How to Make Aloe Vera Gel

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How to Make Aloe Vera Gel at Home

Aloe vera gel is great to have around the home. You can use it to soothe minor pain and irritation from sunburns. It’s also an outstanding addition to natural beauty products to help hydrate your skin and hair.

Although you might think you have to go to a specialty store to buy it, you can learn how to make aloe vera gel by following the simple steps detailed below.

Growing an Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe vera plant used when learning how to make aloe vera gel at home.

The important thing to keep in mind when growing an aloe vera plant is that it’s a succulent. Just like other succulents, aloe vera likes things a little on the dry side and plenty of warm sunshine.

As you can see, I keep my aloe vera plant outside. However, I live in Florida, so I have the right climate for it.

The only water it gets is what nature provides. All I do is pluck the occasional weed that sprouts up in its pot. This plant truly can’t get much more low maintenance than that!

Even if you don’t live in an area that has a year-round warm climate, that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your own aloe vera. That’s because it makes a great houseplant.

In fact, aloe vera is one of the best houseplants for clean air because it requires little maintenance and it removes formaldehyde from the air.

You can kill an aloe vera plant by giving it too much water. When you do water your plant, give it a good drenching. However, make sure the soil has had a chance to completely dry out before you water it again.

These plants also enjoy plenty of bright light. Therefore, try to place your plant in a window that faces south or west for the proper light.

How to Harvest Gel From Aloe Vera

When you’re ready to make your own aloe vera gel, you’ll have to harvest it from inside the long leaves.

As you inspect your aloe vera plant, you’ll notice the leaves grow out from the center. Therefore, when you’re ready to harvest a leaf, it’s better to trim one from the outside because it’s one of the older leaves.

The leaves do have serrated edges, so take care not to cut yourself when you’re trimming. You can use a knife or scissors to trim the leaf you want.

Once you have your leaf, gather the following supplies:

Cutting board
Knife
Blender
Storage container

Directions on how to make aloe vera gel:

If you have a long leaf, cut it into 6- to 8-inch sections. This makes it easier to handle.
Use the knife to trim off the serrated edges on both sides.
Slide the knife just under the skin on one side to slice it off. I find that it’s sometimes easier to hold the leaf on its side to do this. No matter how you do it, BE CAREFUL. The gel is incredibly slimy and will make everything slippery. Always cut away from you when taking off the skin.
Repeat this process on the other side to take off the other piece of skin.
Once you have the skin off, cut the flesh into pieces and place them in the blender.
Blend until smooth. The flesh will almost immediately begin to froth when you turn on the blender. It’s completely normal and will dissipate once it sits for a while.
Once it reaches a smooth consistency, pour the gel into your storage container.

Preserving Your Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera gel will stay fresh when refrigerated for about a week. If you have a large leaf and end up with more gel than you can use in a week, you have several options for preserving it.

Freezing Aloe Vera Gel

I prefer to freeze the aloe vera gel that I don’t use right away. Simply pour the gel in an ice cube tray and freeze until it’s solid. You can either leave it in the tray and pop out a cube as needed or pop out all the cubes and put them in a freezer-safe container or bag.

Adding Natural Preservatives to Aloe Vera Gel

Another option you have for preserving your aloe vera gel is to add natural preservatives to it. Pour one cup of your aloe vera gel into a pint-sized mason jar. Make sure the froth has had a chance to settle so you know you’re definitely getting one cup of gel.

Then add 1,600 IU of Vitamin E (or four 400 IU capsules) and 2,000 mg of Vitamin C. If you use tablets, simply crush them up until they become a fine powder. Then stir the powder into the gel.

If you use this combination of natural preservatives, your aloe vera gel should last about 8 months when stored in the refrigerator.

Making Even More Eco-Friendly Beauty Products

Are you interested in even more amazing homemade beauty products? Then be sure to check out this Eco Beauty Products e-book!

It’s becoming even clearer how much damage is being done to our health and the environment because of conventional beauty products. Fortunately, you can easily enjoy the same benefits that conventional beauty products offer but without the harm and waste with this Eco Beauty Products e-book.

Thanks to this e-book, you’ll learn why it’s so important to make the switch to eco-friendly beauty products, the cosmetic ingredients you should avoid at all costs, and where to find cruelty-free beauty products.

You’ll also discover how to make a variety of face masks, body lotions, and bath products using simple, natural ingredients that are better for you and the planet!

Learning How to Make Aloe Vera Gel

With these simple directions, you’ve learned how to make aloe vera gel. You can now use your aloe vera gel in your hair, on your skin, or in your other natural beauty products to enjoy all the health benefits of this amazing plant.

More Eco-Friendly Living Tips

Now that you’ve learned how to make aloe vera gel, are you ready for even more great eco-friendly living tips? Then be sure to check out some of our other popular posts: