I harvested 3 large leaves from one of my aloe vera plants to make soap with but somewhere along the line, that plan was totally abandoned for a styling cream.
What I did different this time is that I allowed most of the aloin (the bitter part of AV, also used as a laxative) in the plant to mix with the gel because I’ve read many research papers that showed that topical applications of aloin for skin issues and wound healing have been documented for decades.

Aloe vera turned purple gel ❤ ❤
I added a little preservative becsuse the strong enzymes in AV start to break it down very quickly once its cut, and stuck it in the fridge while I sanitized my other utensils. One hour later it had turned this lovely purple gel colour.

Emulsifying with a stick blender
The colour didn’t make it through the emulsion stage though. This hue is mostly from the unrefined shea butter and unrefined PKO. I used conditioning emulsifier because its essentially a very thick cream for hair and while you can actually apply this mixture to skin, using a regular emulsifier for body lotion in my hair has not been a hit. Ask me how I know 🙂

Just what my dry hair ordered 🙂
The resulting creme is thick and fluffy with good non-sticky slip, just what my dry kinky hair ordered. Essential oils of rosemary and tea tree add the final touch to what is now a staple for my family’s daily hair care.