Eureka! Institutional Repository

Aloe vera (or Aloe Barbadensis Miller) belongs to the genus of aloe, wich includes over 500 varieties. Its name derives from th Hebrew word “aloeh” wich means bitter and bright substance. Morphological it looks like a cactus but it is crinoid and thrives in arid climates. It has thick green leaves with small wite spines and yellow, orange or red flowers. Througt the leaves is contained the so-called aloe vera gel and the resin. These two contain all those ingredients that make the plant so valuable both from a pharmaceutical and cosmetic point of view. Vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, enzymes, sugars,sterols and anthraquinones are some of the approximately 160 nutrients present in the plant. Aloe vera is used for 5000 years by different peoples and nationalities around the world and this is because the plant is gifted with excellent healing, shoothing and moisturizing actions. It is battling against skin injuries of the body but in the same time it is possible to fight many major diseases of the human body too and also to relieve their unpleasant symptoms. The aim of the following dissertation is to investigate more extensively and in more detail, the benefits of the use aloe vera in the body, both medically and aesthetically.