Science Interviews

A History of Aloe Vera

Human use of Aloe Vera goes back thousands of years and it was named by the Arabs. But how do we actually make preparations from it ?

Rosemary - The plant is like a cactus and the inner gel is used for the products. The leaf is sliced and you scoop out the gel from inside. That can be used to make all sorts of products. You can put it on your skin and you can drink it as a detox. . It's absolutely wonderful for the skin. It has anti-bacterial effects -it just cleans the system out. We get lots of referrals from vets for dogs with skin problems, problems with their immune system and arthritis. It's also used to treat burns in many tropical places.

Chris - What do we know about the history of aloe vera?

Rosemary - It goes back thousands of years -it's written in the history books. Alexander the Great used it, Cleopatra used it for skin cleaning and toning up.

November 2004