Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

To help soothe wounds, burns, scalds, and sunburn, and to help avoid infection, select a lower (older) leaf, cut several inches off, slice it lengthwise, apply the gel, and allow it to dry Make sure you clean the wound properly with soap and water first. As for the injured leaf, it quickly closes its own wound. The rest of it may be used in the future.

To enjoy the cosmetic benefits of aloe, apply gel from the leaf to freshly washed skin. Discontinue use if it seems to irritate your skin.

The Safety Factor

Aloe gel is safe for external use by anyone who does not develop an allergic reaction. Aloe is best used in consultation with your doctor. Tell your doctor if wounds do not heal significantly within two weeks or appear to be getting worse.

Never a Laxative

Aloe latex contains laxative chemicals (anthraquinones) with such powerful purgative action that they are called cathartics. Other laxative herbs (senna, rhubarb, buckthorn, and cascara sagrada) also contain anthraquinones, but aloe’s action is considered the most drastic-and least recommended-because it often causes severe intestinal cramps and diarrhea. Many herbalists discourage its use, but some supplement companies sell aloe laxative tablets. If you use them, never exceed the package dose recommendation and reduce your dose or stop using the product if you develop intestinal cramps.

If you’re looking for a natural laxative, your best bet is to seek other herbs with proven, but milder, results, such as psyllium and cascara sagrada.

Aloe latex should not be ingested by pregnant women. Its cathartic nature may stimulate uterine contractions and trigger miscarriage. It should not be used by nursing mothers. The latex enters mother’s milk and may cause stomach cramps and violent catharsis in infants.

Aloe’s cathartic power may also aggravate ulcers, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, diverticulitis, colitis, or irritable bowel syndrome. Anyone with a gastrointestinal illness should not use aloe latex as a laxative.

In general. aloe latex is not recommended for internal use.

Possible Side Effect

Although aloe gel may help heal injured skin, one case study reported eczema-like welts in a man who had used it for several years-proving that too much of a good thing may cause problems.

Native Cultivation - Easy to Grow Indoors

Aloe is the perfect houseplant for people with brown thumbs because it requires little water and no other care. Aloe prefers sun, but tolerates shade and doesn’t mind poor soil. The only conditions this hardy succulent cannot tolerate are poor drainage and temperatures below about 40°F. Bring potted aloes indoors before the temperature falls lower.

Aloe periodically produces off-shoots, which may be removed and replanted when they are a few inches tall. Simply uproot or unpot the plant, work the soil gently to separate the offshoot, and return the mother plant to its bed or pot.