Aloe vera is one of the oldest mentioned plants on record throughout history due to it's medicinal properties and health benefits.
For 1000’s of years many cultures (Including; Greece, Egypt, India, Mexico, Japan and China) have used Aloe Vera medicinally and for its health, beauty and skin care properties. With records suggesting that;
- the Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra used it as part of their regular beauty regimes.
- Alexander the Great, and Christopher Columbus used it to treat soldiers’ wounds.
When a Pharaoh died in ancient Egypt, to attend the funeral ceremony, attendees brought with them a pound of Aloes, which would establish their wealth and esteem for the king. The aloe would then be used the odorous mixture of Aloe and myrrh for embalming. Ancient Chinese and Egyptians also used aloe vera to treat burns, wounds, and reduce fever.
The earliest documentation of Aloe was discovered on the clay boards from Nippur which date back as long ago as 2,200 BC. The people of this era were already aware of the cleansing effect of aloe on the intestines, in this period of history illnesses were always regarded as demonic possession of the body and only a divine plant such as aloe had the natural power to exorcise the demons.
Around 356 - 323 BC, it is documented that Alexander the Great used aloe juice to heal the wounds of his warriors. He was said to have carts that transported growing Aloe so as to have fresh supply during battle campaigns and that Aristotle convinced him to invade and capture Island Socotra specifically to gain possession of the aloe groves.
In the 7th century the Chinese Materia Medicas wrote of using the Aloe vera for sinusitis and other skin conditions. In the 15th century, Spanish priests used Aloe Vera as healing aids.
The name Aloe vera derives from the Arabic word “Alloeh” meaning “shining bitter substance,” while “vera” in Latin means “true.” 2000 years ago, the Greek scientists regarded Aloe vera as the universal panacea. The Egyptians called Aloe “the plant of immortality.”
In 1655, John Goodyew made the first English reference to Aloe Vera in the Dioscorides’ Medical treatise De Materia Medica.
When Christopher Columbus discovered the new worlds, he did so with Aloe by his side, growing Aloe in plant pots on his ships, again using it to heal the wounds of his men.
During the 16th century, Spanish Jesuit monks harvested the wild aloe vera and today they are still renowned as well educated phytologists and healers. The Maya Indians christened the highly resourceful juice of this desert plant as the "Fountain of Youth”. Indian tribes also used aloe for healing, applying a juice to their skin as an insect repellent, protecting them in infested swamp areas.
And by the early 1800s, Aloe Vera was in use as a laxative in the United States, and then by the mid-1930s, it was successfully used to treat chronic and severe dermatitis caused by radiation.
In 1944, the Japanese who were exposed to the “A” bomb applied aloe gel to their wounds and reported faster healing and less scaring.
In the 1950’s, its use became lessened due to the efficacy reducing as the preparations were heated too much causing it to lose its medicinal effects.
Today, the Aloe vera plant has been used for various purposes in dermatology.