Aloe Vera Barbadensis - General Information

There are over 500 species of Aloe, including Aloe perryi from Socotra Island or Zanzibar and Aloe ferox from Africa.


Botanical Name: Aloe barbadensis


Common Name:  Aloe vera, Curacao Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Lily of the Desert


Plant Family: Liliaceae


History: The virtues of Aloe vera have been recorded for thousands of years by many ancient civilizations, including Egypt, Persia, Greece, India and Africa.
The name was derived from the Arabic alloeh meaning 'bitter' because of the bitter liquid found in the leaves. It is also known as 'lily of the desert', the 'plant of immortality', and the 'medicine plant'. 


In 1500 B.C. Egyptians recorded use of the herbal plant in treating:

• burns
• infections
• parasites

The fresh gel was used by Cleopatra to keep her skin soft and young. 
Aloe was used by the Ancient Greeks, Arabs and Spaniards and is still used by hunters in Africa to reduce perspiration and body scent.
The Spanish carried Aloe From Europe to the New World in South America and the Caribbean. Aloe barbadensis was introduced to the West Indies at the beginning of the 16th century. Spanish missionaries in the west always planted Aloe around their settlements and carried it on their journeys to aid the sick
Aloe was used extensively by American herbalists in the 18th and 19th centuries.