Nature’s Gentle Care For Your Pet’s Hair

In today’s blog, let us uncover the magic world of nature. Nature provides us with everything. To emphasise everything would still be an understatement since nature sustains us right from birth to death, and maybe even beyond that, we are connected to nature in some or the other form. Yet, this nature largely remains to be under wraps. We as a species do not know or perhaps fail to comprehend nature and its powers and majestic abilities completely. There is so much left to discover and re-discover in nature. There are ‘N’ a number of plants and herbs which are potentially helpful and have medicinal properties waiting for us to uncover their mystery. Today, let us look at one such plant which has some amazing qualities, some of which are medicinal as well. Let us dive into the world of nature, healing, and health. Let us dive into the world of aloe vera!

Aloevera: The Magic Plant

The word “aloe” comes from the Arabic term alloeh, which means- A shining bitter substance, and “vera” comes from the Latin word veritas, meaning- truth.

Aloe Vera belongs to the plant kingdom and is a succulent plant in nature belonging to the genus Aloe. This genus or [family in simpler terms, for ease of understanding] has about 500 different members of which Aloe Vera particularly stands out.It is an evergreen perineal plant that is native to the Arab Peninsula but can essentially grow in tropical regions, sub-tropical regions, and technically everywhere in the world. An aloe vera plant reaches maturity at about the age of 3-4 years and can reach a height of 30 inches with up to 21 leaves in total.This aloe vera plant produces two substances termed as- 1. Gel and 2.Latex. Both these substances [Gel and Latex] are medically useful.

Aloe Gel: Jelly-like substance, clear in colour is found on the inner surface or inner part of the aloe vera leaf whereas,
Aloe Latex: Found just beneath the surface of the skin of the leaf and is yellow in colour.

Aloe Vera is composed of 90% water and 10% solid contents. It is stated that in this 10% of solid contents the magical, health-related profits or active-ingredients of aloe vera are contained. This plant is studied deeply and largely in today’s modern world. In fact, the R&D process can be traced back 1000s of years. In the archaeological survey, 4,000-year-old Sumerian clay tablets were found wherein, the healing powers of aloe vera were inscribed, and it described aloe vera as a plant having digestive benefits and that drinking the juice of aloe vera can help relieve gastrointestinal disorders like indigestion.

Let us look at some of the health benefits of Aloe Vera

1. Prevention Of Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress is a condition where there is a massive formation of oxidative by-products which are potentially toxic or harmful to the body. Aloe vera contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, and vitamins A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, along with Niacin and Folic Acid. It is a well-known fact that Vitamin C is an excellent vitamin that shows anti-oxidative effects and is one of the potent anti-oxidants imbibed naturally in the aloe vera plant. On the other hand, the B vitamins have a direct impact on your energy levels. It also aids in proper brain function, cell metabolism, etc. This Vitamin B complex also helps to prevent infections, thereby supporting and promoting good cell health.

2. Works On Cholestrol:

As crazy as this may sound, cholesterol is both in a sense good and a sense bad. This good cholesterol, helpsabsorb the total cholesterol and carries it back to the liver. The liver then metabolises or flushes it from the body. High levels of this good cholesterol or High-Density Lipids [HDL] cholesterol can potentially lower the risk for heart disease and stroke. Whereas bad cholesterol,makes up most of our body’s cholesterol and high levels of LDL or [Low density Lipids] cholesterol can potentially raise the risk for heart disease and stroke. Thankfully, our pets are spared from the whole cholesterol issue since they do not indulge in unhealthy food-eating habits as do humans. Yet, it’s interesting to know that aloe vera also has a medicinal role in the body. There is internal use for aloe vera juices [Juices, etc internal use of aloe vera must be started with the guidance of an expert doctor only] which helps improve the quality of blood and has a role to play in the balancing aspect, for example, cholesterol. Aloe Vera helps to effectively lower cholesterol levels as well as the total triglyceride content.

3. DIGESTION& DISTURBANCES:

Aloe vera helps to maintain a good and healthy intestinal pH. It also helps in promoting Good Gut Health probiotics [or good Bacteria] present in the digestive tract. It helps balance the stomach acid naturally. Also, aloe vera in large quantities can have an adverse effect, as it also has laxative properties thereby if consumed on the larger portion of the spectrum can cause diarrhoea.

4. NATURE’S GENTLE CARE FOR HAIR:

Aloe vera has been shown to have a good effect on working against scalp-hair problems such as dandruff. [To read more about dandruff, do check out our blog ‘Me & My Anti-Dandruff Shampoo’]. Just to brief you about what dandruff is,Dandruff is seborrheic dermatitis which meansinflammation of the skin which is a common, noncontagious, easy-to-manage skin condition that can be triggered due to many reasons. In addition to breaking down the dead skin cells in case of dandruff, Aloe Vera also has certain anti-fungal properties!

Like mentioned before, aloe vera contains a gel-like substance as well as latex. Now this gel, like the substance of the Aloe leaf, has a similar chemical composition to that of keratin which is a naturally occurring protein in the hair cells. This structural similarity between the chemical composition allows for easier penetration along the entire length of the hair shaft. Aloe vera also helps to:

Hydrates the Skin: Aloe Vera is composed primarily of water. About 90-98% of the aloe Vera plant is made up of water. Thus, Aloe Vera acts as a good hydrating substance promoting good skin health. Dry skin equals chaffing, rough Fur/hair coat, and loss of luster. Good and normal healthy skin is smooth and soft, whereas good and normal fur is soft to touch, lustrous to sight, and smooth to feel.

Good Conditioning of the hair-fur: Conditioning helps to improve the feel, appearance, and manageability of Fur. The main purpose of good shampoo particularly, aloe-vera containing shampoo is to reduce friction between strands of hair so as to allow smoother brushing or combing. Dry skin, Knots in fur, and more friction between strands of hair can otherwise cause damage to the skin while brushing due to added friction.

Good Exfoliative Agent: Aloe Vera helps to exfoliate dead cells and tissues effectively. This is why aloe vera is considered to be a good ingredient in shampoo-conditioners. Our skin produces dead cells very single second and only after good exfoliation can new healthy skin replace the old dead ones properly.

Fun Fact: Every minute of the day we lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells off the surface of our skin. So just in the time it took you to read this far, you’ve probably lost about 40,000 cells.

Stimulate Hair growth: The Gel substance of aloe vera is chemically similar or similar in chemical composition to that of keratin. Keratin is a protein that is normally found in skin, hair, nails, etc. and which is why, good hair health is promoted by Aloe Vera given its chemical similarities with keratin, thus, leaving you with a cute pet with good voluminous shiny, thick [if furry] coat.

Me & My Aloe Vera Shampoo is one such shampoo that has ingrained all the natural benefits aloe vera has to offer. This shampoo is particularly useful for maintaining good fur health. It cleanses the coat properly, leaving behind, shiny, bright, and soft fur. ME& MY Aloe Vera Dogs Shampoo is a gentle yet thorough cleansing shampoo that removes dirt, grime, and odour without being harsh on the skin or coat.It is paraben free thus, being even more effective and safe. It is pH adjusted and free of parabens, and sulphates. To add a cherry on top, this shampoo also smells good, and the long-lasting fragrance has a wonderful aroma for days, keeping your dog smelling fresh.