Once scooped from the leaf, the flesh needs to be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator. Here, it can last up to one week, but it will likely spoil within 24 hours at room temperature. In either scenario, you should definitely toss aloe vera at the first sign of discoloration, funky odors, or mold. Once frozen, transfer the cubes into a sealable bag and store in the freezer for up to a year. Do Mother Nature a favor and opt for a freezer-safe reusable bag, if possible. You can use a strip of masking tape to label and date the bag. When it’s time to use the gel, thaw a cube at room temperature until it reaches a spreadable consistency. When it comes straight from the plant, it’s preservative-free. While preservatives get a bad rap in the beauty space, they are needed in many products to ensure a shelf life. (Otherwise, they’ll go bad or worse: grow mold and bacteria.) Without them, you can only use ingredients when freshly harvested. There are ways to to prolong all-natural aloe vera’s shelf life (ahem, what this article is about), but please be careful about holding onto the gel for too long. It can be dangerous to use spoiled products, so toss it at the first sing of discoloration or odor. If tossing your fresh gel every week (max) sounds too much work for you, then perhaps DIY isn’t your route. While there are many benefits and reasons to harvesting aloe at home (cost and freshness, for example), store-bought gels will last longer. These are made with preservatives, which mean their shelf-life extends to about two years.
