What
is Aloe Vera? We have heard so much about
it?
Before Allopathy were
developed people used to depend on plant
medicine and had means and mechanism to
use the herbs into various forms and various
means of preservation for later use. India
and China were more advanced in this as
Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese herbal
medicine.
During this period Aloe Vera was one such
herb which was considered the wonder herb.
Aloe Vera for over 5000 years
Aloe Vera has been used medicinally for
5,000 years. It has been called the "miracle
plant", the "medicine plant"
and the "wand of heaven". It
has often been seen as a "cure-all"
because it has so many uses.
Aloe Vera - “The plant of
immortality”
Aloe Vera healing ability is known since
1500 BC in Egyptian books. The Egyptians
referred to Aloe Vera as "the Plant
of Immortality". Arab traders were
probably responsible for the spread of
Aloe Vera into Persia, India and the Far
East.
.Aloe Vera -
“ThePowerful Healer”
In India during the fourth century BC
people believed that Aloe Vera grew in
the Garden of Eden. They called it "the
silent healer" and used it to heal
skin conditions and inflammation.
Eventually Aloe Vera was introduced into
the Americas. In Mexico the Aloe Vera
juice was used to treat skin complaints
and wounds.
Aloe Vera was
known by Aristotle
Aristotle was reputed to have persuaded
his student Alexander the Great to seize
the island if Socorro for the Aloe Vera
that grew there.
In the first century AD the Greek physician
Dioscorides wrote in his Materia Medica
that Aloe Vera extract could be used to
treat wounds, stomach complaints, constipation,
hemorrhoids, headaches, all mouth problems,
hair loss, insect bites, kidney ailments
and skin irritations.
The Aloe could survive
unplanted for many years so could be carried
as an emergency treatment for wounds suffered
by Alexander's troops.
In Africa Aloe Vera was
used for stomachaches and to prevent infection
from insect bites.
The Chinese used Aloe
Vera for treating eczema during the Sung
dynasty
Aloe Vera conquerors America
Jesuit priests were encouraged to take
Aloe Vera with them when going to the
New
World to spread the bible. Settlers in
North America were using Aloe Vera to
heal wounds and burns.
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries
many wealthy collectors of exotic plants
added Aloe Vera to their collections and
many discoveries about its properties
were made during this period.
Why
is Aloe Vera used so extensively in cosmetic
products?
After 100 years now people
have come back to the ancient time tested
products and in this Aloe Vera ranks number
one because it blends very easily with
all products may it be cosmetic, food
or utility materials.
The reason being all the parts of this
plant is medicinal value, the plant can
be grown easily the plant even when uprooted
can survive for ling time. The gel is
now stabilized so that it can be used
for long time and supplies can be maintained
during all season which is why it finds
into cosmetic use.
How
does it benefit the hair and skin?
Most of the cosmetic
is targeted for the skin and the one that
is useful for skin cannot be used on to
hair the reason being that the pH of skin
and head and face varies and if wrongly
used results can be disastrous. For example
hair and face is more acidic and pH is
about 5 to 6 because oil secretion is
maximum in this area. Skin pH in other
areas are less acidic.
Aloe Vera inner gel has a pH that suits
well for hair care and also for skin care
and any product that has inner gel preparation
is very good and qualifies for hair care
and skin care. Apart form this the gel
from aloe Vera has many therapeutic components
main being Mucopolysaccharides and alloin
which Boosts the Immune System, moisturizes,
relieves itching, penetrates deep into
the layers of skin to protect skin and
hair roots, it has antibacterial property
that strengthens the skin barrier, in
females it is a good aid for as breast
care and preventing stretch mark and as
muscle relaxant and smoothening agent
for skin. It also improves healing and
repairing of skin, prevents wrinkles and
aging of the skin by protecting from sun
and heat radiation. Aloe Vera is a natural
moisturizer, which also nourishes the
hair follicle and prevents hair falling
and qualifies for skin and hair care cosmetic.
How
is it superior to other herbal products?
Most of the western cosmetic
is wax-based emulsion. That is water 75%
and wax 25% mixed to form lotion cream
by applying heat. Aloe gel must be used
without applying heat and is best as gel
base cosmetic which makes it automatically
superior to others which is all heat based
and non water soluble. Aloe Vera has ability
to penetrate skin and go into the circulation
and hence an added advantage the cost
is also cheap to use aloe Vera at more
than 30% concentration compared to less
than 1% with general cosmetic that can
cause more harm than good as the emulsifying
agents used for chemical based cosmetic
creams are mostly TEA, Glycols, Polysorbitrate,
IPM ect which can cause skin damage for
many and especially children who have
soft skin. These agents can potentate
UV light penetration into the skin as
they are binders and theoretically increase
the risk of cancers. This is avoided in
gel base technique where there is no wax
used and Aloe Vera can be concentrated
to more than 30%.
Aloe Vera enters
Allopathy
There was a naive optimism that scientific
advance would lead to ever more effective
drugs that would eventually "conquer"
all disease and herbal remedies such as
Aloe Vera fell from favor.
It was only in the 1960s that improved
techniques allowed proper stabilization
of the Aloe Vera. Stabilization of the
Aloe Vera juice allowed it to be stored
for long periods and therefore commercial
production became viable. Public interest
was rekindled.
Previous methods of extraction
concentrated only on the Aloe Vera gel
found in the middle of the leaf. They
did not use the whole leaf because it
was difficult to prevent contamination
with Aloe Latex. Aloe Latex is a yellow
extract from the inner leaf of the plant
that acts as a laxative and can cause
severe cramps and diarrhea. The very latest
processing methods now allow the whole
Aloe Vera leaf to be processed without
Aloe Latex contamination. This is a hugely
important step forward as the juice can
now contain the healing power of all parts
of the plant rather than just the inner
gel. The mucopolysaccharide count (MPS)
in whole leaf Aloe Vera juice can reach
much higher values using these latest
processing methods.
Are
Aloe Vera products superior to imported
shampoos and creams, which have many path-breaking
ingredients that promise a host of benefits?
There has been a hype created about imported
products it is a misnomer it must rather
be called reimported.
The thumb rule why some one buys a product
is
1) For Shampoo - see
for declaration if it says no SLS, SLES
or AOS that means no detergent based foaming
agent is used. 99% of Shampoo has this
as foaming agent and it will be thick
flowing.
Traditional organic shampoo is done using
coconut oil and not using this components,
SLS or sodium Lauryl Sulphate is a chemical
placed under carcinogen category and also
if used more than 3% can lead to prevention
of eye growth in children, cataract, deposition
in the brain, heart and liver especially
when children skull is underdeveloped
chemical shampoo can lead to many problems
and it be best avoided. It is worth to
buy something that says no SLS, SLES or
AOS.
2) Cosmetic - Make sure
if the herb is declared in the label how
much is added if the product says Aloe
Vera and if the percentage indicated it
is a good buy. If it is gel based cream
Jelly it is superior and if it is a cold
process technology it is the best. Aloe
Vera when combined with potentiating herbs
is more beneficial than as single herb
and here India scores over west. In most
of western imported cosmetic aloe Vera
is used as cream which requires heat for
manufacturing hen heat is applied Aloe
Vera is as good as dead and it is only
the label claim. If heat is applied than
it must be combined with three herbs to
give the effect than when used a single.
Never settle for a label that says just
Aloe Added adding 001% and .50% makes
a difference if Aloe is added the first
question is how much is it added.
3) Toothpaste - If it
contains saccharin as sweetening avoid
it as children tend to eat them, if it
contains chemicals like fluoride check
if is to be used for children and adults
living in areas with high water content
of fluorine. In some religious people
they prefer to use the paste that contain
no animal ingredient and also demands
if the calcium is obtained from dead animal
bone or from non-animal source.
Aloe Vera - What can it do for
you
Aloe Vera can have a huge impact on a
person's overall well being. Taken as
a drink Aloe Vera will cleanse and detoxify.
This in turn will create more energy.
Research has
shown Aloe Vera to be beneficial for a
wide variety of conditions:
Great
energy booster
Relieves
digestive system disorders such as IBS,
Candida, Colitis, Acid Indigestion
Effective
for people suffering from stomach ulcers
Supports
your Immune System to help you fight infection
Helps
alleviate a wide range of allergies
Soothes
and repairs damaged and inflamed tissues
Lubricates
Joints
Helps
alleviate rheumatism and arthritis
In addition,
following are some other facts about the
healing benefits of Aloe Vera:
Boosts
the Immune System
Contains
unique polysaccharides (long-chain sugars)
including 'acemannan'
Contains
6 Antiseptic Agents
Moisturises
Relieve
Itching
anti-puritic
Increases
blood flow
to the skin
Naturally
Cleanses
detoxifies
body systems
Adaptogen
corrects
imbalances; broad spectrum uses e.g. constipation
and diarrhoea
Penetrates
Tissue
penetrates
all 7 layers of skin and deep into the
dermis
Natural
Anti-Inflammatory
contains
plant steroids
Nutritional
contains
vitamins, enzymes, minerals and amino
acids
Accelerates
Healing
Pain
Killer
contains
3 analgesics
Extremely
Safe
no known
side effects
Bactericidal
fungicidal,
viricidal
Breaks
Down Dead Tissue
contains
proteolytic enzymes
