>>What a relief! Does anyone else have a story to share about aloe
>>plants?


I was introduced to the use of aloe as a burn remedy in elementary
school by a childhood friend. Some time in high school, I put it to the
test. I'd gotten a sunburn. I put aloe on my left shoulder, arm and
left side of my back. I put nothing on my right. At first I was
shocked when, 2 days later, my left side started to peel a little.
(These are the gossimer peels, not full blisters which I've never
gotten.) I thought that the aloe didn't work. A day later, my right
side started to peel the the same way. It turned out that my left side
was a full day ahead on healing over my right.


Convinced, I used aloe every time I got a sunburn. If I couldn't get
the long leaf, I bought it in the brown bottle at the health food store.


Some years later, I noticed that I always came down with a sneezing
allergy attack after getting mild sunburns. A friend explained it to me
thus: Allergies are the body's immune system gone amok. When you're
healing from a sunburn, the immune system is called into play. Since
you're allergic in general (to pollens mostly), you sneeze when you get
sunburned. I was satisfied with that explanation and continued using
the aloe.


Fast forward even more years. I'm in conversation with an acupuncturist
about something or other. I mention sunburn, aloe and sneezing. She
says "are you sure you're not just allergic to aloe? Lots of people
are." Sure enough, I stopped using aloe on sunburns and stopped
sneezing. Now I use a little cold water and nothing else. More than
that, I try hard to remember sunscreen and to wear long sleeves in the
water and on the beach.


I still think aloe is useful for mild kitchen burns though I no longer
have it around the house.


--Lia, dropping into this usenet group only occasionally now