How To Make Aloe Vera Gel At Home +Ways To Use It
Stop buying aloe vera gel and juice from the store and learn how to make Aloe vera gel at home with this step-by-step tutorial. It’s easy and cost less.
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How to Make Aloe Vera Gel at Home
Aloe Vera Gel is something I always have at home. It’s such a versatile ingredient to have at home because of it’s many health benefits. It’s great for all skin types and serves many purposes.
Aloe vera gel is also great in the first aid department. It’s amazing on bug bites, scrapes, cuts, burns and more.
Did you know you can make your own aloe vera gel at home? It’s a super easy process that anyone can do. You’ll get 100% pure aloe for much less.
Honestly, it’s so easy to make aloe vera gel at home you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner. You don’t need any special tools and it literally takes minutes to make.
Why Should I Make My Own Aloe Vera Gel?
Store bought aloe vera gel is either full of harsh chemicals, thickeners, and/or preservatives or you have to spend a lot for a decent organic product. This is why I prefer to make aloe vera gel and juice at home.
You get the most health benefits getting your aloe straight from the leaf itself. When you make it yourself you also save money in the process.
Here’s What You Need to get Started
You only need a couple of things to get started making your own aloe vera gel at home and most of it you already have on hand. I love that you don’t need any special tools to make fresh aloe.
- aloe leaf – from your garden or produce section at your local store
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- tall glass
- blender or immersion blender
- air tight container for storage
- ice cube tray – for saving extra aloe vera gel
How to Harvest Fresh Aloe
You can harvest aloe leaves from a plant or buy them at the store in the produce section. I grabbed mine from the store for about $2. The aloe piece is huge so you get a good amount from the one leaf.
Having a couple of aloe vera plants at home would be the best solution for making aloe vera gel at home on a regular basis. Aloe vera plants do well in pots or in the ground so you have planting options.
When harvesting the aloe leaf from the plant you want to choose a thick leaf from the bottom of the plant. Use a sharp pair of scissors or a knife to cut the leaf off at the base of the plant as close to the trunk as you can get.
How to Make Aloe Vera Gel
Once your fresh aloe has been harvested it’s time to turn it into homemade aloe vera gel. If you bought the aloe vera leaf from the store then you need to cut across the bottom of the leaf as if you had cut it from the plant yourself.
Step One
First, you’ll need to drain the aloin from the aloe vera leaf. This is a yellowish liquid that’s found in the leaf that can irritate the stomach when ingested. Simply place the aloe vera leaf cut side down in a glass and let it drain for 10-15 minutes.
You can see the aloin in the photos above. You’ll notice the yellow down at the bottom of the cut aloe vera leaf as the aloin drains out.
Step 2
Once the aloin has drained from the plant, lay the aloe leaf flat side down and cut the spiky edges off of both sides.
Step 3
Next you’ll slide a sharp knife under the top side of the aloe vera leaf and slice all the way down, cutting the top layer of skin off.
Step 4
Now, place the knife under the fresh aloe and again slide the knife all the way down the length of the leaf. This will release the aloe part of the plant.
I like to keep my hand flat on the aloe to help the leaf stay in place while I cut. The aloe is slippery so be very careful while cutting. Your hands will get slippery.
Get as close to the skin as possible while cutting out the aloe but don’t worry about any that’s left on the skin. You can easily scrape off any that remains on the leaf when you’re all done.
Step 5
You’ll end up with a nice thick slice of fresh aloe vera when you’re all done. Give it a quick wash to get rid of any aloin left on the aloe and then pat dry. You can then chop it up and put it in a bowl.
Step 6
If you have any aloe left on the leaf then you can use a spoon to scrape the rest into a bowl. You don’t want to waste any of it.
Step 7
Blend that fresh aloe until it’s in liquid form. It will be foamy at first but as it sits it will settle and all those air bubbles will disappear.
How to Preserve Fresh Aloe
Your fresh aloe vera does not have any preservatives in it. That’s the whole point but it does mean the aloe won’t last as long as the store bought kind.
Store aloe vera gel or juice in an airtight container in the fridge for one week.
Citric acid and vitamin e are natural preservatives that can be added to homemade aloe vera gel if you want it to keep for longer. You only need a small amount of either. Try 1/8 teaspoon of citric acid or one vitamin e capsule.
You can also freeze extras to preserve fresh aloe vera to use later. Just poor the aloe into ice cube trays and freeze. Once they freeze solid, pop the cubes out and store in a freezer safe container.
I prefer the freezing method because I don’t have to worry about preservatives. Even though citric acid and vitamin e are safe to use the whole point of making fresh aloe vera gel is to keep it 100% pure.
I like to keep enough aloe in the fridge to use up all week and then freeze the rest for the following weeks. If you are drinking the fresh aloe vera as a juice you’ll use it up much faster. Using the gel on your skin or hair only takes a small amount so it will last much longer.
How to Make & Use Aloe Vera Juice
One of the best selling aloe juices on Amazon says in their product description, “the next best thing to juicing your own aloe fresh from the plant”. So instead of buying it let’s just make it ourselves.
There are many health benefits to drinking aloe vera juice. First, it’s full of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals which are all essential for our bodies. All those properties help boost the immune system and who doesn’t need that?
Aloe Vera can also help control blood sugar. This can be beneficial to people who are prediabetic. People should definitely talk to their doctor about drinking aloe vera juice because it can interfere with blood sugar medication.
Recipe for Aloe Vera Juice
Add 2 tablespoons of freshly harvested aloe vera or 2 ice cubes of frozen aloe (more on that in a minute) and 1 cup of filtered water to your blender. Then blend until smooth. It’s that simple.
If you’re not a fan of the taste then you can add sugar, honey, or squeeze in some fresh lemon, orange, or lime juice. You can also add it to smoothies.
It’s recommended that you only drink 2-8 ounces of aloe vera juice a day. If you have any digestion issues then reduce the amount you drink.
5 Popular Ways to Use Homemade Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is the best, natural way to heal cuts, scrapes, sores, and burns. Take a dab of fresh aloe gel from the fridge and rub it directly on the problem area a couple times a day until it heals. Every time I remember to use aloe vera things heal much faster.
There are so many other ways to use aloe vera. Homemade beauty products are my favorite things to make. The health benefits of aloe are amazing as well. Here are a couple of popular recipes you should try.
1. After Sun Gel or Spray
I have to say, using aloe vera gel on burns is the best. The other day I burned my fingers while cooking so I grabbed the aloe from the fridge. The cold aloe felt amazing on the burn and the pain stopped almost immediately. No blisters formed.
This is the exact reason that aloe vera gel is my go-to after a sunburn. It helps relive the pain and speeds up healing time.
- 1/2 cup fresh aloe vera
- 1 tsp vitamin E oil
- 8 drops lavender essential oil
- 4 drops peppermint oil
Blend the fresh aloe vera until smooth then stir the vitamin E and essential oils in. Gently rub on sunburned skin every couple of hours for pain relief and faster healing time.
Want to make a Sunburn Relief Spray instead? Add in a 1/4 cup of witch hazel. Pour everything into a spray bottle and give it a good shake before applying.
2. Germ Killing Mouth Wash
Aloe vera mouth wash is full of antimicrobial and antibacterial properties which help with gum inflammation.
- 2 tbsp fresh aloe vera
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 drops peppermint oil
Mix all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Poor into a glass bottle and store in the fridge.
3. Aloe Vera Hair Mask
Aloe vera is a staple ingredient in natural hair care because it has so many scalp and hair benefits. One of the most popular ways to use aloe vera is for natural hair growth.
- 2 tbsp castor oil
- 1/4 cup aloe vera gel
Blend the ingredients then divide your hair into sections and apply the mask on your scalp. Leave on for 20 minutes and then shampoo out.
Want longer lashes or fuller eyebrows? Dip a clean mascara wand into the mask and apply to lashes and brows before bed.
4. Face Primer
Makeup does not like to stay on my oily skin so a primer is a must. Make your own natural skin friendly primer using aloe vera.
- 2 tbsp homemade aloe vera gel
- 1/2 tsp glycerin
Mix the two ingredients together and store in a small glass jar. Apply to face and let dry before applying makeup.
5. Aloe Vera Smoothie
We’ve learned that drinking aloe vera juice can be great for the body but the flavor is not always well loved. I find the easiest way to ingest aloe is to throw it in a morning smoothie.
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
- 2-3 aloe vera ice cubes
- 1 1/2 cups of almond or coconut milk
Blend until smooth and enjoy!
There are so many more uses for aloe vera. These recipes are just the tip of the iceberg. Make aloe vera gel at home and start reaping some serious health benefits!
How do you use aloe vera gel? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.
