When it comes to plant-based remedies that work, Aloe vera should be first on your list.
This desert succulent is easy to grow in any window, doesn’t need much water, and offers its healing gel inside each thick leaf for easy access. I keep an aloe vera plant on my kitchen windowsill and slice open a leaf for a quick burn salve after cooking mishaps. For burns, first run cold water over the area to cool it down (deeper burns may take up to 10 minutes under cold running water to cool down), then slather on a thick layer of aloe again and again as it dries. The aloe speeds the healing and reduces scarring while easing the pain of a burn.
I received a link to a list of 21 uses for aloe as a home remedy. The post is mis-titled as “homeopathic” uses when it should be “home remedies”, but its a good list nevertheless and aloe vera is a great remedy for a lot of ailments.
Be careful though: people who are sensitive to other members of the Lily family such as garlic, onions, leeks, or asparagus, may also be sensitive to aloe. In these cases, aloe is the opposite of helpful and may exacerbate other conditions.
