Healthy Home Highlight - Aloe Vera

A bonus episode on Aloe Vera plants and their benefits.

Transcript

0:03

Hi friends, and welcome back to Design Your Well Life. I'm so glad that you're here with me today. But before we dive into this week's Healthy Home Highlight, I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you. Truly, thank you for listening, for sharing this podcast with the people you love and for sending such thoughtful messages from all around the world. It fills my heart to know that this little space we're creating together is supporting real change in people's lives. I've heard from listeners who've started making small shifts, switching out of toxic cookware, choosing better sleep routines, and embracing food as medicine, and it's deeply inspiring. Here's a quick little life update. You may have noticed I've been a little quiet these last few weeks. That's because I had some unexpected tech hiccups with my recording software. If you've ever dealt with corrupt files or glitchy microphones, you know the feeling. I ended up needing to rerecord a few episodes, but everything is back on track now, and I'm so excited for what's coming. If you've missed the weekly rhythm, don't worry. We're back and I'll have fresh content coming your way consistently from here on out. Thank you for sticking with me. In the last episode, we explored the healing power of houseplant and the ways greenery is transforming your home and your health. So today I wanted to share a follow up inspired by a very personal experience I had with a plant that I now consider an absolute must have in every home. Aloe Vera. For almost six months, I had been dealing with persistent skin issues on my face. I visited my dermatologist several times, tried multiple prescription creams, including four full rounds of hydrocortisone steroid treatment, but nothing truly helped. And as many of you know, chronic skin inflammation isn't just about appearance. It can affect your confidence, your comfort, and your daily routines. It was really discouraging. But then as I was praying and researching and asking what my body needed, aloe vera was the answer. So I turned to something already growing in my home. Our beautiful aloe vera plant, which lives in the east facing window of our bathroom. It thrives in that humid steamy little corner. So simple, so natural, and now so powerful. So here's how I used it. This is exactly what I did. I started by cutting about a half inch section from one of the larger outer leaves. That's where all the most mature nutrient rich gel is stored. Then I sliced it open or simply squeezed from the base to release the fresh, cool, viscous gel. I applied it directly to the inflamed areas on my face, and I did it twice a day, once in the morning, and again before bed. Within a week. The results were dramatic, the inflammation went down, the texture improved, and the redness nearly disappeared. It hasn't completely gone away yet, but the progress in one week has been dramatic compared to months of steroid creams. But that's not all. Actually, a few months prior to this, my son accidentally burned his hand on the front face of an iron. The whole palm right on the hot plate. Naturally we panicked. We immediately ran it under cold water and once the heat had dissipated a little. We sliced into our aloe vera plant and applied the gel generously. Honestly, I expected major blistering, but the next morning his skin looked almost completely normal. No peeling, no pain. Just calm, healthy skin. Now let's talk a little bit about why Aloe Vera is so effective. It is truly nature's multitasker, and it's not just folklore, but scientifically. Aloe Vera gel contains over 75 active compounds, including polysaccharides, which help stimulate skin regeneration and have immune modulating effects. Aloe Emodin and Aloin are potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial compounds. Saponins provide antimicrobial benefits. Salicylic acid is a gentle exfoliant that also helps reduce inflammation. It has vitamins A, C, and E, which are all powerful antioxidants and enzymes, which help reduce inflammation when it's applied topically. Now in one clinical study published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment, aloe vera gel significantly approved the healing of second degree burns in comparison to other standard burn creams. Not only was the healing faster, but patients reported less pain and irritation. Now, dermatologists often recommend aloe vera for a variety of things, including sunburns, minor burns, psoriasis, eczema, cold sores, wound healing and acne related inflammation. According to Dr. Rajani Katta, dermatologist and author of Glow, The Dermatologist Guide To a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet. Aloe vera is particularly helpful in calming inflamed skin because it supports the skin barrier and has a pH level that's actually similar to human skin. So real world applications. Here are some simple ways that you can incorporate Aloe Vera into your home. You can keep it as a first aid station, keep a plant near your kitchen or your bathroom for quick burn treatments. Use it as a daily skin serum. Use aloe in place of harsh commercial creams for minor irritation. Use it as a shaving gel alternative. It cools and it soothes post shaved skin. And for a scalp treatment, aloe can actually reduce dandruff and calm, itchy scalps when it's massaged into the skin and rinsed out. So aloe has been used medicinally for over 6,000 years, and it's dated back to ancient Egypt where it is called the plant of immortality. It was used in burial rituals, healing balms, and beauty regimens. Cleopatra was actually said to use aloe vera as a daily part of her skincare ritual. And in Ayurvedic medicine, it's classified as a cooling herb used for treating pitta imbalances like rashes, redness, and digestive heat. Aloe has also been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for both internal and external healing. So here are a few tips for harvesting aloe at home and using it directly from your plant. When you use it, choose the thickest outermost leaves. They are the most mature and nutrient dense cut at the base using a clean knife or scissors. Let the yellow sap called aloin drain for a few minutes. This latex can irritate sensitive skin, so some people actually prefer to rinse it off. Cut the leaf open lengthwise and scoop out the clear gel and apply it directly to the skin. And you can store any leftover gel in a glass container in the fridge for one to two days. Now here's a little bonus tip, store bought versus fresh, which is better. While there are many Aloe based skincare products on the market, they often contain alcohols, preservatives, and synthetic fragrances that can undermine the plant's benefits. If you're buying aloe gel, look for one that is 99% or higher in pure aloe with no added color or perfumes. But honestly, nothing beats the fresh gel straight from the leaf. So a few final thoughts. This experience reminded me once again that our homes can be powerful spaces of healing. Sometimes the solution we're searching for has been quietly growing in our window sill all along. Nature is generous, it's wise, and it often works more gently, more effectively than we can really give it credit for. So if you've been struggling with inflammation, burns, breakouts, or just want a soothing skin treatment that's free from chemicals, I highly recommend inviting Aloe Vera into your daily life. So for this week's Healthy Home Challenge, I invite you to either buy or grow your own aloe vera plant and start using it to benefit your skin. Thanks so much for joining me on another Healthy Home Highlights.