How to Cut Aloe Vera Leaves

Aloe Vera is a plant with multiple benefits, so it is not surprising that those who have the opportunity want to cut its leaves. Aloe Vera is good for the skin, to eliminate spots after burns, to reduce the welts of a wound that has already healed… But we can only take advantage of it if we know exactly how to cut aloe Vera leaves.

If you have the plant at home and you haven’t just bought it, it is recommended that you take care of it and monitor its leaves, removing those that have withered, otherwise you will end up with a plant that has a lot of value, but that time has finished with it. Follow these simple steps to cut Aloe Vera leaves without damaging the plant.

Instructions for cutting aloe Vera leaves

1. The first thing you should do is buy an aloe Vera plant, if possible it is more than three years old, and because that is when its properties are at its peak. If it is less, you will have to wait a bit for the leaves to mature, since when they are less than three years old, their properties have not yet developed well.
2. Once you have the plant, you should only cut the number of leaves you need and use them shortly after that, otherwise they will wither and you will not be able to do anything with them.
3. Cut the leaves that are lower and outwards, these are the oldest and therefore the ones that have best developed their properties. This way you will let the ones that are more on the surface grow so that they continue to develop their benefits.
4. Once you have thought of the leaf you want to cut, use a very sharp knife or scissors and bring them as close as possible to the root of the stem, since it will be easier to cut it because at the birth is where they are thinnest.
5. The cut you have to make is longitudinal, just in the part where the leaf stops being green and is white. Make a cut to separate this part, and then pull hard to finish cutting it.
6. Once you have your aloe Vera leaf cut, extract the liquid from its interior, to do this, place the leaf vertically and cut its skewers crosswise. This is how the gel will be on one side and the skin on the other side. To catch the gel, you can use a spoon and take it all to the same container. Make the most of its leaves without leaving any aloe Vera inside.
7. When you already have aloe Vera you can use it to spread it on a wound you have.  You can do it from the liquid extracted with the spoon or else, after having cut the skewers and keeping one side with aloe Vera and the other not, pass it directly over the area of ​​​​the skin that you need.

Tips for cutting aloe Vera leaves

• It is very important that the knife or scissors you use are very sharp. This way you will do the cut in one go and you will not damage the plant.
• When you go to cut, notice that they are doing it on the oldest leaves, that is, on the ones that are deeper in the plant. If you do it with the youngest, they have not yet developed enough and you will be wasting their leaves.
• If you are going to buy the aloe Vera plant, always ask its age, since the ideal is 3 years and up. Never less, because then it will be an immature plant and will not be of much use and you will have to wait for it to grow more.
• When you cut a leaf, it is important that you use it right away. If you leave it too long after you’ve cut it, the leaf will eventually shrivel.
• Be careful when you go to cut because of the thorns that the plants have. You could get pricked, so it’s best to wear pruning gloves.
• Even if you only cut one sheet, what you needed, you may have left over. What you should do is wrap the leftover piece, wrap it in aluminum foil and put it in the freezer.  Although it should not take more than three or four days until you use it again.
• In case the aloe Vera is to be consumed, when you cut the skewers and extract the aloe Vera, it is very important that you do not get a yellowish substance called cigar, since it has a laxative effect and if you consume it you can feel sick for a couple of days. In case it is spreadable on the body, it does not matter if this substance appears.
• If you are going to buy an aloe Vera plant but you do not know or do not trust how old it is, you should know that 6 to 8 leaves usually grow each year, therefore, you want a plant with more than three years, and it should have at least 18 sheets or 19 sheets.