What Is Aloe Vera And Why Is It Good For Natural Hair?

Aloe vera is a stemless thorny plant with thick, fleshy green leaves. It can be purchased in various forms including as an oil, a gel, a juice/liquid or even as a powder. You can also just buy a little aloe vera plant and extract the gel yourself.

I used to keep an aloe vera plant in my kitchen to soothe any burns very quickly. It is very effective in this function.

The healing properties of aloe vera have been known for centuries. Specifically these are the benefits of aloe vera for hair:

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• It can help to soothe and moisturize the scalp thereby reducing dandruff, itchiness, inflammation or dryness.
• When it comes to hair, proponents argue that the many vitamins and minerals found in aloe vera can help to moisturize, condition, strengthen and restore hair.

• It is reputed to have antibacterial, antioxidant, humectant and UV protection qualities
  
• There is no solid evidence but others claim aloe vera helps to promote hair growth, reduce hair loss, hair thinning and excessive frizz.

To derive the greatest benefit it is best to get the gel straight from the plant, however, the liquid, store-bought form carries most of the properties. 

The main difference is that the oils from the plant tend not to be found in the liquid version. The powder, if it is pure and unmixed with any other powder ingredients, will be just as beneficial as the liquid type.

Importantly for mixtresses: buy aloe vera that’s been preserved for your DIY haircare recipes otherwise you could get serious contamination issues with your products. If you will extract the gel from the plant yourself extract just the amount you need to use on that day and of course, preserve your product so that it doesn’t rot or refrigerate the gel and use it within a couple of weeks.

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