the aloe plant
This post was inspired by Ruth who asked (on the facebook page) how she could incorporate aloe vera juice into her hair care regime. I realised that I would need to do a blog post as there are so many ways to use it.
Aloe vera has many uses besides on the hair. It can be used for health conditions (indigestion, constipation, heartburn etc.). It can also be used for the skin (healing burns, skin infections, dry skin, rashes, acne, wrinkles etc.). In this post I will concentrate on the uses of aloe vera juice for the hair (as opposed to aloe vera gel).
The benefit of aloe vera juice stems from the fact that is extremely moisturising and it contains amino acids, proteins, minerals and vitamins. If your hair tangles easily, is dry, damaged and frizzy or shedding excessively, you might want to give aloe vera juice a try. Aloe vera is normally sold in supermarkets, pharmacies and health shops as well as online. You can also get the juice direct from the plant if you have one. Just note though that some aloe vera juice is sold as a drink so it may have flavours or other additives to make it easier to swallow. When buying aloe vera for the hair, make sure it does not have any added sugars, starches or thickeners.
So how can you incorporate it in your hair care?
- Make a moisturising spritz with aloe vera juice in a bottle. Add any / all of the following – water, rosewater, a few drops of essential oil (e.g. rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree etc.), carrier oils (coconut, wheatgerm, castor, grapeseed etc.) and glycerine.
- Use the above spritz as a prepoo. Spray it onto the hair and wear a shower cap for as long as you can. Shampoo and continue your routine as usual.
- Add aloe vera juice to moisturisers or leave in conditioners.
- Mist a bit of aloe vera juice onto the hair before bed. Cover the hair with a scarf (silk or satin scarf is best).
- Apply aloe vera juice directly to the scalp using an applicator bottle.
- Add aloe vera juice to deep conditioners.
- Add aloe vera juice to shampoo.
- Spray aloe vera juice onto the hair prior to washing. Detangling becomes a breeze and there will be less shedding and breakage while detangling.
I want to share with you two recipes that are very popular with the internet hair community. Both recipes make use of aloe vera juice. They are most popular among women with natural hair.
Chicoro’s pre shampoo treatment
I have talked about this before and detail my experience in this post.
In a bowl mix
- ½ cup of aloe vera juice or whole leaf aloe vera
- 1-2 tablespoons of your favourite oil (olive, castor, jojoba, wheatgerm, sweet almond, avocado, grapeseed, hemp seed etc.)
In a separate bowl melt
- ¼ cup coconut oil (sit the bottle or jar in hot water to melt – do not put in microwave or on the stove)
You may need more or less of this mixture. When I tried it I used about ¾ of the mixture and threw the rest away.
- Using your fingers, separate your hair into 4- 8 sections. If your hair is caked with hard product, rinse your hair first. Apply the mixture of aloe vera juice and oil to the hair one section at a time. If your hair is long pin each section up to get it out of the way. Ensure the mixture goes on the hair from root to tip. Make sure all your strands are covered.
- You should have a head full of aloe vera mixed with oil pinned up in sections. Go back to the first section you did. Undo it, pour the liquid coconut oil in your hand and work through the section. Pin it up again and repeat on whole head. Place a plastic shower cap on your head for a minimum of 15 minutes (when I tried it I kept it on overnight).
- Shampoo, deep condition and moisturise your hair as usual.
Kimmaytube’s leave in conditioner
I have not yet tried this recipe but I will soon!
- 2 tablespoons of your preferred leave in conditioner / moisturiser (it has to be silicone free so just check the ingredients)
- 2 tablespoons of aloe vera juice
- 2 teaspoons of castor oil (optional
- 2 teaspoons of Jojoba Oil
Mix well and apply to freshly washed and conditioned hair
You can experiement by using different carrier oils
If your hair is relaxed, you can use less oil. This will ensure the hair is not weighed down. You can also experiment by using other oils.
Do you use aloe vera juice for your hair? What has been your experience with it?
hw will i get d juice from d plant since the palnt is “stubborn”?
Again, as a prepoo, will it wrk wtout the coconut oil since i cant get nay aroud?? all i get contain mineral oils??
I cant answer about getting the juice from the leaves since I have never done it. I just know that some people have their own plants at home. As for the prepoo you could substitute coconut oil with another oil.
Hello Maame. If you have an aloe leaf, take a small paring knife and slice it all the way down to remove the top layer and expose the flesh. Then take a spoon and scrape the insides out and place in container. It’s really easy…slimy, but easy : )
Thanks Donielle
But that’s how to obtain the gel not the juice. I cannot seem to find that answer on obtaining aloe vera juice from the plant. It really makes you wonder if aloe vera juice does exist.
It’s made from the extracted gel. There are some videos on youtube that show you how,
I use aloe vera juice/gel combined as a spritz, sans water with a few drops of peppermint, thyme and rosemary. All I have to say is WOW. The moisture…!
Maybe its time I bought myself some aloe vera juice…
This was very informative! Thank you so much. Expect a mention on my site in the next week or so.
Im glad you found it informative. Thank you
After u scrap the insides into a jar, wat do u do with that?
Where can I buy aloe vera gel and aloe vera juice
Mostly in health shops – they have the most options. Dischem and some supermarkets have it too.
Hi,
Where can I find aloe vera gel or even better alooe vera plant/leaves,does anyone know shops in jhb or pretoria?
Thanks
You can get the aloe vera plant at garden shops. The gel or juice is available at health shops. Ive also seen the juice in Dischem and supermarkets as well (the Natures Choice brand).