Herbal First Aid Kit Part SIX: ALOE VERA

Originally Published by The Epoch Times

How to Remedy Acute Injuries Using God’s Medicine

Part Six: ALOE VERA

Herbal First Aid for Hemorrhoids, Dry Skin, Burns, Wounds & More!

Sina McCullough, PhD

The first time I used Aloe vera was to treat a bad sunburn that left my skin bright red, hot and painful.  I collected Aloe vera gel from the leaf of an Aloe plant and applied it liberally to the affected several times throughout the day. 

Upon waking the next morning, I was amazed to discover the heat and pain had disappeared and the redness was replaced with tan colored skin. 

The results seemed unbelievable, so I repeated the experiment with a subsequent sunburn, as well as a thermal burn inflicted by grabbing a hot pan.  In both situations, the Aloe vera gel quickly healed the wound and remedied the pain.  Since then, I have always kept an Aloe plant in my home.    

Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller) is a perennial succulent with thick, fleshy, long pea-green colored leaves. 

It has been used medicinally for millennia.  In Mesopotamia, clay tablets dated 1750 B.C.E. reveal that Aloe vera was used as medicine. 

The Egyptians referred to Aloe as “the plant of immortality.”  The Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra used Aloe as part of their daily beauty routine.  Egyptian books from 550 B.C.E. recorded that skin infections were cured using Aloe. 

Greek scientists hailed Aloe vera as the “universal panacea.”  In 74, a Greek physician, Discordes, wrote a book titled De Materia Medica, which listed Aloe as a treatment for wounds, infections, chapping, as well as hair loss and hemorrhoids. 

Around 1200, Aloe was used for eczema.  Both Alexander the Great and Christopher Columbus used Aloe to treat the wounds of soldiers. 

By the early 1800s, Aloe vera was used in the United States as a laxative.  In the mid-1930s, it was successfully used to treat severe radiation dermatitis. 

Today, scientific studies have demonstrated that Aloe vera contains numerous healing properties, including: anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-aging, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, antiseptic, and skin protection.

Aloe vera also helps treat a variety of wounds, including: post-operative wounds, psoriasis, skin ulcers, genital herpes, bedsores, sunburns, and thermal burns – skin injury caused be excessive heat, typically from contact with hot surfaces, hot liquids, steam, or flame. 

Because of its ability to heal wounds, Aloe vera gel can replace some man-made medications commonly found in a modern first aid kit.   

When experiencing a thermal burn, I reach for Aloe vera gel instead of petroleum jelly or a topical antibiotic.

While aloe vera was used in traditional medicine to heal burns from fire, today the go-to remedy is petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline®), which is derived from crude oil.  

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, standard treatment for first-degree burns includes applying petroleum jelly and covering with a sterile bandage.  However, Aloe vera gel may be a better choice, according to modern science.

Aloe vera can regenerate the skin.  It contains glucomannan and gibberellin, which increase the production of collagen by stimulating the activity and proliferation of fibroblast growth factor receptors. 

Aloe vera also accelerates wound healing and improves the strength of the resulting scar tissue by changing the collagen composition (more type III) and increasing the amount of collagen cross linking.  

A 1995 study compared Aloe vera with Vaseline® on twenty-seven patients with burn wounds.  The researchers concluded, “aloe vera gel treated lesion[s] healed faster than the vaseline gauze area.”  Aloe vera healed the wounds in 11.89 days while vaseline gauze treated wounds healed in 18.19 days. 

Aloe vera gel stimulated “rapid growth” of skin cells, as well as collagen tissue.  According to the researchers, “These findings were not seen in the vaseline gauze treated area.”  

The findings indicate Aloe vera gel was a more effective treatment for thermal burns compared with the standard treatment of petroleum jelly. 

A second commonly recommended treatment for thermal burns is a topical antibiotic.   However, according to a study published in 1996, Aloe is more effective at wound healing.  The authors concluded that Aloe “significantly accelerated wound contraction [i.e., healing].”  In contrast, mafenide acetate, a topical antibiotic, “retarded wound healing.” 

A 2013 study concurred that Aloe vera gel was more effective at treating thermal burns than an antibiotic.  “Thermal burn patients dressed with Aloe Vera gel showed advantage compared to those dressed with SSD [silver sulfadiazine cream],” according to the researchers.  Wounds healed faster and pain relief was felt sooner using Aloe vera gel compared with the sulfa-derived antibiotic.

When experiencing a sunburn, I reach for Aloe vera gel instead of an over-the-counter first-aid remedy such as hydrocortisone cream, Dermoplast® or Solarcaine®.

A 2008 study exposed 40 volunteers to UVB radiation.  Following two days of treatment with Aloe vera gel, the researchers concluded that Aloe vera gel “displayed some anti-inflammatory effects” and “might be useful in the topical treatment of inflammatory skin conditions such as UV-induced erythema [redness].”

Treatment with Aloe vera gel was also superior to treatment with hydrocortisone in placebo gel in mitigating effects from UV radiation. 

A 1996 study concluded that a compound in Aloe vera contains anti-inflammatory activity that is “equivalent” to hydrocortisone when topically treating mouse wounds. 

Hydrocortisone treatment “resulted in a 50% decrease in thymus weight,” while treatment with the Aloe compound showed no negative effect on the thymus. 

Compared with the man-made medication, the findings indicate Aloe was equally as effective without eliciting the negative side effect.      

Modern drug companies recognize the effectiveness of Aloe vera; Aloe is an ingredient in two of the leading first-aid remedies for sunburn: Dermoplast® and Solarcaine®. 

However, Dermoplast® also contains several synthetic ingredients, such as: polysorbate 85, PEG-400 monolaurate, hydrofluorocarbon 152a, and butane.  

Solarcaine® also contains several synthetic ingredients, including: propane, propylene glycol, isobutane, methylparaben, carbomer, and propylparaben. 

You can avoid man-made chemicals and still receive relief from sun and thermal burns by choosing Aloe vera gel.

When to Use Aloe Vera Gel:

Aloe vera gel can be used for the following acute skin conditions:

·         Sun burn

·         Thermal burn

·         Dryness

·         Cracking

·         Hemorrhoids

·         Bedsores

·         Post-operative wounds

·         Skin ulcers

·         Skin itching

Different Forms to Choose From:

The best options for a first aid kit include: Aloe vera plant or Aloe vera gel.

An Aloe vera plant is easily grown at home.  Alternatively, Aloe vera gel can be purchased. 

A Word on Aloe Vera Gel Quality:

Adulteration of aloe vera gel has been previously reported.  Aloe vera gel is rich in polysaccharides, including pectins and acemannan.  These polysaccharides have been substituted or diluted with lower-cost carbohydrates, such as maltodextrin or sucrose.

According to Mark Blumenthal, founder of the American Botanical Council, “Many experts in the herb industry have known for a long time that some aloe materials are adulterated.  Because many aloe materials are in liquid or gel form, it is relatively easy for unethical aloe producers to ‘stretch’ the aloe material by adding low-cost liquids and various types of sugars to the ingredients to increase profits.”

Synthetic preservatives and fillers are also commonly added to Aloe vera gel, even if the label claims “100% Pure Aloe.”

Consequently, I grow Aloe plants in my home.  They are easy to grow, requiring little care. 

If purchasing Aloe, choose organic and read the ingredient label to make sure it does not contain synthetic chemicals. 

How to Harvest from an Aloe Vera Plant

The Aloe vera plant needs to be mature – at least a few years old – to ensure higher concentrations of the active ingredients. 

To harvest Aloe directly from the plant:

1.      Choose a thick leaf from the outer section of the plant.  Make sure the leaf is free from mold or damage. 

2.      Cut leaf close to the stem, avoiding the roots.

3.      Slit the leaf lengthwise using a knife or your fingers to expose the gel.  The interior gel is the part of the Aloe plant you will use.

4.      Using your finger, apply the Aloe vera gel liberally to the skin.  Aloe can be applied several times throughout the day.  Do not apply to open skin.

Precautions & Possible Interactions of Topical Application of Aloe:

While cautions exist for oral use, topical application rarely results in complications.  Although rare, Aloe vera gel can lead to burning and/or itching of the skin.  Consult a health care provider before use if pregnant or lactating or if suffering from an inflammatory skin condition.