Extracting aloe vera gel?
Question:Hi! A stalk of my aloe plant just broke off accidentally, and I tried to remove the gel...I cut the stalk longways (from tip to bottom), and I scraped the insides into a bowl with a spoon...it was rather liquidy, though. Isn't it supposed to be a gel? I only got a few small clumps of anything that looked even remotely like gel. Was I extracting it wrong? How can I get the gel? Will it store nicely if I put it in a jar, or will it just dry up? I need some really thorough answers if anyone can help. Thank you!
Answers:
After a day of fishing, the first thing I do after cleaning up the boat and fish when I get home is go to my aloe plant and cut a piece. I cut the widest area as close to the stalk as possible so I have a long kinda triangle piece. Take it inside and lay it on a piece of saran wrap and fold the wrap over so the leaf is covered, leave a pretty good Lent of the wrap longer at the base end of the leaf. Using a rolling pin I start at the point of the leaf pressing hard and rolling all the way off the wide end. The gel will be press out of the leaf and into the plastic, if you press hard enough most of it should be extruded. I then put the gel in a bowl and set in in the fridge while I shower, applying it after wards. Feels good and keeps you from peeling if you have that problem.
Sorry, I
meant to mention that. It just depends, sometimes it is very watery,
sometimes kinda clumpy and watery mixed. You can refrigerate the whole
leaf in a zip-lock for weeks and once it gets cold it's a lot more gel
like but never as you think it should be, like what comes out of a bottle
you buy in the store. Once you rub it on it feels sticky for just a
minute or so but then it feels like you never put anything on ya! It's
great for other stuff too. I put it on scratches, zits (ewww sorry) and
the wife puts it on any razor burn. It works for all sorts of stuff.
You did nothing wrong.
When we buy aloe gel at the store, there are thickening and consitency agents, perhaps alchohol and several other ingredients added to it even if it is not a lotion but clear aloe vera gel.
The gel is in the leaves.
Natural aloe vera "gel" does tend to be much more liquid than the off the shelf product. If you look at the ingredients on what you can buy at the store, you'll see many additives.
I really don't think that the natural aloe gel has a good shelf life outside of the plant. That's kind of the cool thing about having a good aloe plant around. If you do burn yourself, just break off a small tip of the plant and apply.
i just break off a piece and squeeze the aloe out of mine, but i don't think it would keep long, it is pretty watery. it does work better than any burn creme, though.
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