A friend of mine uses it in her soap, this is from her website. She just cuts open the stems and scrapes the gel out. Aloe Vera - The mucilaginous juice or gel obtained from the leaves of this plant, widely used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations for its soothing and healing properties. * Known to help reduce external scarring, relieve sunburn pains, scratches and cuts. It is an aid to growing new tissue and alleviating the advance of skin cancer caused by the sun. It is a treatment for ringworm, boils, inflamed joints, scalds, itchy allergic conditions, insect stings and bites. It creates a softening of external skin, relief from dry or sensitive skin and skin diseases. * We use our own home grown Aloe Vera that contains no preservatives or dyes - strictly organic. _______________________________________________ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aloe-vera/NS_patient-Aloe http://www.aloeveraproducts.com/about_aloe_vera.htm