Many of America’s rural towns are just that—rural.
Whether they’re deep in the Midwest or up North along the great likes, millions of Americans live in towns, villages and cities that are miles removed from the closest grocery stores or Walgreens— where a trip to the convenience store can be anything other than convenient.
If they run out of a certain medicine or an ingredient needed for tonight’s dinner, these people could be facing a trudge through the snow, a half-hour drive to Wal-mart, or perhaps worse.
And so they become masters of “making do;” of getting by with limited resources and stretching their supplies to meet all of life’s needs. That’s where the humble succulent Aloe Vera comes to the rescue …
Easily grown even in America’s colder northern states—were it can ride out a freezing winter on the kitchen windowsill—Aloe has become the key ingredient in solving all sorts of household problems; from dishwashing woes to helping keep laundry clean.
Today, we’re going to look at a few of these fascinating Aloe remedies and the role they play in American life. It can be hard to grasp just how useful this plant is without understanding how it’s used in real-world situations.
Let’s get started!
Aloe Remedy #1: Anti-Itch Cream & Sunburn Relief
This is really the first and most obvious use for Aloe … pretty much everyone already knows about this one.
But out in America’s Corn Belt—where farmers spend 10-12 hours a day out in the fields underneath the beating sun—it’s an indispensable source of relief. Many farmers could be stuck spending a fortune on sunscreen and skin treatments if they didn’t have access to this wonder-plant.
Likewise with the extreme cold of the northern states, where Aloe can provide much needed moisturization through dry and frigid winters.
Aloe Remedy #2: Scar Cream & Lip Balm
Used as a topical cream, Aloe Vera can also provide much needed healing compounds for scars large and small—as well as a blast of nutrients to rehydrate dry, cracked lips.
Again; in a part of the country that might be miles away from the closest stock of band-aids, Aloe’s ability to help heal small dings and cuts is truly a godsend. And in many American states, winter’s cold is synonymous with parched lips … but not after a touch of soothing Aloe …
Aloe Remedy #3: Exfoliator & Makeup Remover
Even in some of America’s most isolated towns and communities, women are expected to be looking their best—and Aloe goes a long way to making that happen.
Whether it’s being used as a makeup remover or being mixed into a homemade Exfoliator (some sources suggest mixing Aloe gel with brown sugar for an all-natural Exfoliant), Aloe Vera can replace or supplement many of the health & beauty products that are harder to find on the farm.
Aloe Remedy #4: Relief for Upset Stomach
Taking things a step further, Aloe juice can act as an effective all-natural remedy for upset stomach & constipation.
For this use it’s generally taken as a juice—which you can often find in a supplement store if you have one nearby—though home remedies can also be improvised. It’s important to be careful when ingesting Aloe Vera juice or gel, because the plant’s powerful active compounds can have negative side effects if they’re ever overdone.
Aloe Remedy #5: Heartburn Relief
This is really the highest level of what Aloe has to offer—with Aloe Extract pills offering an entire spectrum of benefits from heartburn relief to potentially aiding those with Type 2 Diabetes.
Aloe extract pills (like those offered by industry leader AloeElite) contain high concentrations of Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides (AMPs), the active ingredient in Aloe. By concentrating a whopping 30 pounds of raw organic Aloe into each bottle of supplements, these supplements offer a precise, pre-measured dose delivered right to your doorstep through the mail.
A Rugged Solution for Most of What Ails You
Of course, these are just a handful of the exciting applications for Aloe in your daily life. People in far-flung areas are coming up with creative new uses for the plant every day—from using it as a dandruff treatment to stimulating hair growth, the possibilities seem to be endless.
And even though these solutions are often innovated in rural areas, they can benefits city-dwellers and suburbanites all the same. So maybe it’s time to take another look at the humble succulent growing on your windowsill or in your garden …
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