DIY Summer activity: cool down with Aloë Vera gel

Don’t just keep your head cool, keep your skin cool too!

The Aloë Vera plant is a succulent plant that stores water in its leaves in the form of a gel. This gel is very moisturising and great for sunburns, insect bites, small cuts or wounds, and other skin problems. How brilliant is that? Magical gel! However, many store-bought Aloë Vera products contain potentially harmful additives such as colourings. With this DIY video, we show you how you can easily make your own Aloë Vera gel without any harmful substances! Everything for good skin using your own Aloë Vera plant leaves.

Everything you need to create your own magical Aloë gel!

Here’s a list of all you essentials:

• Full-grown Aloë Vera plant
• Cutting board
• A sharp knife
• A cup
• A spoon (when you prefer)
• A blender (not necessary)
• Preserving jar / airtight container

How do you harvest your Aloë Vera for gel?

Step 1: let’s get started!

Remove the Aloë Vera leaf, choosing the thicker leaf from the outer sections of the plant. Cut the leaf close to the stem. Most of the beneficial nutrients are found at the base of the leaves.

Step 2: investigate

Ensure the leaf is healthy and free of any mold or damage. Avoid the roots, this will keep your plant intact.

Step 3: bathing time

Let’s clean! Wash and dry the leaf.

Step 4: let it drain

Stand it upright in a cup or bowl for 10–15 minutes, just be patient! This allows the yellow-tinted resin to drain out of the leaf.

Step 5: trim the leaf

Trim the prickly edges with a knife.

Step 6: separate the gel from the leaf

Use a knife or a spoon to separate the interior gel from the outside of the leaf. The interior gel is the part of the Aloë that you’ll use.

Step 7: let’s cut

Cut the Aloë gel into slices or cubes. You can choose to blend the gel slices/cubes into a smooth gel. You can also keep the cute slices/cubes as they are and apply them to your skin

Step 8: store it

Put the slices in the airtight container. This way you can store it well and compactly (be careful not to think that it is jam for your sandwich😉)

Let us show you how to create the magical gel from the Aloë Vera plant.

You will see us in action in our DIY video:

How long can you store the Aloë gel?

The Aloë Vera can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

However, adding powdered vitamin C or E (one or both of the vitamins) will significantly increases the shelf life to up to 2 months in the refrigerator. Amazing right? You can also freeze the gel. Frozen Aloë gel can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. That way, you’ll always have it in stock throughout the summer for when you need it unexpectedly!

PLNTSteam tip: Freeze the Aloë Vera gel in an ice cube tray and put it in the freezer. This is much easier than freezing a large portion of Aloë gel and trying to cut it up later. To make it even easier, it’s best to use a flexible silicone container so that you can easily take the cubes out. A win-win situation!

Does this hurt the plant?

Removing leaves does no harm to the plant, as long as it’s not done too often. In fact, cutting off the older leaves can help the plant better focus its energy and resources on nurturing new growth, ultimately giving you a stronger, happier and healthier plant!

However, frequent leaf cutting can weaken and eventually kill the plant. Only cut the full-grown, outer leaves of the plant. If you don’t have large, full-grown leaves it is best to let the plant grow a little longer before trying to harvest the leaves again.

Stop the search for an Aloë Vera plant!

We have the perfect Aloë Vera for you in our shop! This plant is big enough to try this DIY yourself. Below you can find the link to this refreshing plant. We hope you will try this DIY and then share your process with us by using: #DIYPLNTS. Let’s all enjoy the wonderful cooling effect of the Aloë Vera!