Home Remedy of the Week: How to Treat Burns at Home With Aloe Vera and NOT Toothpaste!

If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, minor scrapes and burns are common. Sometimes, you may get scalded by hot utensils or by splashing liquids. One common mistake everyone makes is that they immediately apply toothpaste on the burns. While its minty coolness may give temporary respite from the stinging pain, toothpaste as a burn remedy may do more harm than good. Instead, you should pass cool water on the burnt area and opt for better home remedies such as aloe vera for burns. The houseplant is found in many kitchen gardens and has numerous benefits. If you want to treat a burn, here’s why you should use aloe vera. Aloe Vera for Skin Care: 6 Amazing Ways Aloe Vera Benefits Your Skin Naturally and Must Be Part of Personal Care Routine!

Called the “burn plant” aloe vera is enriched with various beneficial compounds that can heal the skin after a burn injury. It’s an anti-inflammatory herb, which is great for treating minor and first-degree burns.

The plant finds mention in ancient Egyptian and Greek accounts where it was used for healing wounds, burns and infections. Even in Spain and Africa, the plant was used for healing skin problems. Classical Iranian medicine mentions the use of aloe vera for medicinal purposes.

How to Use Aloe Vera for Skin (Watch Video)

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Although it is used traditionally to treat burns, science also validates its efficiency. A 2007 study by researchers from Thailand showed that aloe vera could be an effective remedy for healing first to second-degree burns. Tulsi, Aloe Vera and Other Best Plants with Health Benefits to Grow at Home.

Aloe vera plant contains aloins, sugars, cellulose, vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, E, glucomannan, folic acid, calcium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, copper and chrome. It also has antibacterial and antifungal qualities. The zinc and glucomannan compounds in aloe vera help heal, repair and regenerate the skin that has been burnt.

The glucomannan in aloe vera stimulates the growth of fibroblasts, which are major skin cells responsible for producing and organising the skin matrix. They also stimulate the production of collagen in the skin. Even vitamins E and C play an important role in wound healing.

How to Use Aloe Vera to Treat Burns

The gel inside the aloe plant is the nutrient-rich substance that has to be used for wound healing. The gel has to be extracted by neatly trimming a leaf from the aloe plant and cleaning it thoroughly.

Once it is clean, take a sharp knife and scrape away the green part of the leaf or cut it vertically or horizontally to expose the transparent insides. Scrape the gel out and apply it directly on the wound with a clean hand or cotton.

Repeat the process till the wound heals and fresh skin forms underneath.

However, if the burn injury is serious, you have to seek immediate medical attention. Aloe vera should be used only if the burn is minor.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2019 01:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).