Your thoughts on Aleo Vera juice?

[*EJ*]

I've heard how wonderful Aleo Vera can be but then googling i found a site that said not to absorb it in any way.

What are your thoughts on the use of Aleo Vera on the skin or as a drink?

[Teeki]

I dunno about drinking it! Sounds yucky lol. But when I was 13, I got a horrible rash on my face. It was covered in spots like oversized pimples, it looked so awful. I didn't leave the house for all of the school holidays!

The only time I did leave was to go to the doctors, and even then was after dark lol. Whatever they gave me didn't do anything, but a friend cut off an aloe vera stem thing. I rubbed it on there twice a day and it started clearing up immediately, was gone in a few days!

[M22]

I have bought it and drunk it!! made my skin glow adn feel great really.... hmm maybe i should buy some again...

[*EJ*]

I've heard nothing but good things about it myself.

Kaytee a rash is part of the reason i'm considering using it. It'd be really happy if i get results like you describe.

M22 i think i want to try drinking it also but also applying it to a skin irritation i've got.

Like i said i've only ever heard good things about it and told by a natropath to buy it but then i saw that website and was thinking twice about it. I just wanted to get a few other thoughts on it.

[little_mrs]

I drink it coz it tastes yummy... Lol. When I was pg I drank gallons of the aloe Vera and lychee juice, kicked morning sickness out the door everytime!

[MummaBee]

I drank it once omg the consistancy of lurgis TMI never again didnt notice changes at all and i drank the whole bottle lol

[MummaSue]

I took the drink a few years ago for a few months - tastes disgusting but my skin was gorgeous!

[Just Me]

DH and DS1 (who is 3) drink 20ml and 5ml respectively every morning on an empty stomach. It is about the only thing that keeps their eczema under control and now I swear by the stuff. We get the stuff from the chemist - it's concentrated, not just the drink from the supermarket. The one from the chemist is about $17 for 500ml but it lasts 3 months or so, so it is excellent value.

The dosage amount for kids under 12 isn't listed on the bottle but I spoke to the naturopath who said it was fine to give a smaller dose to children (he worked out how much for me). I have been using it with DS1 for about 9 months now and never had any issues. DH used to take it as a kid which is why we decided to give it a go. He started taking it about 6 months ago because he has issues with the skin on his hands during winter and it is magic stuff.

ETA: DH has also been rubbing 100% aloe vera gel on his hands everyday and it is working beautifully. I used it for a severe burn and severe sunburn on more than one occassion and it relieves pain in a way that all the other creams can't. I can't stop raving about how great aloe vera is.

I am interested though - what did the site say is the problem with absorbing aloe vera?

[*EJ*]

Little mrs love the sound of a ms cure. Wish i knew about that a last year and even earlier

So many have mentioned the benifit to the skin, i need that right now.

Just Me that would have been my next question... to know if you can give it to the little ones as well. I just got a supermarket one but i might try the chemist when that runs out. Is the gel from the chemist also? I have terrible dermatitis on my hands at the moment and the cracks get better then crack again within a day or so.

The site i found has a heading that says 'Myth or Reality'. It was one of the top options when i typed Aloe Vera Juice in Google. Not too sure about it's credability though...

Thanks ladies i think i'll give it a go

[BellyBelly]

I was loving it for a while, found a yummy one, but then thought to look at the ingredients, and it contained high fructose corn syrup. Dang that stuff is in everything these days.... stopped drinking it.

[*EJ*]

You just made me think to check out the ingredients also (i got a book called The Chemical Maze last week and it's great) and the one i have from the supermarket has preservatives 211 & 202 in it!!! Not good at all. Today i have been applying it to an irritation i have on my bb's and side effects of both of those preservatives say 'skin irritations' I've probably just made things worse than they already where

Will have to have a good search for any alternatives. Nothing is ever what it seems

[StrawberryFields]

My great-grandmother used to always have some in the fridge in the summer for when we got sunburnt. She would cut off a bit a few hours before sunset and rub it on our skin at night or just have us rest it on the worst places like a soothing ice pack. Of course now they have gels that you can use, so I always have some in the fridge just in case! Nothing like nice cool soothing aloe for your little one's sunburn - particularly when you have the pasty Irish skin in the family! Its also nice to rub on all kinds of burns as a soother so if you have it in the fridge and someone gets burnt on a hot plate in the kitchen you can whip it out in a jiffy.

My aunt also puts it on insect bites but I've never tried that one!

[little_mrs]

Ej the aloe Vera plant itself is a succulent so it grows so so easily! I wouldn't eat it from the plant but if your looking for something to put on your skin then at least you know it can't have any nasties in it if youve grown it yourself! You can get small established plants for about $5, and they grow well from clippings too. As others have said it works magic rehydrating skin (hence the sunburn curing) so it's well worth a go.

[~Lashes~]

i was given a bottle of honey flavored aloe vera juice once, it tasted awsome!
if you google "lr international australia" they have alot of the diffrent uses for it, even a sensitive toothpaste.
i cant remember exactly what they had, but the list was extensive.

[Just Me]

I was loving it for a while, found a yummy one, but then thought to look at the ingredients, and it contained high fructose corn syrup. Dang that stuff is in everything these days.... stopped drinking it.

The one we get is 'Lifestream Biogenic Aloe Vera Juice' but you don't drink the whole bottle, just take it as a daily dose of 20mls per adult (or up to 40ml twice daily for optimum results). I have tried ours and it doesn't really taste like anything so I don't think there is a lot of sugar in it.

Ingredients: Each ml contains aloe vera inner leaf juice (997mg), citric acid-anhydrous, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (essential to stabilise the nutritionally active compounds).

EJ - As far as the gel goes - we got it from the chemist. I have seen the little bottles of it in a few places for about $4 so you can try it out without it costing an arm and a leg. You have to get the pure aloe vera gel though and check the ingredients because lots of them are mixed with glycerine. DH has dermatitis also. He can't use anything on his hands without making them worse but he has had so much success with the aloe vera gel. It soothes it and makes them better almost over night. It hasn't entirely cleared up his problem but he isn't in pain anymore. I will have to find the gel bottle and post the name and ingredients.

[Victoria Tsoleridis]

Hi,
Aloe vera juice is loaded with antioxidants and many healing properties. I mean if this plant can withstand the harsh climates, it must be good!

Initially it was only used topically for burns, but clinicians noticed the benefits of this product for rashes, wound healing and used it for almost any skin condition. However, more recently it has been used in patients with stomach ulcers. It's very soothing and helps repair the skin. It is completely safe to take orally, however as with all products, do your research and get a good quality product. I like the Nature's Sunshine range - and have personally visited the manufacturing plant. It was very impressive.

Caution, as this plants has great immune boosting properties, we suggest not to consume whilst trying to conceive, especially if you're taking large doses. However as a generally tonic taken daily (15mls) it's completely fine.

Victoria