mom used aloe vera was proliferative, if not exactly invasive. She uses aloe vera for everything! I was prone to many breakouts during my teenage years and instead of the Proactiv that I desperately wanted, she’d tell me to put some aloe on it. She isn’t one for a lot of skin-care products. Her regimen is simple: water, soap, vaseline (she once told me that the beautiful and iconic Lena Horne used it regularly on her face), and, you guessed it, aloe vera. And now between the perimenopause that is soon to be upon me and my stress levels about the state of the world, my acne has returned. Aloe vera it is. I also like to use it as a mask-of-sorts, putting some on my face and neck prior to getting into the shower and letting the steam interact with it. Any benefits to this have not been proven by research but I love the way my skin feels after I rinse it off.
One of the most common uses of aloe is for the treatment of burns. When you burn yourself cooking on the stove—or the air fryer as I did last month—aloe vera is the first thing you should reach for. It is truly a marvel. Burns that are not treated with aloe vera always hurt longer and take more time to heal. I remember both my grandmothers having aloe plants near, if not in, the kitchen itself. Aloe wasn’t there for aesthetic reasons, it was there for its medicinal purpose: to treat burns from cooking. I’m sure there are commercial topical treatments for burns, but I don’t know them, and like my grandmothers, never use them. Why? Was it because when my grandmothers’ mothers and their mothers were alive, aloe was what was accessible and that info was passed down from generation to generation? In my experience, aloe works and I don’t need anything else.
Burns can also include sunburns. I have even used it when I was a tad sunburned on my shoulders after a particularly long run. I’m a woman of color and I cannot recall any one in my family, including myself prior to or since that aforementioned long run, ever experiencing sunburn, so using aloe to treat it was not something we ever did. However, it worked wonderfully, and a friend has commented that is one of her primary uses of the plant. Aloe also works for razor burns. It is truly a marvel.
How about you? I’d love my very own aloe vera plant and apparently, there are even more uses with the plant itself. How do you use aloe and what has been your experience? Share in the comments. I’d love to continue learning about this wonderful plant.
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About the author
Shannan Malone is our MMD Cohost and What Should I Read Next? Patreon Community Manager. Her go-to genre depends on her mood! You can find Shannan on Instagram @shannanenjoyslife.
31 comments
Just saw a gorgeous one at TJs this week. Is it easy to take care of? The spot I would put it in my new house doesn’t get much sun. The room is the library!!!!
Aloe plants thrive best in bright, indirect light, so a spot that doesn’t get much sun might not be great for it.
Kate, thanks for telling me. I’m going to have to figure out where to put it in my home.
I have a big, beautiful aloe plant in my kitchen. My Hawaiian grandmother always kept one. We also use them for burns and skin irritations. My grandmother would break off a leaf and keep it in the refrigerator. The only thing more soothing than aloe is cold aloe. Mahalo.
Ooh, that’s a brilliant idea, Susan. Thank you. And thank you for commenting.
Where do you break it off? At the base of the leaf? Do I cut with scissors or a knife, or will it naturally break? I have massive bug bites from our trip to Wisconsin, and was considering trying some of the aloe from my aloe plant. I’ve never used it. I have it in my bedroom with west windows because I was told it was good for sleeping.
My mom kept an aloe plant that we used for burns. Thanks for the walk down memory lane! I think I’ll pick one up when I get out to a store that sells them.
Glad to hear it, Carol.
I love this! I’ve used it for burns but never considered it for bug bites or acne. And it can be hard to find the pure version, so thanks for the rec. Grandmothers really do know best. Mine swore by vinegar for everything, lol.
Another great use of the aloe vera plant on my kitchen windowsill is for drying plastic bags that we reuse. The big poky branches are perfect to hold up the bags so the insides dry, and the drips are enough to keep the plant happy!
I love this so much! The dowel contraption I used to use for drying bags has recently broken and it never once occurred to me to use the aloe plant… that was sitting right next to it. 🤣
Thanks for this idea.
Thanks Shannan for the commentary on Aloe, I need to buy an actual plant to use. But I love aloe gel and will mix it with a dro or two of pure Lavender essential oil (buy from a Essential Oil company that uses GCMS reports so you know it is not udulerated), and use that for sunburn and acute burns like from air fryers and hot oil splashes. Trusted Essential oil companies that I use are-Plant Therapy, Aromatics International, and Eden’s Garden.
Thanks for all the info. I’ve been meaning to get an Aloe Plant and this was the inspiration I needed! Love the tip for placing a spike in the fridge. Pure genius!
I’m glad, Kathleen..
Not quite the same, it since my cat attacks my ankles on a fairly regular base, I find bag balm very useful too. Clears up cuts practically over night. I realize it started as a useful thing for cow udders but…wow. It works on human skin, too, and also on burns. I also have a jar of aloe Vera, but somehow, I use the bag balm more Maybe I’m just careless with my hands and burn them or cut them easily?
I’m going to have to look this up. Thank you for sharing.
We always had an aloe plant at home after the 70s revolution of doing things naturally and back to earth. It sat wherever there was room, and got watered when somebody remembered it, and it did fine. My mother broke off a piece for burns or sunburns and smeared the oozy end liberally on the burn. I have since bought aloe gel for sunburns, and it feels so deliciously soothing. The one I have now is green gel and says it’s 100% aloe vera, but then it has a list of chemicals and additives a mile long. I think the real plant is the ticket!
I drink 1/4 cup of aloe vera juice once a day. I buy George’s brand on Amazon – the health benefits are a long list, but it definitely helps with tummy wellness and skin issues.
Hmm, thanks for letting me know this, Elizabeth.
where do you get it/what brand
George’s brand on Amazon!
As I was reading this it brought to mind the Windex touting by the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. 😀
LOL
I thought the same thing!!
I used to always keep a bottle of in the fridge when my kids were little and we spent lots of time outside. Now that the kids are grown, I have time to enjoy taking care of houseplants.
Shannon, you’ve inspired me to add an aloe vera plant to my home!
Glad to hear it Kitty.
I have an aloe plant on my back patio and it is the only plant I have managed to not kill! I have given away four offshoots and see there are some more that I need to repot and find homes for. Besides burns (it’s wonderful), I used it to help heal a scrape I got on my shin. I have bad varicose veins and the doctor warned me to avoid wounds in the affected areas because they can be very difficult to heal. The aloe seemed to help the process, and it healed before I had to go back for my checkup.
I’ve used aloe on sunburns my whole life, but I hadn’t thought of using it for anything else. Thanks Shannan!
In it’s growing season, (the summer months) aloe needs a cactus/ succulent plant food added to its water occasionally or to be replanted using new potting soil.
I just got an aloe vera plant and I am really enjoying having it on hand for cuts and burns. So nice and easy to care for too!
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