Aloe vera How To Make Your Own
Products
by Wikaniko
First of all, here’s a little terminology. Starting
from the outside of the leaf and
working inwards, we have the "rind", the
"sap", the "mucilage" and lastly, the
central core of "gel", also known as the
"gel fillet".
For home uses, the rind is only good for
composting. The yellow sap (also
called "aloin" or latex) should be
avoided when possible. It's used as an
ingredient in laxatives, and can cause diarrhoea
and other problems if taken
internally. The mucilage and gel are the most
important parts of the plant for
home medicinal use.
IMPORTANT: Aloe should be processed within a couple
of hours of harvest at
most so as to prevent oxidation.
THE PROCESS
Begin by selecting a large, healthy outer leaf
that's close to the soil. These are
the oldest and most potent. (If none of the leaves
are close to the ground, the
plant may be too immature to harvest.) Cut close to
the base of the plant at a
slight angle.
Stand your leaf upright in a slightly tilted
container for roughly 10 minutes.
This allows much of the sap to drain out. You may
not see the sap in smaller
leaves. To make your task less messy, wear latex
gloves like the
professionals do. This is also good practise, as
you will reduce any
contamination from your hands.
Lay the leaf down on a clean flat surface, or clean
cutting board. Carefully use
a sharp knife to cut off the tip of the leaf and
its serrated edges, all the way
down both sides. Slice the inside of the leaf
lengthwise so that the front and
back can be separated.
Using a spoon or (for larger leaves) a butter
knife, scoop out the mucilage (the
slimy stuff) and the gel (the clear, solid
"fillet"). Press down firmly, but lightly.
Too much force may scrape out sap, which you want
to avoid.
INTERNAL USE
We advise against using your fresh Aloe juice
internally. It is difficult to
remove all of the sap, and this can have negative
health consequences,
particularly for pregnant women, elderly people and
young children. Aloe can
be useful internally for specific ailments, but we
recommend that you consult
with a naturopathic physician before undertaking
this type of treatment.
If you've consulted with a naturopath and want to
use your juice internally,
process only the clear gel fillet. Rinse it in a
mild vinegar solution (vinegar
mixed with water) to remove more of the sap's residue.
Eat or drink the
amount prescribed as soon as possible for maximum
benefit. You may want
to flavour it with something tart, salty or sweet
(such as fruit juice). Save
excess gel by freezing it.
EXTERNAL USE
For external use, you can mix the gel and mucilage
together to create your
"juice". The gel can be difficult to
liquidify. Some people puree it using the
base of a blender. This also works well for
chopping spices and nuts.
Aloe juice that hasn't been commercially processed
tends to have an
unpleasant odour. This is normal and won't affect
its properties.
STORAGE
Don't forget to store your Aloe juice in the
fridge. Use a glass or food-safe
plastic container. Brown or dark green glass is
best to block out excess light.
Even a small amount of Aloe juice can go a long
way. To make it last even
longer and to prevent discolouration (your juice
will eventually turn brown),
add a drop of vitamin E and a drop of grapefruit
seed extract, or mix in some
citric acid powder. Remember, however, that Aloe is
best when fresh.
Conclusion
Aloe is without doubt, the best all round natural
health remedy that you can get. At
Wikaniko, only the finest aloe is used, and it is
hand-picked. We have numerous
testimonials from customers who regularly buy the
juice to drink, and for the products
that we supply for external use.
If you have never used aloe products before, you
are in for a treat with the Wikaniko
products.
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment