The Making of Aloe Vera Gel

Introduction

Aloe vera comes from a plant species often used in alternative medicine. Aloe is regularly used for everything from cuts to burns and can be found in yogurts, beverages, lotions, makeup, razors, shampoos and directly in gel form. The making of aloe vera gel is a simple process and can be done commercially or from the comfort of your own home.

Extraction

Before aloe vera gel can be made, the products of an aloe vera plant must be separated. Aloe vera plants have two main parts: the colored sap (aloin) and the clear gel of the inside of the plant. For aloe vera gel, the clear inside gel must be extracted from the plant. To do this, the plant leaf is split in half, and a spoon or other tool is used to scoop the gel from the plant, separating the soothing aloe gel from the aloin. It is important that no aloin be included in the aloe gel, as aloin is the protective sap that is used to keep animals from eating the plant in the wild. As such, it acts as an irritant instead of a soothing agent like the inner gel.

Production

Once the internal aloe gel has been extracted from an aloe plant, it goes into production. During this process, the gel is usually combined with water to make the product go farther and last longer. Guar gum or xanthan gum is then combined with the solution to give the aloe vera gel its thick consistency.

Preservatives

Since aloe is a natural product, its shelf life is rather limited. To help increase this shelf life, most aloe vera gels have preservatives added to the final product to keep them fresh longer. Citric acid and vitamin E are most commonly added to the gel to extend the shelf life of the product.

References

• Mayo Clinic
• Natural Standard: Aloe