Aloe

Aloe, Aloe Soap, soap, , , ,

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While I was making a batch of aloe soap this week I remembered this article I had written in 2017. I didn’t have many readers at that time so I thought it might be a good idea to repost it. Incidently my aloe soap recipe has changed since I wrote this and now includes yogurt. To learn more about my handcrafted soaps or for information on purchasing them see my Products Page. 

Aloe

If you’re going to have any house plant, and you should, (check out this link to learn why) you should at least have aloe.

Aloe is easy to grow. While some articles that I have read say that it should be placed by a sunny window, I find that it does quite well in the corner of my dining room where it does not get direct sunlight. It does not require a lot of attention. I usually give it  drink of water every 10 – 14 days and this is quite sufficient. I have discovered that it also enjoys coffee, so every 3rd or 4th watering I dilute some of the coffee that is leftover from that morning and use it to water the aloe.  The plants really seem to brighten up after having their morning coffee. I do have to be careful, when using coffee to water the plants, not to get any on the aloe leaves because the coffee will damage the leaves. I only pour the coffee on the soil.

I think everyone should have at least one aloe plant in their home, not only are they helpful for the indoor environment, but they act as first aid in the case of burns. Whether it be a sunburn or accidently touching something hot, simply snip an aloe leaf, peel back the outer part and apply the sticky, oozing gel directly to the burn for quick relief. I also gifted an aloe plant to a neighbor who was having radiation treatments as the Doctor had advised that she use an aloe cream on the radiation burns. We do not deal with other skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis but if we did I would certainly try aloe before seeking help from pharmaceuticals.

The most common way I use aloe nowadays is as an ingredient in my soap. My aloe soap is probably my favorite of all the different soaps I make. I don’t know that any of the healing properties of aloe remain after it is processed into soap, but it has a luxurious lather and just feels so good on the skin.

Do you have any house plants?

22 thoughts on “Aloe”

  1. Aloe is one of my favorite plants, I love it. I even take the pups from other plants to give to friends and neighbors and tell them about all the benefits of Aloe Vera. Their flowers are blooming right now in our garden and they are amazing. We have coral colored flowers from our Aloe but they come in other colors too. I have cats inside so I can’t have aloe inside our house because they are toxic to dogs and cats. My cats chew on everything.

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    1. I can only grow aloe indoors, because they would not survive our winters, and I have never seen them blossom. Will they not blossom when grown indoors??? When Mine do make babies I repot them and usually give them away.

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  4. I have never thought about growing aloe!!! I had no idea it was so easy to grow too- I’m definitely have to give this a serious thought. Thanks for sharing, Ruth! I always walk away from your blog incredibly inspired!

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    1. What a heart warming comment. ♥ I have four daughters who are now young adults. There are many things that I did not teach them when they were living at home so when I write I often have them in mind as my audience. If you are finding value here they may as well. God bless and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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    1. Once you do you will probably wonder why you waited so long. Let me know if you have any questions about making soap Faye. As long as you follow procedures and wear protective clothing the biggest danger is that you will become addicted to soap making. LOL! 🙂

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  6. I have always heard to have an aloe plant handy if you bake/cook and if you burn yourself to break off an arm and put it on the blister right away. I used to have a green thumb outdoors but kill every type of plant that is indoors so I stopped buying them!

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    1. I think the problem some people have with growing house plants is in their water. If you use tap water it may be treated with chlorine or fluoride. Both can harm plants. People who use water from a water softener may also have problems.

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      1. That could be it Ruth, although my mom had no issues with houseplants so … maybe it is me. I have never been able to take care of a poinsettia. A friend of my bosses earns the cheese store at Eastern Market. He always used to give Robb and I poinsettias for the office and to take home for Christmas. He had a vendor he used to get them from for the store. I’d bring it home and my mom could have it til March. My one at work was dead before Christmas.

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      3. Whew – I thought it was just me. I think they are planted in a sandy type of soil. The water seems to go through the soil and they get “wet feet” – the water doesn’t stay right in the soil like normal plants.

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  8. This has me laughing. As I started reading your post, I wondered why you mentioned your handcrafted soaps, but chose to dismiss it. Only at the very end of the post did I realize that this was all about SOAP, and not SOUP. LOL. I was so curious to see an aloe soup recipe.

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