Since time immemorial, ancient people have been using the aloe plant for a variety of reasons. It has been handed down from many generations; hence it has become a popular folk remedy. Presently research on aloe has been conducted in the fields of pharmaceutical, wellness and cosmetic sciences.
Egyptians were known to write about the aloe’s function in everyday hygiene and also in religious rituals. Excavations in the Egyptian pyramids have unlocked the role of aloe among ancient Egyptians. Aside from the Pharaohs, the Khoi and San tribes inhabiting present-day South Africa had also used Aloe. Ancient prescriptions of aloe were made by Greek, Roman, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Mexican and West Indian healers and physicians. These ancient doctors have known aloe for its medicinal properties.
For millennia native doctors have used aloe for medicinal benefits. It was used to treat humans and animals alike. In the African Xhosa tribe, Aloe is used to fresh and swollen wounds. It can also help get rid of ringworms, tapeworms, boils and other skin ulcers. It is also beneficial to cattle and poultry used to cure enteritis in young calves and chicken. The Pondo tribe has a mixture of aloe juice and water that can be used for body wash. It can also be used to detoxify the body and help cure gout, rheumatism and arthritis, stomach and illnesses of the digestion. Other aloe uses include alleviating effects of insect bites and stings, fungal infection, toothache and sunburn. It can also be used as immune boosters to protect the body from the effects of harsh elements.
In the time of the conquistadores, the Spanish seamen fully knew the aloes worth and had them as precious cargo as medicines to cure burns, wounds and chafing. Its benefits were also preached by European missionaries across the New World.
Aloe gained scientific distinction when it was used to treat radiation burins in the atomic bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Those radiation wounds treated with an extract of aloe healed faster than any other applied treatment. Hence it was used to treat burns as a result of radiation therapies like X-rays.
This became the turning point of Aloe Vera as it caught a huge following in the United States earning it a number of fans among wellness and beauty experts. There are over 300 species of Aloe plants in Africa. Among the most popular is the Aloe Ferox or Cape Aloe which is noted for its medicinal properties.
Aloe Ferox well-placed reputation
Along roads and riverbanks of the Hessequa, the gateway to the Garden Route near Albertinia, Aloe Ferox grows robustly, protected from short but strong thorns to prevent animals from grazing it. Free from predators, the Aloe’s gel and bitter sap are protected ready to be harvested.
Aloe Ferox are distinguished from Aloe Vera since it has thicker leaves and it contains 36% more amino acids in its gel and 20 times more in its sap than the more famous Aloe Vera. Indigenous species have higher aloin nutrients than the rest of Aloe Ferox found in the country. It is said that compared to other Aloe Ferox, it has 28% more of the bitter sap. Aloe Vera has very little bitter sap which is the source of aloin. The bitter sap has been brought to Europe and Asia as a precious export commodity.
In the year 1967, Aloe Ferox was noted to accelerate the reproduction of collagen-forming cells that provides strength and elasticity to the skin. The discovery was made by a surgeon who was part of Prof. Chris Barnard’s first heart transplant team.
The Council for Scientific and industrial Research conducted a two-year study on Aloe Ferox in the late 1980s. The study conducted in Cape Town South Africa opened the medicine world to the plants potential in the field of medicine.
In a 2006 study in Japan, it has been found that tumor-fighting properties of the Aloe Ferox came from a synergy of Aloe’s active ingredients.
There are many testimonials from clients which has praised the medicinal benefits of Aloe in their lives.



