Make your own aloe vera gel from fresh leaves and use it in your beauty and skin care products. Aloe vera gel is natural and a powerhouse for skin care!
The kids and I recently took a homeschool trip out to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, Arizona just a week ago. While we were waiting for the Prickly Pear tour to start, we were perusing all of the desert plants.
There was chaparral, prickly pear, ocotillo, aloe vera, and more. I told my kids that the aloe vera plant is a wonderful way to support healthy skin, and they seemed intrigued that you could harvest and squeeze the aloe vera out to use in various DIYs.
We brought home a few aloe vera plants, and just a few days later, we stopped in at the grocery store to pick up some flour for baking. One of my boys screamed with excitement when he found “aloe” leaves there in the produce section and so we brought a few home to use in soap (and a homeschool lesson!)
How is Aloe Vera Gel Used?
Aloe Vera plants are so easy to grow and maintain – even if you have a brown thumb. Having them readily available gives you the opportunity to use fresh aloe vera gel when needed.
Aloe is great for supporting skin – it soothes pain, reduces inflammation from minor burns, but also works well in the following areas:
- Anti-inflammatory and cooling properties make it wonderful for sunburn relief
- Aloe is rich in antioxidants and minerals that can speed healing
- Aloe vera can be used to aid in chronic skin problems – psoriasis, eczema and even acne
I use aloe vera gel in my bug repellent gel (and it works fabulous). You can also use in sunburn relief cubes. But it’s especially good for helping an itchy, dry scalp or occassional dandruff.
- Lavender Body Wash
- Homemade Foaming Body Wash
- Foaming Hand Soap
- Peppermint and Rosemary Cooling Foot Cream
- Cooling After Sun Spray
- Foaming Shave Cream
- Hand Sanitizer
- Homemade Hair Gel
You can also use aloe vera internally – it helps support digestion and provides your body valuable vitamins and minerals.
Where to Find Aloe Vera
Aloe vera plants are easy to grow and maintain at home, in fact, they are similar to the cactus plant. You’ll need well drained, sandy soil with minimal watering.
If you aren’t up for caring for one at home, sometimes you can find cut aloe vera at the grocery store in the produce section. Not all grocers will have aloe vera leaves available, so you may have to check around.
How to Harvest Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera leaves are very long, and slightly curved at the end. The edges are very sharp, but the flesh inside the upper and lower leaves is very thick.
Supplies needed:
- aloe vera leaf
- food processor
- air tight container or mason jar
- sharp knife
- cutting board
Directions:
Cut the end of the leaf (open end, not pointy tip) about 1/2 inch. Then cut the leaf into 6 inch sections to make it easier on yourself.
Place your knife just inside the edge of the skin. , and move that knife down the edge to the end of the leaf.
Repeat that on the other edge of the leaf.
Carefully pull apart the top from bottom. You’ll have gel on each side. Carefully slide your knife to get that flesh off of each side, and put in a clean bowl.
Repeat for each section, slicing off the aloe vera and placing in the bowl.
Take the contents of the bowl and place in the food processor. Blend until smooth. It will smooth – it will froth at first, and that is OK. Keep blending until it’s completely pureed.
Pour into your container, and allow the froth to go down, then tightly cover and refrigerate.
If you don’t plan on using that aloe within a day, it’s best to place in the refrigerator.
What color is Aloe Vera Gel?
Natural aloe vera gel ranges in color from clear to slightly yellow. Commercial aloe vera gel is often times green as they have commercial dyes added.
(*You’ll want to look at the ingredients for RD BLUE and RD YELLOW, as combined, they result in a “green” tint to the gel).
Aloe vera gel tends to oxidize quickly once it is exposed to air (as you cut), therefore the gel is likely to turn clear to pink to red in a matter of minutes — much like ours did above. Aloe vera plants that are exposed to a high level of sun or are grown in poor soil can result in red aloe vera gel.
However, it has also been shown that certain nutrients change color as they convert from one form too another. In this case, vitamin B12 (pink/red) may indeed be greater in this aloe vera gel, though it hasn’t been extensively studied.
It is always best to cut and harvest aloe vera on an as-needed basis, as it is not suitable for long term refrigeration. If doing things on an as-needed basis is not possible, consider harvesting and freezing until needed.
Hi Sheryl, I have been making homemade aloe vera for the past year with no issues until now. My aloe vera gel came out very pink just like yours on your webpage photo. I keep mine in a raised planter with a sunscreen over it so it doesn’t get too much direct sun (filtered) and gets watered twice per week. I live in San Diego California. The plants look very healthy and are growing well. The leaves are not pink at all, just the gel. It doesn’t look pink until I put it in my Omega masticating juicer. Does pink gel mean it’s not as beneficial? I mostly put it on my skin, particularly my face, but I have used it for other purposes as well. Also, are all aloe vera variety safe to ingest? And if so in your opinion, what is the maximum quantity you can ingest in one sitting? I would appreciate answering these questions and any feedback you can give me. BTW I didn’t know you could freeze the leaves, so thank you for that. Can you also freeze the gel itself? Love your website BTW.
Hi Ginny – thanks for the comment, glad you love my site. That makes me feel good. I have never had issues with pink aloe vera until I transferred one to a new spot in my yard… at that point, it was pink (the gel). The plant itself wasn’t pink, just the gel. I had never had any issues though so it was all new to me.
Pink aloe leaves are not “bad” (per se), it just means that the plant has excess sun exposure, water, or exposure to cold – so temps too low or high. For mine, I think I was watering too much – because I had it in a spot in the yard that seemed to collect water for a little too long and that’s what probably did it. That might be the same for yours, too. As for the gel that’s pink: you can still use it! It doesn’t affect the benefits of the gel or the gel itself. You can also still ingest it. As to how much, I’m not sure… I have heard a cup of aloe a day (8 oz?) but I haven’t personally tried that. You can freeze the leaves, and I still do that. If I can’t get to scraping them out as quickly as I’d like, I toss in the freezer and it works well for me.
Thank you so much for sharing this technique. I will definitely try but Can I please know your skin type so that I can understand if it (pink gel) won’t occur any problem on my skin.
My skin is fairly normal — I’m in Arizona so in the summer it tends to get a bit dry. But otherwise, it’s quite normal!
If you refrigerate the gel, how long will it last?
Karen, fresh aloe vera gel can last up to 10 days in the fridge. Hope that helps!
I enjoyed reading the comments, questions, and replies. Ive been playing around with using aloe Vera gel for various reasons. I’m taking it more serious for skin and beauty products I am making. I am wondering if any of the properties are beneficial for hair growth, rejuvenation, etc.
I use aloe vera gel to make handmade cold process soap and it works beautifully. I have heard that it has wonderful properties for hair but I haven’t necessarily tried myself.
The information was helpful. Thank you. I have been using aloe Vera for years from Trader Joe, however for over a year I have been taking the gel out placing it in a mason jar with a bit of water. I use about 2-3 tablespoons in my drinks and it has cleared up acne and helped with the respiratory system. I wish out health departs would study this as I am very healthy at 52. Aloe Vera is great for so much.
Cammie – I agree. I just cut some more aloe from my side yard plant (has grown massively) to use in skincare products later today. I, too, love Aloe.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
After blending the aloe stays watery. I thought it would be more of a gel. I also refrigerate it. Am I doing it right?
Absolutely you are. The gel that is sold in store typically has thickeners added. I blend my aloe, and pour into a canning jar. Then I put it in the fridge or freezer until I need it. Sometimes it’s thick. Sometimes it’s thin. Just depends on the health of my aloe plant.