The Benefits of Aloe vera for Daily Life

Figure 1. Aloe vera
Source: Personal documentation

Figure 2. Aloe vera
Source: Personal documentation

Aloe vera is not a strange or unfamiliar plant because we already familiar enough with this plant. this plant is very easy to find and can be used in our daily lives. there are so many people out there who plant this Aloe vera in their house and use it frequently because this plant has so many benefits. The stem of Aloe vera is small and the leaf looks like a spear, stands upright, and also at the edge of the leaves, you will see and so many spines which are not that sharp. The leaves are so close together, looks sircular, and have green leaves which the inside is the transparant and thick Aloe vera itself and feels so slimy (Furnawanthi, 2003).

This plant almost looks like cactus and classified as annual plant. The special or unique thing about Aloe vera is that this plant can survive in dry places and when there is a drought season by closing its stomate closely in order to prevent water loss from the body plant (Furnawanthi, 2003).

This plant known as Aloe vera Linn. in pharmacy industry. The existence of this is holticulture plant is known since a long time ago but not everyone knows the benefits of this plant. Aloe vera is not only for washing your hair to look better but also can cure many disease, smoothen your skin, and enrich your hair condition, or it can be an edible plant that you can make into a dish or drink. More than 23 countries all over the world noted by WHO (World Health Organization) using Aloe vera from the overseas such as from America and Australia. The usage of this plant can be as aloe powder and other products for examples like the essence or Aloe vera gel that has been stabilized to 100% so that it will not be damaged because of enzymatic reaction. Beauty products from America are imported to Indonesia such as loe jojoba shampoo and aloe lip for lipstick (Furnawanthi, 2003).
Some benefits of Aloe vera are

1. Aloe vera has been used externally to treat various skin conditions such as cuts, burns and eczema. Sap from Aloe vera can reduce pain and inflammation. 
2. It has antiseptic and antibiotic properties which make it highly valuable in treating cuts and abrasions. 
3. It has also been commonly used to treat first and second degree burns, as well as sunburns and poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac infections, and eczema. 
4. It can also be used as a hair styling gel and works especially well for curly or fuzzy hair. 
5. It is also used for making makeup, moisturizers, soaps, sunscreens, shampoos and lotions. 
6. Aloe vera gel is useful for dry skin conditions, especially eczema around the eyes and sensitive facial skin. Its juice may help some people with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. 
7. Aloe has been marketed as a remedy for coughs, wounds, ulcers, gastritis, Diabetes, Cancer, headaches, arthritis, immune-system deficiencies, and many other conditions when taken internally. However, the general internal use is as a laxative. 
8. The lower leaf of the plant is used for medicinal purpose. If the lower leaf is sliced open, the gel obtained can be applied on the affected area of the skin. Aloe (Aloe vera) is an important and traditional medicinal plant belonging to the family Liliaceae. It is indigenous to Africa and Mediterranean countries. It is reported to grow wild in the islands of Cyprus, Malta, Sicily, Canary cape, Cape Verde and arid tracts of India. This is a hardy perennial tropical plant that can be cultivated in drought prone areas and is one of the crops whose potential is yet to be exploited, despite being identified as 'a new plant resource with the most promising prospects in the world'. In India, it is scattered in the wild, along the coast of southern India (Rajeswari dkk., 2012)

Aloe vera has so many benefits for our daily life, that is why I am so in love with this plant. This plant can be produced into so many products such as mask, hair tonic, or even drinks. I always think that Aloe vera as a hair tonic is a very effective way to enrich your hair because it is worth it for me and I already try it but you need to apply it frequently to make it work so much better and I promise that it is worth a try. I kind of think that natural ingredient is better than the chemical one, especially the non-alcohol products.I wish that this information is educating enough and sorry for my mistaken words or spelling because I still learning day by day. Please kindly left good comments or give me some suggestions to improve my write. See you soon..

Reference:

Purnawanthi, Irni. 2003. Khasiat dan Manfaat Lidah Buaya. Agromedia Pustaka. Malang.

Rajeswari. 2012. Aloe vera: The Miracle Plant Its Medicinal and Traditional Uses in India. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 1(4): 118-124.