Aloe Vera is a wonderful medicinal plant that’s packed vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants. It’s got antibacterial properties and is probably most well know for speeding up the healing of burns. But did you know there’s some new research showing it might actually prevent wrinkles by increasing collagen production ?! Who needs expensive designer creams when this awesome little plant is growing in your back yard.

While on a working vacation to Southern California my sister shared a wonderfully simple aloe based skin care recipe with me.

Every Summer of my youth began with a few too many hours in the sun, followed by my mother slathering my toasted skin with sticky, gooey aloe strait from the plant. So when my sister told me she & her daughters used it daily, I was a little skeptical. But it turns out the processing makes all the difference.

Step 1: Head to your favorite grocery store produce section. Pick out the fattest Aloe leaf from the pile. And also some vitamin E oil. Plus a glass jar if you don’t have any already. When you get ready you’ll also need a plate, a sharp knife and a spoon or knife with a flat edge for scraping.

Step 2: Cut all the edges off the leaf, and cut it into small enough pieces to fit in a bowl of water. This step will help avoid the funky smell that natural aloe sometimes has. Let it sit in the water for at least 20 minutes, or even overnight. You’ll probably notice some yellowing to the water. That’s supposed to happen. That yellowing is the plants defenses, and the reason you’re soaking it.

Step 3: Very, very carefully flay the leaf right down the center. One side at a time use the spoon or flat edge knife to scrape the the juice out of the leaf. You just want the juice, not the meat of the plant. 

Step 4: As you go pour the aloe gel into a glass jar. Once you’ve gotten all the pieces scraped down, add just a few drops of Vitamin E oil to the aloe. 

Step 5: Whisk or blend it all together. This helps break up the aloe gel and also evenly mix the Vitamin E oil. 

Step 6: Seal it back in the jar and store in the fridge for a week or more.

Step 7: Apply liberally to your face & body daily for beautiful, soft, radiant skin.

Self care is a word that’s thrown around a lot these days. We live such hectic, complicated, demanding lives that we often forget to take time out for our own well-being. At the same time a quick glance at the ingredients list of of most skin care products will make you cringe. So I LOVE finding natural beauty options.