aloe for hair

I have an aloe plant at home. I usually use the aloe just by breaking off a leaf, then breaking it open and using the juice on my skin.

Does anyone have a way to use aloe on hair? Do I just do the same and glop it in my hair and then shampoo it out?

I searched a book I have for uses of aloe and found these items:

1. As a leave-in conditioner. "When used properly it leaves your hair shiny and soft." After rinsing out your regular conditioner, apply the aloe juice to your hair (do not rinse).

2. "As an aid for brittle, dry, flyaway and baby-fine hair, try this beautifully rich recipe for restoring gloss to your hair. It really does work!"

3 tablespoons sweet almond oil
3 teaspoons honey
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons aloe

In a small bowl, whip together oil, honey and yolks. Add aloe, and stir to form a smooth paste. Dip an old hairbrush into the mixture. Apply to clean, dry hair. Cover hair with a plastic shower cap and a warmed towel. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse out with warm water and allow to air dry.

3. For Oily Hair Care

1/2 teaspoon aloe vera gel (squeeze gel out of Aloe Vera plant)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
Blend ingredients together with 1/4 cup of your regular hair shampoo. Wash hair then rinse well.

Finally, the Long Locks web site http://www.longlocks.com/hair-care-recipes-cookbook.htm has this recipe to control frizz in natually curly hair:

Frizz Control for Curly Hair

Ingredients
1 small aloe vera leaf

Directions
Snip off end of leaf and apply a dollop of aloe vera gel to palm. Work through hair to ends.

So, the answer to your initial question seems to be "Yes, you can glop the aloe on your hair and use it as a leave-in conditioner."

Hope this helps. Good luck!!

oh wow.. that's awesome, so many things that can be done.

just wondering, is there a difference between the aloe gel from the plant and aloe juice?

Here is what my book says about it:

"Aloe gel can be used to heal both internal and external wounds. It greatly speeds the healing of many skin injuries, including ulcerations, burns, and frostbite. Aloe latex is a powerful laxative, but because it can cause painful cramping, it is not used frequently. In smaller doses, aloe latex can help prevent kidney stones or reduce their size. It is also useful as a stool softener, particularly in people who have painful hemorrhoids."

"Aloe juice is a liquid form of aloe gel that you can take internally. Because it has antibacterial properties, aloe juice can be used to treat bacterial infections in the gastro-intestinal tract. It is also effective for healing peptic ulcers because it reduces the stomach acids that aggravate ulcers. "

Wow! I'm learning things here!

Hi Budoken,

Soooooooo glad to see you here. Thank you for your very informative post.

Best wishes,
Karen

Hello Karen

My pleasure. Glad to be of some small service.

Thanks for providing the opportunity to share. You do a great job!

Aloe vera plants, grow wild throughout tropical Asia. Their thick spiny leaves contain a cooling sap, which is an elixir for Heavy Heads. More precisely this extract contains a natural tannin with an anti-inflammatory effect, and saponin.a natural emulsifler. The aloe's active ingredients stimulate the follicles for a thick and fuller head of hair.

I could do with thicker, fuller hair, for sure. Is shampoo or conditioner containing aloe any good for that purpose, or should I be looking for an actual plant or what?

Generally speaking, the amount of aloe in shampoos and conditioners is quite small. Look at the ingredient list and the further down it appears the smaller the amount (I'm certain Lyris can address this better than I can). If you want the full benefit of aloe, use either the 100% gel or fresh from the plant.