How to cut and what to do with aloe vera

Aloe vera, as you may know, is a miracle product and has MANY uses. The most useful bit is the inside “gel” which can be used on your skin or taken inside (blended into juices or added to smoothies). If you are lucky to live in a country like Spain, where aloe vera grows like weeds, please take full advantage!! In many places its so easily accessible and so easy to use. When I lived in London, I actually grew aloe vera on my tiny balcony, so unless you live in Siberia you really have no excuse now to have an aloe vera plant.

Lots of aloe vera together

Here are a few uses for aloe vera:

  • Cut the leaf in half and rub it on cuts, wounds and burns as a “first aid”
  • Great for sunburns
  • It helps in cell growth and skin rejuvenation (its also a great moisturiser)
  • Its anti-fungal and an antioxidant (apparently helps to combat mouth candidiasis, according to scientists)
  • Cures blisters, insect bites, allergic reactions, eczema, inflammations and psoriasis
  • It has anti-inflammatory properties, which helps with curing acne
  • People keep asking me where vegans get vitamin B12 from, well guess what, aloe vera has vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E!
  • It also contains potassium, magnesium, iron, sodium, calcium,copper, zinc, chromium and manganese – drinking aloe vera juice daily could really lift your immune system!
  • Drinking it helps reduce blood sugar levels and is used for diabetics
  • Helps relieve heart burn and acts as a laxative
  • Promotes healthy gums and teeth
  • Helps combat common illnesses, such as colds
  • And lots more!!

For topical use, you can just cut the leaf in half, sideways, and rub it on your skin. However, why waste it, why not get the gel out to put into your smoothie AND use the sides to rub on your skin?

This is how to go about getting the gel. It may seem a little tricky at first, but you get the hang of it quite fast, I promise! 🙂

Step 1: Cut the sides and the tip of the aloe vera (the cut tip should be the width of your finger, more or less, its too much hassle to fiddle with otherwise).

How to cut aloe vera - starting with the sides

Step 2: Using a mandoline, a vegetable peeler or a knife, cut off the “inside” layer. Dont worry if it doesn’t work perfectly right away, it takes time and practise to get it right.

Tip: When you cut off the first two centimetres, hold on to the already cut bit of skin, not the gel underneath to slide the mandoline further, this somehow grips better (I found it to be a BIG difference).

how to cut aloe vera with a mandoline

Step 3: This step can be a little tricky, you can use a mandoline, a vegetable peeler or a knife to cut this bit. Some people use a spoon to scrape off the gel, but I prefer not to as it gets messy and leaves a lot of the good stuff behind. Personally I use a mandoline to cut the middle, then a sharp knife to do the sides.

Tip: DON’T throw these peels away, whilst you’re at it, give your face and hands some loving with a fresh aloe vera mask!

 

Step 4: You will now get a lovely bit of clean aloe vera gel. You can use it as it is straight in your smoothies (maybe an inch long or so) or you can blend it.

Inside of aloe vera

Step 5: If you choose to blend it, you really only need a blender. You don’t even need to add water (unless you wish to).

You can use this to add to smoothies or simply into your water with some lemon (great for detoxing!)

Fresh aloe vera in a blender

Step 6: ENJOY and be healthy 😉

Fresh aloe vera juice in a glass

The juice (or clean gel) will keep in the fridge for over a week. If you want to drink it straight up but don’t like the taste, you can add some lemon and/or honey to it.

This is especially useful when you have the flu!!

Now if you don’t have access to fresh aloe vera, you can actually buy the leaves or a whole aloe vera plant online.


If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of using fresh aloe vera but still want some of the benefits, here are a few aloe vera products you may like:

  • Aloe vera juice
  • Aloe vera shampoo
  • Aloe vera conditioner
  • Aloe vera and charcoal (love charcoal!) face mask
  • Aloe vera body gel (for sunburns, rashes etc)
  • Aloe vera body cream
  • Aloe vera capsules
  • Aloe vera live potted house plant
  • Aloe vera soap bar
  • Aloe vera after sun spray
  • Aloe vera lip balm

 

This Post Has 16 Comments

  1. Patricia McClung

    I have a HUGE plant 🌱 on the side of my house that has been growing for years! How do I know if this is really aloe Vero? Could I be mistaken? I don’t want to inject it in case it might be something else. Is there a chance it’s not aloe?

    1. Anya Andreeva

      There are a few plants that looks similar, but none that I can think of that would look exactly like the photos in this article. It’s hard to say without seeing a photo. Have you got the app “Picture This”? It’s a plant identifier – could be useful!

  2. avery emmanuel

    its so important en other plant

  3. Hayley

    Do the leaves re-grow?

    1. Anya Andreeva

      The leaves don’t regrow, but the plant will make new ones 🙂

  4. Lulu

    The aging effects of sun, Chemo and family heritage of wrinkle and bruised skin. I’m trying to use a piece of my plant directly on my face and arms. I think it feels really good but not seen a change. Any suggestions?

    1. Anya Andreeva

      Hi Lulu, how long have you been using aloe vera? It does take some time to really appreciate the effects.

  5. Paul Patrick Agoya

    Wonderful educative info.

  6. Bernard Johannes Sleijster

    How useful, thanks!
    ~ Bernard Sleijster

    1. jeffery mullen

      Hi. This is my first time cutting extra off on my alavera plant. I got about 7–12 inch leaves. I will follow these easy steps and keep it in the fridge to drink it.

    1. Anya Andreeva

      It very much depends on where you live, I just pick mine from the garden, but in other countries I’ve seen them in organic shops and restaurants. You can search for local places online too 🙂

  7. Aniket Thakur

    It’s very easy… Thanks Anya

  8. cyntia

    thnks Anya Andreeva more tips,I’m hopefully cure my disease cured

  9. nicecotedazur1

    I have a dozen or so Aloe Vera plants in the garden. I consume the young shoots as the old ones tend to taste bitter. Thanks for sharing

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