THE BENEFITS OF ALOE VERA FOR YOUR HAIR & SKIN

Hey everyone!!

How are you guys?? Did you get up to anything over the weekend? All I’ve done is binge on Netflix – namely Narcos and Ozark, and I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it! And obviously Power. I hate Tariq!

A few weeks ago, I added some fresh aloe vera (I commandeered a whole plant from my grandma’s house) to my deep conditioner (I just mixed my deep conditioner with the aloe vera pulp and some olive oil) and my hair hasn’t felt this soft in like 6 months. No exaggeration. I couldn’t stop playing with my hair. My hair was soft, moisturised, shiny and extremely defined. Since then, I’ve made it a regular addition to my deep conditioners.

Aloe vera has so many wonderful and nutritious properties. It has antibacterial and antiviral properties, making it excellent for clearing up infections. According to this article, “the translucent gel is made up of around 96% water, some organic and inorganic compounds, a type of protein which contains 18 out of the 20 amino acids found in the body and lastly, Vitamin A, B, C and E”. FYI: these 4 vitamins and proteins are essential for healthy hair and skin so aloe vera is basically the miracle plant. Vitamin E is especially renowned for clearing up acne scars and spots as well as healing damage to the scalp and the hair shaft. Vitamin C is known for giving the skin a radiant and glowing complexion whilst keeping hair strong and healthy.

There are sooo many ways to incorporate aloe vera into your hair routine – you can add it to deep conditioners, to your shampoo, you can use it as leave in conditioner/moisturiser or even use it as a pre-poo. As I said, I added it to my deep conditioner and I am never turning back. I watched one of Naptural85‘s videos on YouTube where she used the raw aloe vera as a pre-poo and her hair looked amazing afterwards so that’s another option that I’ll be trying very soon.

For your skin, I love to add aloe vera to homemade masks (aloe vera and raw honey is a particular fave of mine – it is hydrating, it removes impurities and it makes the skin glow). I also apply it to my face when my skin is super dry or when I’m breaking out a lot – it really clears up dry patches and blemishes.

Over the years, I’ve used aloe vera juice from a bottle and aloe vera gel that comes in tubes. If you buy a real good quality one (e.g. from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Holland & Barrett), they’re fantastic. But in my experience, nothing beats the pure, raw aloe vera that comes straight from the plant. If you’re in Nigeria or anywhere with a similar climate, you can probably find a whole aloe vera plant anywhere for a very low price. In other places, you may want to try large health food shops or health produce shops.

Aloe vera (whether from the bottle, tube or plant) has been unrivalled when it comes to having soft, moisturised skin and hair. If you’re struggling with any dryness or dullness, I urge you to give it a shot. IT WORKS!

NB: please do a patch test before applying any aloe vera product on your skin or scalp – just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean you’re not allergic! I also recommend putting the pulp in a blender before using it. It just makes the application much easier!

Love,

Tara xXx