SKIN CARE AND ALOE VERA:

THE NAKED TRUTH

Healthy skin is a concern for many people, especially in a modern world full of chemically concocted pollutants and irritants that encourage outbreaks as well as damage skin. A multi-billion dollar industry has sprung up to provide people with a plethora of skin balms, lotions and even prescription pills to help combat skin problems and the population readily forks over their hard earned cash in order to find at least some sort of relief for their skin dilemmas. While many large pharmaceutical companies choose to ignore the plethora of side-effects of many of the ingredients currently being used, there are those who have chosen to be more responsible and are now releasing lines of hypoallergenic soaps, creams and lotions using natural ingredients. One of the hottest natural additives today that is now being added to everything from hand sanitizer to laundry soap is, ironically, something that has already been used for centuries, but has mostly been forgotten in our western culture. This natural additive is the gel of the Aloe Vera plant.

Most people have heard of Aloe Vera and have kept a plant in their garden for the pure purpose of treating and soothing burns and cuts. The Aloe Vera plant has a long history of being a kitchen ornamental that people prefer to keep around whether they actually use it or not simply because their parents and grandparents did also. What many people do not know is that Aloe Vera’s healing properties have potential way beyond just being a substitute for a band-aid and a mother’s kiss (although it is hard to top a “boo boo” kiss). Besides cuts, scrapes and burns, this miracle plant can also help control acne, psoriasis, frostbite and blisters as well as help maintain healthy beautiful skin.

Aloe Vera has strong anti-bacterial, anti-fungal as well as anti-viral properties. Being a succulent with watery innards that could easily harbor bacteria if exposed the Aloe Vera contains large amounts of long chain sugars called mucopolysaccharides (or MSP’s for short) that help fight off microbial invasion. These Polysaccharides are essential in helping heal damaged cells, unfortunately the body stops delivering this function sometime after adolescence. Besides these long chain sugars, Aloe Vera also contains a large amount of phytosterols, which are plant lipids that help improve skin elasticity eliminating the effects of scarring and wrinkles. The gel of the Aloe Vera plant also has amazing moisturizing properties and possesses the ability to oxygenate the skin tissue helping it heal faster. On top of all this, this little miracle plant also contains around 200 other active biological agents including glycerol, vitamin E and zinc. Imagine, you can get all this for a couple of bucks at a plant and garden center.

So we all ask...why is this information not being shouted from the rooftops by the pharmaceutical industry?? Basically, because it is a natural product it cannot be patented, hence it is in their best interest to keep the population in the dark about the many powerful healing secrets of this desert lily. If people found out that using a natural Aloe Vera plant straight from their garden might actually do a better job of treating their acne than prescription drugs, (which all have an array of nasty side-effects) how the heck would one of the most powerful industries on the planet make any money?

In recent years big name corporations are jumping onto the "natural" bandwagon in droves, they are incorporating Aloe Vera into everything from disposable shaving blades to mouthwash, however don't be fooled, the amount of Aloe Vera they incorporate is so little it has almost no effect at all. Through regulation they must now list all ingredients being used in skin and bodycare products, so even if they put just a drop or two they can "claim" their product contains the soothing and healing plant gel. They can then splash the words "contains Aloe Vera" all over their labels and advertising material. As a lot of them spend literally millions of dollars on very clever advertising, the general public are romanced with images of healthy glowing faces and bodies, which probably had absolutely nothing to do with the use of their products! Sad but true!

Learn more about the many amazing benefits of Aloe Vera and how it can help you.

Yulia Berry is an independent health researcher and author of the best selling e-book on aloe vera, "Aloe - Your Miracle Doctor." She distributes a weekly newsletter regarding home remedies and has written another popular e-book "Pharmacy In Vegetables" and dozens of natural health articles published on hundreds of websites worldwide. Visit her at Aloe - Your Miracle Doctor