Aloe Vera: Nature’s Alternative to Botox!
There are countless new products and procedures out there promoting healthy, age-defying, clear and beautiful skin. You can spend anywhere from $10 to $1,000 or even more for that ‘youthful’ glow. Even women in their 20’s are spending money on Botox, fillers and dermal abrasion procedures to avoid getting wrinkles later in life. It all seems a bit crazy to me, especially when Mother Nature provides an inexpensive, nutrient-filled natural alternative – right in front of our very eyes – Aloe Vera!
All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.
Look for Fresh Aloe Leaf in your local supermarket or organic veggie store
It’s true. Aloe Vera really is Mother Nature’s alternative to Botox. Did you know that ingesting the natural, clear interior gel of the Aloe Vera Leaf can increase the body’s natural collagen production? Rubbing pure Aloe Vera gel on the skin at night provides a natural tightening agent for the skin to keep it fresh and give a ‘natural face lift’ look. Use what nature has provided, and over time you will see and feel the difference for yourself!
Aloe Vera – Cleans from the Inside Out
Aloe contains many minerals, amino acids and vitamins and is a natural anti-inflammatory food. It’s known to help with absorption, digestion and elimination for anyone suffering from bowel conditions, especially inflammation of the colon. It can help with constipation and provide a mini daily detox effect when taken on a regular basis. You can easily add the fresh inner gel to a morning smoothie or stir into a juice for a real superfood boost.
Aloe is best eaten and applied when fresh. Try to buy a large Aloe Vera Leaf from your local health food store or gourmet supermarket and store it in the fridge. Every day, cut out a piece of fresh gel about 1 inch x 1 inch. Do not ingest the green skin – you can throw that part away or add it to your compost bin. Take the fresh gel and add it to a fruit smoothie for a delicious and healthy breakfast blend.
Try apple, banana, fresh Aloe Vera, 1 cup water, 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed blended into a fantastic healing drink. Sweet fruits combine well with the Aloe Vera to hide it’s naturally bitter taste.
If you can’t find the fresh Aloe Leaf, look for 100% organic Aloe Vera Juice sold at your local health food store and add 1-2 capfuls to your smoothie. Do not use any normal store-bought aloe vera gel in a tube as there may be added chemicals or other ingredients that are not edible. Fresh is always best. A fresh Aloe Vera Leaf should remain fresh when stored in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks.
Fresh aloe in a smoothie is great for digestion too!
You can also apply the fresh cut inner gel of Aloe Vera directly to your skin for a 100% natural skin cleanser, toner and beautifying treatment. Place on the skin at night before bed or apply for 10 minutes in the morning prior to showering. Combine the Aloe Vera skin treatment with an Aloe Vera smoothie or juice every day and you’ll be investing in good health and great skin from the inside out, naturally!
Where to Buy
If you can’t get fresh aloe vera, then go for the 100% certified organic aloe vera juice, available for sale online.
More on Liver Cleansing:
- How to make a Castor Oil Pack for Healing, Pain Relief or Detox
- Raw Detox Salad Recipe
- Healing Power of Onions: Can Onions absorb Bacteria, Viruses and Flu?
- Recipe: Raw Food Healing ‘Jamu’ or ‘Love’ Juice from Indonesia
- Feature Detoxification Organ: The Liver
Jennifer Betesh
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I accidentally came across this site. It is very informative. About a month ago, I had my first facial peel through a dermatologist. It burned for a few minutes but made my face feel tight for about a day. I was told to come back in about six weeks. Today, I used the gel/juice side of the AV leaf for the first time. It felt just like the peel, the burning and tightening sensation. Just wondering if that is normal. If so, how often can I use the gel/juice on my face? This all natural-mother nature plant can save me lots of money if the burning/tightening is normal and I can use it often. Thanks, Tammy
What are your thoughts on using alone topically while pregnant on face and on belly for stretch marks. Every advice for almoast everything is not while pregnant or nursing, but what did they do in the old days?
Dear Yahsmine,
I really never heard or read of anyone applying aloe vera topically to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy. For pregnancy belly, I would recommend things like comfrey, elderflower, bee pollen, almond oil, jasmine oil, and vitamin E, any or all applied topically on the skin.
I hope that helps!
Hi Jennifer,
I would like to add fresh AV to my smoothie. Do I need to blanch hem 1st?
Dear Jo,
You can add a piece of fresh aloe vera raw (not cooked or blanched). Just cut away the outer green skin and only use the inner gel. Start with a small piece, 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch is ok.
I have been using aloe gel for a month now and really love the results I am getting. However, sometimes I would notice lots of white heads would come up to the surface of the skin. Is that normal?
Dear Sandy,
I have not heard that before with aloe vera, but you may want to try dry skin brushing before you apply the aloe gel. That way you are opening the pores of the skin as much as possible before allowing the gel to be absorbed. The other thing you can try is a far infrared sauna to increase the detoxification through the skin via sweating. Having a 45-minutes session twice weekly is very beneficial for the skin.
To your health,
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer i am applying aloe vera plant gel to my face every day it is doing wonders
Hi anyone heard aloe Vera plant could cure type 1 diabetes ??? I need some natural remedy if anyone knows any .thanks
In my country, we always use aloe vera for hair growth. It’s amazing and will make the hair smooth and after a week you literally can feel the new hair grow like a carpet on your scalp. Then I read on the net that it does wonder for the skin too. I have a bad skin condition due to bad teen acne problems and bad sleeping habit. So I started rubbing the gel (get it fresh from our garden) make it as a face mask and leave it overnight. I swear I can immediately see the positive result the next morning! Fine lines slightly disappeared, my skin looks lighter and clearer, looks like I just had a laser treatment a week before! Will try to put a lil piece to my juice in the morning now. I bet it will be superb!
Hi Jennifer,
I just found your website this morning and I love it all!
I have heard mixed thoughts on whether aloe vera is an irritant for SIBO. I would love to get the overall benefits. What are your thoughts?
I have SIBO, Candida, Intestinal Permeability, Histamine and Glutamine intolerances and more. My diet is so restrictive right now and I feel like this process is aging me so fast. I would love to do an appointment with you but I have such extreme food limitations that I’m not sure if I could benefit. I am seeing various doctors right now and each one adds a little to my issues but I still get frustrated because I am always that 1% that will have a paradoxical reaction to a healing product. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated as I just want to be healthy and alive again!!
Hi Teresa,
It’s sounds like you’ve got quite a list there. Im really svory to hear about your suffering. Having intestinal problems is not a fun road to navigate.
I would suggest that you keep your eyes open and be ready to look outside of your gut too. If there is one major thing I have learned in working with clients and looking in the eyes, very often there are other forms of toxicity and deficiency playing into these types on conditions. Your body is a community of organs. Some of your conditions above are very easy to mis-diagnose and they can steer you on the wrong path. I know that perhaps this may make you feel uncomfortable since you are holding on to that list as a trail marker to guide you….but if your list of symptoms keeps growing and the list of foods you can eat keeps getting shorter, then something is not right. I have worked with many clients who have lists even longer than yours. They wasted years on trial and error before they found me and got it right.
All of that said, I don’t think aloe vera will make or break what you’ve got right now. Something like alfalfa tablets will probably be better for you at this stage because #1) it will likely be less reactive and #2) it’s still very healing for the gut. Hope that helps and good luck!
Blessings to your health,
Jennifer
I have forehead deep wrinkles an my neck has wrinkles an I look like I’m an old man I eat healthy an use sunscreen w good uv protection, I’ve tried most of all the wrinkle creams an solutions an nothing has helped, can I use aloe vera juice which I have a gallon of in fridge, with cucmber to get rid of these wrinkles I’m very self conscience about it an try to cover my neck with high collered shirts or hoodies I need help please LOL
Can i remove my crowfeet wrinkles ?? Tell me jennifer
Dear Jasmeet,
AVOID fried foods and refined sugars – they are the worse offenders for increasing aging of the skin! Eat plenty of fresh fruit, drink more water, and eat fresh leafy greens every day. You can add 1 TBSP aloe vera juice to a green smoothie daily. Then, be patient. You don’t get wrinkles overnight and if you want to reverse them naturally, it won’t happen overnight either….but over weeks and months your skin WILL get younger and more youthful in appearance. Also, BE GRATEFUL. Your health is a wonderful thing! If you are too worried about something unimportant like a few wrinkles, G-d may just give you a bigger, real problem to deal with. Then you will wish you only had crow’s feet to worry about!!
Healthy blessings! You are beautiful!
To your health,
Jennifer
When I read how to remove the gel from Aloe Vera leaves it said to cut off some from the thick end and stand it upright to let the LATEX drain out also don’t scrape too deeply into the leaf because that’s where the LATEX is located. I’m allergic to LATEX! Is there enough of it in the leaf to cause an allergic reaction if I use it on my face? Thank you Jennifer.
Hi Monica,
That’s an interesting question! Actually I am also allergic to latex so I can understand your concern! In my case, I am also sensitive to mango and avocado since they contain similar sap to latex. I can tolerate a small piece of mango, but usually even a tiny amount of avocado will make me vomit pretty immediately. With aloe vera, however, I have never had a problem. I have never let a piece stand upright as you mentioned. I usually add aloe vera to a smoothie. I guess the real question is how sensitive is your allergy? I can handle the dentist using latex gloves, for example, but if I wear latex gloves myself I will have a bit of rash. If your sensitivity is strong or extreme, then it’s probably best to avoid aloe vera all together. If you have a known sensitivity, you should test the aloe vera on your arm or leg before ever trying on your face. I hope that helps!
Blessings to your health,
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer —
I just put fresh aloe vera from a large leaf that I bought from the grocery store on a burn that I got a few weeks ago and it itches. Is that a good sign?
Hi Rebecca,
Itching can be a good sign of healing! If you are unsure, of course it can be good to ask your medical doctor. Good luck and I hope you heal quickly!
My best,
Jennifer
I love the information provided to the reader as my self always seeking advise to help others. Great job ! Keep it coming!
Hello Jennifer, I have been reading about the benefits of aloe and diabetes. I was wondering if any of it is true and how much should a person take. You said that juice is ok but how much should you take? I have type 2 and have to use too much insulin right now and I am looking for help to reduce it.
Hi Larry,
It’s really great that you are looking at DIET as a way to manage Type 2 diabetes. Since it is a disease of metabolic syndrome, diet is really the KEY to reversing this dis-ease. Have you looked at your meal planning and ingredients that you use at home? Getting refined sugars and carbohydrates to a minimum is a very important step. I have personally never seen aloe vera to make or break a person’s diabetes, but certainly adding it to a green smoothie would be a great start! You should start with 1 tsp of aloe vera juice and build up to 1 Tbsp. Remember: less is more! Getting more MAGNESIUM in your diet is VERY important for regulating blood sugars. For that you should consider taking a daily magnesium supplement.
I have some great recipes for green smoothies for diabetes in my book: Green Smoothies for Dummies – available on amazon and iTunes. Good luck and keep up the GREAT work!
My best,
Jennifer
HI I find that mixing aloe Vera with Lemmon juice, rise water and green tea powder is the perfect facial mask. I use the whole leaf of course. Mix to a thick paste. Inky use juice of fresh Lemmon. I also make my own skin care products frofresh aloe Vera. I grow and use the medicated aloe. Love !! I’m 47 no wrinkles, and plumb beautiful skin
Hi Claudia, May I ask how you make your own skin care products from aloe vera?
I accidentally grabbed a bottle of glue for clear eyes. I always travel with a piece of aloe vera. I rubbed my eye ball immediately. The next day that morning and night. I went to my optometrists when I returned home, to ashamed to say what I did. I was told no damage to the eye and what did I use. I didn’t say aloe vera, I said petroleum jelly. I love my AC plant.
Aloe vera gel minimizes pores,wrinkles and scars. I am using it daily and I am seeing results.
Would you juice an aloe leaf or blend it?
Hi Merle,
Either is ok! I personally add aloe to my smoothie. The sweet fruits in a smoothie are great for hiding the bitter taste of aloe.
Blessings!
It’s true Nature’s alternative to Botox pure Aloe Vera gel on the skin feel the difference for yourself! It help for my skin. Thank-you…
Jennifer,
Have you heard anything about Aloe Vera not being safe for consumption? Here is a link to a study on rats I found by NTP. Curious what your thoughts are on this?
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/interviews/aloevera/index.cfm
Hi Angela,
It is always important to note who is funding the agency doing these studies. NTP is a government agency. Are they funded by big pharma? Would big pharma benefit financially from people using aloe, something that cannot be patented? Aloe is a healing food that has been on this earth for thousands of years. Moderation is key as with anything, but to say it causes tumors? Where is the smoking gun in the room really? I’d day it’s the alcohol, coffee, bread, sugar, cigarettes, chemical additives, and processed dairy and meat that are causing the real problems. Let’s not hang the innocent aloe vera leaf, instead let’s embrace this earth for providing our organic bodies with real food and healing power from the plants of Mother Nature.
Thanks for sharing this article! I love Aloe. It’s a great natural product for the inside, out. I love it for my skin and it also works wonders for my digestive system.
After I add the gel to my smoothie I take the peel and rub the wet part all over my face and neck. All natural facial! I love, love, love aloe vera. It has amazing healing properties.
Good idea! Thanks for sharing!
Hello! Walters Nana always grew Aloe Vera Plants in her Kitchen window for me and anyone who got burned from cooking or a Sun burn from the Beach. Nana would eat the gel and put it on her face , She would say its the best for your skin and complexion . All natural no chemicals .
GREAT POST! Growning up as a kid, my mother ALWAYS had an aloe vera plant in the house for me and my sisters. we were so active and would always come home with all sorts of bloody knees, faces, elbows etc. she would keep me indoors with a piece of aloe vera stuck to my face (leaf included) now here i am at 24 ith no face scars from those early injuries. it works wonders! — I will be buying some this week.
Hi Jennifer. Just wanna say how wonderful your tweets are. Everything you share is inspirational, educational, positive and right on the money!
About a month ago I gave myself Aloe Vera Gel facials and loooooved it!! I am in the midst of revamping my face routine, and I’m loving Aloe and Witch hazel w/Vitamin E:)