Aloe vera soothes sunburns, healing skin faster and with less flaking — and it’s also a fantastic moisturizer! Here’s how to make aloe vera gel in just 15 minutes.
Aloe vera gel is an effective home remedy for sunburn and soothing dry skin — you can also mix it with coconut oil to make a great fix for flyaway hair.
Aloe plants are easy to grow and care for at home. Many supermarkets and garden stores have inexpensive aloe plants in stock. Furthermore, if any of your friends have them, learn how to propagate aloe vera plants from cuttings and offshoots — it’s fun and can save you a few bucks!
All you need to start are a couple of big, toothy leaves. Below, we’ll show you how to make aloe vera gel and how to turn it into a moisturizer.
How to Make Aloe Vera Gel: Recipe
Making this helpful, soothing gel is simple. Although it’s best fresh, you can learn how to preserve and store aloe vera gel to keep it on hand longer.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 to 3 aloe vera leaves
- a sharp knife for cutting the leaf
- a peeler for trimming the skin (the knife will work if you don’t have a peeler)
- a spoon for scooping the aloe gel out from the leaf
- a glass or container to drain the aloe vera resin
- a glass jar to mix and store your aloe vera gel
Instructions:
1. Clean your workspace: Clean the area where you’ll make the gel, the utensils you’ll be using, and your hands. You want to ensure your aloe vera gel is 100 percent aloe vera and free from dirt or oils.
2. Cut the leaves: Find the biggest two or three leaves growing on your aloe vera plant and cut them off with a knife.
3. Drain the resin: Place the cut leaves in a glass with the open side down so that the leaves’ yellowish resin — which contains skin-irritating latex — oozes out. Let them drain for about 10 minutes.
4. Peel away the skin: Take your resin-free leaves, and for each one, peel away one side of the skin from end to end. Make sure you peel past the thin white later — the last layer before the gel.
5. Scoop the gel: Take your spoon, scoop out all the gel and place it in your glass jar. You can easily do this by digging the spoon into the open leaf and smoothing the gel from the bottom to the top — like you scoop the last bit of ice cream from the bottom of the container.
6. Mix, apply and save: Scoop as much gel from the aloe leaves as you can into your glass jar. Mix the aloe vera gel alone so it forms a paste-like texture. Finally, apply your homemade aloe vera gel to your burnt or dry skin. Make sure you shut your jar full of aloe vera gel tightly and store it in a cool place. It’s best kept in the fridge, but you can keep the aloe vera gel at room temperature for a few days.
Note: If you accidentally cut off too many leaves, don’t throw them away! Read our guide, How to Store An Aloe Vera Leaf.
How to Make Aloe Vera Moisturizer
There are a few natural additives that you can mix with your aloe vera gel to make even better homemade skin care products.
To make an aloe vera moisturizer, mix or blend a 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil with 1/2 cup of aloe vera gel. The coconut oil will add an extra layer of smoothness to the gel and will help to keep your skin hydrated and soothed.
For more natural moisturizer hacks, check out our popular articles Homemade Face Cream: Hydrate Your Skin Naturally and Glycerin for Skin: 3 Benefits, the Risks & DIY Instructions.
Use Natural Preservatives to Make Aloe Vera Gel Last Longer
Homemade aloe vera is perishable and lasts only a week if kept in a cool place.
To make a bigger batch of aloe vera gel that will last for a couple of months, add 500 milligrams of powdered vitamin C or 300 milligrams of vitamin E for every 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel. You can find powdered vitamins at the pharmacy or online. Make sure it’s organic and non-GMO certified.
Mix or blend the vitamin powder with the aloe vera gel. The mix will initially look a bit foamy but don’t worry. Pack it in your glass jar and let it chill in the fridge.
Interested in learning more about aloe vera? Check out:
- Aloe Vera Juice: Health Benefits and How to Make It
- How to Use Aloe Vera on Hair + Benefits & Drawbacks
- Can You Eat Aloe Vera? Benefits, Risks & How-to
- This is How You Can Use Aloe Vera on Your Face Without Any Drawbacks
Read more:
- Which Way Should a Fan Spin in Summer to Save Energy & Cool You Down?
- Overwatered Aloe Plant: Telltale Signs & Easy Solutions
- Black Seed Oil Benefits: A Natural Panacea
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