Meet Rosita: My super sassy aloe vera plant. I bought Rosita two years ago, and she has grown like crazy since then. I have a serious green thumb when it comes to Rosita.

Not only does Rosita look awesome sitting in our apartment, but she comes in handy as well. There are all sorts of benefits to aloe plants. They’re good for your skin (especially when it comes to burns and itching), and you can also drink aloe juice to aid in digestion, mouth health, detoxing, weight loss, and lots more.

I’ve made a couple really good scrubs and moisturizers out of Rosita, and I’m going to share my two favorite recipes!

When making anything out of aloe gel, you first need to know how to get the gel. It’s pretty easy:

1. With a knife, cut a leaf off your aloe plant. The leaves toward the bottom are the oldest and have the most nutrients. If you don’t have an aloe plant, you can buy leaves at most grocery stores. Look at the leaf where you cut. In the middle you should see a clearish gel — that’s what we’re after!
2. On a cutting board, lay the leaf flat and cut off the skin on each edge.
3. Then, carefully slice off the skin on the two sides of the aloe leaf. You should be leaving behind the gel. That’s it!

Aloe Cornmeal Honey Scrub

This one is a great exfoliant!

Mix together 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel, 1 teaspoon honey, and 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Apply the scrub to your skin and massage it in. Rinse it off with warm and then cool water. Apply your moisturizer.

Aloe Olive Oil Sugar Scrub

This one exfoliates and moisturizes.

Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel. Massage the mixture into your skin. Rinse it off with warm water and then cool.

Any other aloe lovers out there?