Aloe vera throughout history
Aloe vera has been used by humans throughout history for thousands of years. The first documented use of Aloe vera is from ancient Egypt where aloe is depicted in engravings on a temple from as early as 4000 BC. The inscriptions indicate that the plant was seen as the plant of immortality and it is also believed that aloe vera was used as a burial gift to the Pharaohs.
There are many indications that humans have been using aloe vera as a medicine for a long time. The earliest known medicinal use of aloe is in the form of a Sumerian clay tablet (present-day Iraq) from around 2200 BC.
A medicinal use of aloe vera is also mentioned in the so-called Ebers Papyrus (from Egypt around 1534 BC).
It also seems that aloe vera had an important role in Greece around 400 BC. For example, there is a legend that when Alexander the Great conquered the island of Socotra, he replaced the original population with Greeks in order to have a steady supply of excellent aloe vera.
Whether or not there is even an ounce of truth in this, it seems that at that time a trade in aloe vera developed in the eastern Mediterranean.
Around the year 100, the Greek physician Dioscorides and the Roman natural philosopher Pliny the Elder praised aloe in their writings. Dioscorides, identified 19 different uses of aloe vera in his text ‘De Materia Medica’ and slightly later Pliny in ‘Naturalis
History” many different uses for aloe.
Which parts of Aloe vera were used?
Even if we call it aloe vera here, there was no botanical systematics at that time and it is actually impossible to know exactly which species were used and it is also difficult to know which parts of aloe were used.
The historically most common commercial product from aloe was what we now call “aloe latex” but there are also historical texts that use the inner part of the leaf.
Even if we call it aloe vera here, there was no botanical systematics at that time and it is actually impossible to know exactly which species were used and it is also difficult to know which parts of aloe were used.
The historically most common commercial product from aloe was what we now call “aloe latex” but there are also historical texts that use the inner part of the leaf.
What was Aloe used for?
Among the uses mentioned in the early texts are, for example, reducing itching (especially of the eyes), treating headaches, wound care and as a means of treating stomach disorders, for example as a laxative (for constipation).
Various uses appear in historical texts and in Arabia a few hundred years later, Al-Kindi describes various uses and also begins to clearly distinguish different parts of the aloe leaf for its different properties.
In China, there is both oral and topical use of aloe documented from the Tang Dynasty which lasted between 618 to 907.
Over the years, the use of aloe has been regularly documented in the
“The London Pharmacopoeia of 1650 includes aloe vera in no less than 21 different preparations.
Aloe vera today
Today, aloe is known to be found in various products – cosmetics, medicines, food, dietary supplements. We at Aloe vera scandinavian HC have even seen aloe in clothes and furniture….
Today we know much more about the different components of aloe vera and how to produce raw materials from the plant with very different properties. However, because you are working with a plant material, it is not only the manufacturing process that determines the quality, but other factors such as growing conditions will also determine the content of the finished product.
We have been helping companies since 2003 to find the right raw materials for their projects. We may be a small part of the history of aloe vera, but the need for knowledgeable aloe vera suppliers is still great.
We help you all the way to the finished product
We often come across ‘aloe vera’ products that are at best incorrect in the sense that they simply do not contain any aloe vera or the products are incorrectly or misleadingly labeled, but sometimes we actually come across products with aloe vera that are potentially harmful to the end consumer. We hope this was caused by ignorance and not pure malice.
By choosing raw material from Aloe Life®, you can be sure that you get the right raw material of guaranteed high quality for your products and a finished product where the aloe vera poses no risk to the consumer. If you wish, we can help you from idea to finished product to make sure everything is as good as possible.
Aloe in the Bible?
One can sometimes come across the claim that aloe is mentioned in several places in the Old and New Testaments. However, it is now believed to be a completely different plant, historically called aloe tree or aloe wood, but belonging to the eagle tree genus (Aquilaria agallocha).
However, there are still those who believe that the myrrh described as being used to anoint the body of Christ (John 19:39-40) was in fact aloe vera.
We’ll never know for sure what’s right there, but it’s clear that Aloe has been with us for a long time and is still highly topical and attracts a lot of interest around the world.
Some historical Aloe and Aloe vera events
4 000 BC
Aloe was described as the plant of immortality in ancient Egypt. Aloe used as a grave gift to the Pharaohs
2 200 BC
The first documented medicinal use of Aloe in the form of a Sumerian clay tablet.
1 500 BC
The healing properties of aloe vera are described in the Ebers Papyrus, one of the world’s first medical texts.
around 50 BC.
Aloe is called the plant of Cleopatra – a reference to the plant’s beautifying properties.
41-68 AD
Dioscorides describes the pharmacological effects of Aloe vera in his work De Matena Medica.
1492
Christopher Columbus is said to have written “All is well, Aloe is on board” when sailing to the New World (America).
Please contact us.
Feel free to contact us with your questions via the form below. You can also send an email to info@aloe.se or call us on 031-40 72 50 (weekdays 9-16).