MEMO ON ALOE VERA
✓ It is a succulent plant that originally grows in arid environments with very little water.
✓ It has existed for millennia in the Middle East, where its trace is found in Mesopotamia as early as the 2nd millennium BC. It is also a powerful remedy for healing wounds in ancient Egypt.
✓ Its thorny, thick, and fleshy green leaves contain a precious gel.
✓ It is applied externally on burns, stings, and other skin conditions. Its soothing, moisturizing, and healing properties are well documented, also making it a cosmetic ally for enhancing the skin.
✓ Internally, it is an impressive source of nutrients and active ingredients. Its low-calorie gel improves digestion, relieves constipation, and detoxifies the body, among other benefits.
Ibiza, Historical Land of Aloe Vera
At the entrance of César’s aloe vera plantation, a faded yellow submarine reminds us that the sea is not far away. We are in Sant Antoni de Portmany, on the west of the island. This very unusual year, Ibiza has not resonated with parties lasting until dawn.
And despite the economic issues inherent in the decline of tourism and the closure of clubs, the people of Ibiza seem to have regained a tranquility long disrupted.
It is in this context that we meet César, 33 years old and a native Ibiza local. While studying international business in Madrid, he lamented the quality of aloe-based products he found in the capital.
He recalls the richness in aloe of his native lands, and their therapeutic and cosmetic properties. The idea to create a brand of aloe vera gel, transparent and based on selected Ibiza plants, was born.
“In Ibiza, you know aloe vera from a young age: if you hurt yourself, if you get sunburned, it’s with this plant that your parents and grandparents treat you.”
In 2014, he launched Ibizaloe, a brand with local producers. Then, in 2015, he acquired his own plantations and opened an Ibizaloe shop at Ibiza airport. Today, in addition to supplying the entire island with aloe vera juice and other cosmetics, he has many clients from Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland.
According to César, three factors explain the quality and uniqueness of his aloe: Ibiza’s microclimate, its nutrient-rich red clay soil, and the quantity and purity of its spring waters.
Aloe Vera, From Plant to Gel
His organic aloe vera plants grow in 4 plantations spread over 5 hectares. Depending on the year, he can harvest between 30,000 and 100,000 Kg of aloe. He lost many clients due to the pandemic, but the island’s residents remain interested in the plant and its benefits.
Here, we are in his so-called “touristic” plantation, which welcomes curious visitors all year round. It also has a museum dedicated to the history of the plant and the study of its benefits.
César cultivates Barbadensis Miller, an edible species of aloe known for its health benefits. Initially, secondary leaves, “the offspring,” are harvested from a mature aloe vera, “the mother”. These are then replanted, watered only once, and then left for a month before the next watering.
This diet is repeated several times: in this way, the roots will develop and seek water underground. This makes them more resistant and able to fight against diseases, frost, etc.
César’s aloe vera blooms four times a year, which is much more than the average! This indicates the good health of his plants.
Moreover, he applies a unique technique to ensure the resistance and high quality of his aloe. After several months, the plants are taken in their entirety and left to dry in the sun. They dehydrate and purge themselves of parasites and fungi, for example. This is an ecological and effective way to “clean” them.
Then, they are replanted. The aloe regenerates itself! And the specimens that survived the operation (he counts only 2% loss) are particularly healthy and resilient.
He cuts a leaf for us: you can clearly see the three parts inside the plant.
- The cortex
- Aloin, a yellow, toxic, irritating, and highly laxative substance
- The transparent gel
To maximize the properties of the gel, the aloes are watered minimally. Once a week (and even less in winter). While more water can increase yield, the quality of the gel diminishes.
Its quality, precisely, can be evaluated by what is called aloeverose (polysaccharides). For one liter of gel, César counts 1,700 mg, much more than the average, which is about 750 mg.
Ibizaloe manufactures the gel in an artisanal and cold-processed way, to maintain all its properties. Being both a producer and a processor allows us to guarantee the same quality from the plant to the finished product. César has thus developed a wide range: 99.98% aloe vera juice, 99% aloe vera gel, soaps, moisturizing creams, mineral filter sunscreens…
And to top it off, the products are preserved with citruses that grow on the plantation: lemons, oranges.
The Yellow Submarine
