As a food writer, I practically live on TikTok, saving recipes and nutrition hacks to try. One ingredient that keeps popping up in my social media feed? Aloe vera.
When you type “aloe vera” in the search bar of TikTok, you’ll come across clips of creators touting the purported health benefits of this ingredient. You’ll spot home cooks blending the jelly-like substance into smoothies and hikers rubbing the plant’s juices on their skin to soothe sunburns.
I’ve appreciated aloe long before it became a trend. As a Haitian-American, Caribbean culture runs through my veins, so I’m familiar with the gel as the succulent grows on many islands. (Fun fact: Aruba even has an entire museum and factory dedicated to the plant.) My grandmother, whom I grew up with, often kept aloe leaves on the kitchen counter, right beside her other natural remedies. Whenever the sun got the best of me, I knew she’d have a cool slab of that green leaf ready for me. She was ahead of her time.
I’ll always follow her advice without hesitation, but I’m wary of viral trends. Let’s be honest: people often exaggerate…
