My Mum On..Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera has so many wondrous uses. It is a dexterous plant whose list of effective uses ranges from treating acne and burns to reducing dental plaque…and it litters our house.

This spiky little plant seems to have spawned overnight, multiplying itself into numerous rooms for the dual purpose of not only sitting pretty and increasing the verdure inside but also contributing to 100% of my Mum’s night time skin care routine.

This routine has changed her face.

I immediately noticed the difference when I saw her for the first time in about 3 months at the airport, where we both made separate journeys to bid my brother adieu for his adventures in Japan. She looked incredible. Her skin was luminous and I knew that this was a secret that I had to uncover. I had known that she would employ a natural regimen as she has adapted to a more holistic lifestyle over the past few years, growing and making her own food and also cutting out processed foods. This lifestyle definitely suits her and I have aspired on countless occasions to behave similarly, yet I cannot resist the boxes of crisps that my housemate brings back for the flat as it is my obligation to devour 5 bags a day as a sign of appreciation.

Anyway, reverting back to my initial purpose of writing this text, upon the shock and my constant face groping, she finally divulged her secret.

Aloe Vera.

And this is how she has used it…

Her ingredients:

• Cup of Green Tea
• Aloe Vera Plant

Her method:

1. Begin with making a cup of green tea but apparently “make sure you don’t do anything whilst it’s hot, let it cool.”
2. Then, whilst the green tea is cooling down, cut off the whole leaf from an aloe vera plant (or, if you don’t have the plant, I’m sure the gel would work just the same).
3. Then, cut off 1 inch from the bottom of the leaf and cut it open to expose the aloe vera gel.
4. Scrape all of the the aloe vera gel off with a knife into a container then add a spoonful of the green tea mix.
5. Then, in her words “you swirl the mixture and then keep swirling it some more.. If it’s gone into little clumps like mine, it’s not mixed well enough and mix it more”.
6. Lastly, leave the mixture in the fridge to cool for about 10 mins.
7. When beginning your night time regimen, apply the mixture onto a clean face by dipping a cotton pad in the remedy and rubbing it all over.
8. Once done and your face is dry, cut a smaller chunk off of the aloe vera leaf, split the leaf in half and then smear the gel onto your face (or just the gel if you don’t have the leaf to hand).
9. Voila! All that’s left to do is conduct some major beauty sleep in order to allow for the magic of the plant to start working!… And apparently, when you wake up “you will look and feel amazing!”

So this is her remedy, a miraculous concoction that she has researched through the wonders of youtube and adapted for her needs to keep her face in the most sparkling condition that it’s ever been in.

I’m definitely going to give this a try but also let me know if this works for you.

Nature, it seems, is always the best cure.

Nikki x

(…And to think that all of this was described whilst talking to the aloe vera plant…)