Photography by Dalilah Arja.
I grew up under the Southern California sun in Orange County, 20 minutes from Huntington Beach, and I spent almost every day of summer ankle-deep in sand. If you follow the simple steps below, you can easily make your own and ditch the store-bought gel.
Instructions:
Step 1: Wash off any dirt that’s on the aloe leaves and dry them.
Step 2: If you wish, you can cut off the thorns with a knife. The smell can be unpleasant (it reminds me of canned chicken noodle soup), but the result is worth it.
Step 3: Use a spoon to scoop the gel from the leaves into a container.
Fresh aloe vera gel is ready to be mixed with coconut oil (or used alone, if you prefer).
Step 4: Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and a few drops of essential oil, if wanted, for aromatherapy (and to mask the smell of the aloe vera). I use grapefruit essential oil–a 5-ml bottle of Grapefruit Essential Oil is $4.95 from Eden’s Garden.
Step 5: Store the aloe vera gel in a container and refrigerate. Coconut oil hardens when refrigerated, so you may need to mix the gel before applying.