You must have heard all about this wonder succulent plant known as Aloe Vera and what it can do to your skin, hair, and health in general. This blog, however, will let you know HOW you can use Aloe Vera in your daily routine to keep your precious skin as young and healthy as possible.
What can I do with Aloe Vera at home?
Have you also wondered this question? Well, the answer is simply so much! Aloe Vera is a supremely versatile plant and nature's gift to human kind. You can preserve it at home, use it to make a hair mask to tame dry and frizzy hair and deep condition them, use it as a face mask or gel to get rid of acne and even drink aloe vera juice for a full body cleanse.
If you have a skin type that needs more care and pampering than usual, try using the below
DIY Aloe Vera–Lemon Juice Face Pack
You’ll need one Aloe Vera leaf, half a lemon, and one tablespoon of honey.
After slicing open the Aloe Vera leaves, use a knife to remove the gel from the skin of the leaves. Make sure you mix the gel and lemon juice in a ratio of approximately eight to one to make a gel-like paste. You can add the tablespoon of honey to it and make the paste a little tighter.
Apply this face pack directly onto your face. Be careful and try to avoid your eye area as it is an extremely sensitive part of your face. Leave the mask on for about 15 to 20 minutes. Then rinse it off thoroughly.
This face pack will not only fetch you a hydrated and smooth skin but also fight acne due to the antibacterial properties of both the components. It will make the skin on your face tight and firm, thus keeping the wrinkles at bay. The anti-oxidant properties of the vitamin-rich aloe vera and lemon juice will also fight the free radicals and slow the aging of your skin. This face mask can also aid in getting rid of a suntan that you’ve been waiting to shed.
There are several Aloe Vera scrubs that you can make right at your home but this is the simplest one that you’ll come across.
DIY Aloe Vera–Lemon Juice–Sugar Scrub
You’ll need one Aloe Vera leaf, half a lemon, and two tablespoons of sugar – white or brown. You can also opt for coconut sugar.
Extract the aloe vera gel from the leaf after slicing it open. Put the gel in a bowl and add the two tablespoons of sugar into it. Stir the mixture till it turns into a paste and 80 percent of the sugar has melted. Then squeeze the half-lemon into it and mix the juice as well.
Gently massage the scrub on your face in a circular motion and let it exfoliate your skin. Post ten minutes of such massaging, you can rinse it off your face and enjoy the cool and breezy feeling.
Apart from removing the dead skin cells off your skin, it will also remove the blackheads and the dirt nesting in the pores of your face. After the scrub, you’ll be left with a feeling of freshness and fall in love with it. It is recommended to use this scrub once in two weeks which will keep the dirt and pollution particles from getting too attached to your skin.
DIY Aloe Vera–Honey–Cinnamon Face Mask
You’ll need one tablespoon of aloe vera, two tablespoons of honey, and about half teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
Once you have the aloe vera gel skinned out of the leaf, take it in a bowl and add two tablespoons of honey to it. Make a mixture out of it after you’ve added the half teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Make sure that the mixture is not runny and will stay on your face when applied.
Apply the face mask gently and carefully. Keep it on for about five to ten minutes. Then rinse it off with lukewarm water.
This face mask will reduce the chances of acne popping out of your skin due to its combined anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial powers. So, you should try it out if your face is never left alone by an army of acnes.
DIY Aloe Vera–Cucumber Face Mask
You’ll need half a cucumber, two or more tablespoons of aloe vera gel (depends on if you want to store the mask), and a blender.
You can extract the cucumber juice out and add two tablespoons of aloe vera gel extracted from the leaf. Put them in a blender and mix until it becomes slightly runny but still gel-like. If you’d like it to be thicker, you can add another spoon of aloe vera to it. That blend is your face mask which you can also store in the refrigerator till a maximum of three months.
Apply the mask on your face and neck area evenly. Let it stay for fifteen to twenty minutes. Then you can wash it all off with cool water.
This face mask is especially good for anti-aging purposes as both cucumber and aloe vera contain several anti-oxidants that help arrest the free radicals responsible for aging. Moreover, it will give you firmer skin as well as keep it hydrated. Such a face mask will work wonders for dry skin and also aids in healing.
DIY Aloe Vera Shaving Gel
You’ll need one aloe vera leaf, olive oil or coconut oil, and essential oil of your preferred choice for a pleasing fragrance. For example, lemongrass or lavender.
Extract the aloe vera gel out of its leaf. Mix one tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil in three tablespoons of aloe vera gel. Add a few drops of that chosen essential oil to it and mix well. You can easily store the shaving gel in a wide-mouth container for future use.
Before applying the gel on the part of your skin that needs shaving, make sure it is wet or damp. Then apply the shaving gel in that area and get on shaving.
The bonus point of this DIY shaving gel is that it serves as both a shaving gel and also provides you with benefits of an aftershave. Plus, men, women and every other gender can use this gel for their particular purposes.
This DIY Aloe vera shaving gel will protect your skin from getting too dry by keeping it hydrated. It soothes the skin and hence can be helpful in cases of nicks and irritation that attack your skin during and after a shave. Due to the healing properties of aloe, it will help to get quick relief in cases of teensy cuts if any.
DIY Aloe Vera Face Wash
You’ll need two tablespoons of aloe vera gel, two tablespoons of almond oil, two tablespoons of rosewater, few drops of essential oil of your choice suitable for your face wash, three drops of vitamin E oil. You’ll also need a whisk and a pump bottle to store your face wash.
Splash your face with water as you do before using a face wash. Then pump a bit of that fresh face wash that you made yourself and gently massage on your face for at least two to three minutes. Then wash it off with cool water and pat your face dry.
This face wash is a quick fix to all your acne problems and also helps in keeping a dry skin type at bay. Even if you have sensitive skin, this particular DIY face wash will be a great help to protect your skin from a wide range of skin problems because of its anti-inflammatory properties. It will provide a smooth finish to your skin and soothe any kind of burning sensation or irritation.
Guess what, if you’re too busy or lazy to make your own Face Wash, we at Amrutam can help you with that by introducing our very own Amrutam Face Wash which, by the way, consists of aloe vera, chironji, Kesar, and many other natural ingredients to make it kind and gentle to your precious skin.
DIY Aloe Vera–Oatmeal Face and Body Scrub
You’ll need two tablespoons of aloe vera gel, two tablespoons of oatmeal, and a teaspoon of almond oil.
Take a bowl. Add the above-mentioned amounts aloe vera gel and oatmeal and mix well. Then add one teaspoon of almond oil into the mixture and keep stirring until it forms a pasty texture.
You can apply this DIY scrub on your face as well as on your body. Massage onto your skin gently and in circular motions. Make sure to massage all over for about five minutes. Then let it rest and do its magic for another fifteen to twenty minutes. Lastly, wash it off with lukewarm or cool water, as you wish.
The bonus point is that this scrub is suitable and effective no matter whatever your skin type is. Using a body scrub made of aloe vera is super beneficial because of its hydrating power and its ability to lock the moisture under your skin for a long time. The salicylic acid present in aloe vera helps in getting rid of dead skin cells without harming your skin. Furthermore, this scrub can remove all the dirt trapped in your skin pores as well as remove those stubborn blackheads that assume your skin to be their home.
References:
- https://www.organicspamagazine.com/2017/05/31/aloe-vera-sugar-scrub/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/aloe-vera-for-acne#uses-for-acne
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321273#seven-ways-to-use-aloe-vera
- https://helloglow.co/aloe-vera-face-pack-with-lemon/
- https://www.beautyglimpse.com/versatile-diy-aloe-vera-scrub-recipes-you-need-to-try-today/
- https://www.youbeauty.com/beauty/16-ways-to-use-aloe-vera-as-a-beauty-product/
- https://www.siobeauty.com/blogs/news/cucumber-face-masks#point-4
- https://otisskincare.com/blogs/news/why-aloe-vera-is-so-great-for-a-mans-skin
- https://humblebrands.com/blog/homemade-aloe-vera-face-wash-for-sensitive-skin
- https://beauty.onehowto.com/article/how-to-make-a-diy-body-scrub-with-aloe-vera-9787.html#anchor_3
