Description:

The aloe’s tough, fleshy, spear-like leaves are shipped between 18 and 24 inches long. The leaves are hand cut at the base of a mature plant. The clear, thick gel found in the inner part of the leaf is often applied to small wounds and burns. This gel contains active substances known as glycoproteins and polysaccharides. Glycoproteins are protein-carbohydrate compounds that are thought to speed the healing process by curbing pain and inflammation. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate that stimulates skin growth and repair. Both of these substances are thought to stimulate the immune system. Aloe latex can be dried. It has compounds that are known as anthraquinones that are thought to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract activity.