is the yellow liquid in aloe vera poisonous

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the aloe vera plant and its great gel! Its gel benefits the skin and hair, which is why you find many skin products made from it. Many people grow and harvest their aloe vera plants at home to access all-natural and fresh gel for soothing their skin.

But when you grow and cut into your aloe vera leaves, you probably notice a yellow liquid oozing out of them. This is entirely normal and part of the plant! Is the yellow liquid in aloe vera poisonous, though?

Read on as I show you the yellow liquid and if it’s okay to use it for your aloe vera gel treatments.

What is the Yellow Liquid From My Aloe Vera Plant?

When growing and harvesting your aloe vera leaves, you probably notice a yellow liquid or substance that oozes out after you cut the leaf.

This is a yellow ooze known as aloe latex, a sap from the leaf. This is NOT the aloe vera gel we know, which should be clear and thick. Besides this, the yellow fluid has a different (and sometimes funky) smell compared to the almost odorless aloe vera. Those who have tasted the plant also report that it tastes very bitter!

And as the name suggests, this has laxative properties, and you wouldn’t want it mixed with your usual clear aloe vera gel, as it can affect your digestive tract!

But does that make it poisonous and dangerous to ingest?

To explain further:

Aloe vera has two kinds of “sap” that you can use medicinally. The clear liquid we use is aloe gel, located in the inner leaf’s clear tissue. This is the one soothing to our skin.

As for the yellow liquid, aloe latex contains aloin, a powerful laxative. This yellow liquid would flow after you cut the leaf, and you can scrape it off its leaf epidermis. It’s also known as aloe juice!

Do you want to learn more about aloe vera and what parts you should use? Check out this informative video on using aloe vera leaves:

Is the Yellow Liquid in Aloe Vera Poisonous?

The “aloe juice” was used by the people of Arabia and is the main reason aloe vera was cultivated. You would use and ingest the yellow liquid to help loosen your bowel in case of constipation.

With that said, it’s not fatal to ingest the yellow liquid, though it’s much better to avoid it. Those who do ingest it as a laxative may experience health complications in the long run.

Think of it as ingesting a small amount of latex. While doing so in small doses can treat constipation by promoting contractions, long-term and large consumption of aloe latex have side effects, like kidney problems, stomach cramps, irregular heartbeats, and muscle weakness, among others. It is more dangerous for pregnant women and those with digestive orders or when mixed with other medications for diabetes, kidney, or the heart.

If you ingest it accidentally, it won’t be dangerous, but monitor your body and toilet habits in the next few hours to ensure you experience nothing serious.

It isn’t only known as a laxative, but there are reports of people experiencing skin irritation when handling the yellow liquid. In fact, the US FDA banned the sale of aloe vera latex products because of its safety concerns and how it MAY be carcinogenic!

As much as possible, I recommend only using the clear aloe vera gel externally. Do NOT ingest the gel, whether the clear or yellow liquid.

For those interested in ingesting it for medicinal purposes, it’s best to check with your doctors beforehand to avoid serious complications. You may want to try a small amount before ingesting any recommended dosage to ensure you are not allergic to the gel.

Read more: How to Tell If Aloe Vera Gel Is Spoiled: 3 Ways How!

Getting Aloe Vera Gel Safely

cutting aloe vera

With that said, how can you properly harvest aloe vera gel without any risk of coming into contact with the yellow liquid?

Cut the leaf and allow the yellow substance to ooze out, avoid touching it too much. Simply allow the yellow substance to come out and rinse it a bit as you do, which would take 10-15 minutes. You may want to use gloves to prevent skin irritation.

Prevent making a mess by pointing the leaf vertically and cutting its end into a large bowl for the substance to come out. Then clean the leaf with a pitcher of water and your fingers before cutting them open to collect the clear gel.

Wrapping It Up

The aloe vera gel benefits the skin and other body parts. However, the yellow liquid that oozes out should be avoided for its laxative properties. Be sure to learn how to properly harvest and cut off your aloe vera leaves to keep the clear gel from mixing with the yellow gel.

I hope this article answered your question, “is the yellow liquid in aloe vera poisonous?” Ensure that you handle aloe vera properly and avoid ingesting it unless you have the go signal from your doctor.