Amazing Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Oil
Aloe Vera oil is made from the gel of Aloe Vera plant. There are many species of this succulent plant. The most common one is Aloe barbedensis. Aloe Vera has tremendous health benefits when applied topically and also when used internally. It has been mentioned often in medicinal books of the past where it is described how this gel is used for skin diseases, wounds and digestive complaints. Modern research also shows that many of these applications of Aloe Vera gel are really effective.
Properties
Aloe Vera oil contains the therapeutic properties from the base oil as well from the nutrients that it provides to the oil.- Emollient – Aloe Vera oil is a brilliant moisturiser for the skin.
- Anti-Inflammatory – It reduces inflammation and other signs related to it.
- Anti – Bacterial – It has the ability to kill certain bacteria.
- Anti-Viral – This property makes it suitable for use on herpes and shingles rashes.
- Anti-fungal – This oil can be used to kill fungi that cause conditions like ringworm.
- Anti-oxidant – The oil protects the skin from free radical damage.
- Cicatrizant – Aloe vera oil speeds wound recovery.
- Anti-Irritant – reduces skin irritation.
- Astringent – shrinks the skin and makes it taut.
- Sun protection – Aloe Vera oil provides minor sun protection, especially in a base oil like Sesame oil.
Health Benefits
Because of its healing properties, Aloe Vera oil is used in many applications for personal use. One can make use of it as a home remedy for certain conditions.1. Massage Oil
Aloe Vera oil can be used as a massage oil. It penetrates well and feels soothing to the skin. One can use essential oils with this oil as an aromatherapy massage.
2. Healing Skin Wounds
Aloe vera provides wound healing nutrients to this oil. One can apply it on a wound, cut, scrape or even a bruise. It prompts the skin to heal faster. It also helps in reducing the scar. However, for burns and sunburns, the pure Aloe Vera gel can be more effective as it is much more cooling and soothing. It is good for healing post surgical scars.
3. Dermatitis
Aloe Vera oil is an anti-irritant. It also provides some nutrients to the skin, especially amino acids as Aloe Vera gel is rich in them. One can apply this directly for relief from conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
4. Pain Relief
Aloe Vera oil is used in compositions for pain relief. One can use it as a home remedy to alleviate pain by combining with essential oils of eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint and calendula. One can use few drops of each essential oil in about 3 ounces of Aloe Vera oil. This forms a nice home-made pain relief gel.
5. Hair Care
Aloe Vera oil can be used for scalp and hair care. It reduces dry scalp condition, dandruff and conditions the hair. The ghritkumari oil is believed to assist in hair growth, keeping hair strong and also in improving the faculties of the mind through the scalp massage of that oil. It also helps in psoriasis of the scalp. Adding a few drops of tea tree oil to Aloe vera oil makes it a powerful ingredient for dealing with fungal scalp infections.
6. Cold Sore
Apply a small amount of Aloe Vera oil or gel onto the cold sores. It aids the body in drying out the sores, like witch hazel. This prevents the blisters to weep and become more painful if used early on. This works because of the compound Aloe emodin, which has been proved to exhibit anti-viral effect against herpes virus. Aloe Vera oil also helps in healing herpes and shingles lesions.
7. Facial Oil
One can use Aloe vera oil is a soothing oil for the face. It moisturizes the skin and keeps it strong and supple. Aloe Vera oil provides many nutrients directly to the skin. However, it might not be good for acne prone skin as the carrier oil may be comedogenic. In that case, one should look for Aloe Vera oil prepared in a non comedogenic oil like jojoba oil.
8. Insect Bites
Because of its anti-inflammatory effect, it reduces swelling and inflammation caused by insect bites, like that from bees and wasps.
9. Dental Care
Aloe Vera nutrients have been identified to aid in peridontal disease. One can use Aloe vera oil as a massage oil for the gums and teeth to keep them healthy and lower the risk of dental problems like caries, plaque and gingivitis.
Home Remedies
One can devise numerous home remedies using aloe vera oil and combining it with other products in the house. It can be used in home made formulations for soap, shampoo, lip balms, salves, toothpaste, moisturizers and massage oils. One can experiment with a variety of essential oils and use them in aloe vera oil to impart their therapeutic properties to our skin.
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