Aloe Vera

Summer is finally here and this is the time of year where the humble aloe vera plant comes into its own.  We can use aloe vera products to help with the effects of minor burns - including sunburn - and assist in the healing of minor skin injuries.

  Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) is a fleshy cactus like plant originally from Africa but now is cultivated world wide.  The fleshy gel inside each and every leaf constains several substances which promote epidermal (skin) healing and helps with inflammation.

At Moon Haven we recommend that every household has an aloe vera plant in their garden or in a pot near their back door.  The plant is a great herbal helper if you burn yourself on the iron, stove or barbecue.  As soon as you can run the burned area under cool water for 10 minutes.  Then break off a leaf of the aloe vera plant and rub the juice over the affected area.  Relief is often quick and extremely affective.

If you catch a little too much sun, then once  again the juice of the plant applied to the burn can be very effective.  if your burns are extensive then why not take a cooling bath using Moon Haven's After Sun Bath Tea.  Full of skin soothing calendula and chamomile along with lavender and organic essential oils to help cool inflamed skin just add a sachet of tea to a lukewarm bath as it fills, then slide in and let the herbs do their work.  After you have dried off then apply our After Sun Gel  to the affected skin.  Packed full of aloe vera juice, infused calendula and beautiful organic bulgarian lavender essential oils, we have had rave reviews about this gel's effectiveness. 

Of course if the burns are extensive, deep or blistering then you should seek advice from your favourite health professional. 

For more infomration on the ALoe family plants please see the entry at  Mrs Greives "A Modern Herbal"