DIY Detox Drink: Make Your Own Aloe Water

If you've never enjoyed the benefits of aloe vera, a succulent with nearly magical healing properties, then you must be lucky enough to never have been sunburned. This fair-skinned lass, on the other hand, knows aloe well. I've reached for a bottle of the cool gel every time I've been sunburned since I was a child, and it always soothes.

More recently, I discovered that aloe also can heal your insides - makes sense, right? In fact, according to my handy Whole Foods Companion, when taken internally* aloe can help with circulation and digestion as well as increase energy and aid in recovery from fatigue. And one of the best ways to get these benefits is by drinking aloe water - sounds like a post-holiday detox to me! (Don't even pretend you weren't searching for detox recipes after your New Year's Eve bonanza.)

While you can buy ready-made aloe water at health food stores and in the natural foods aisle of most groceries, you can also make your own aloe water pretty easily. All you need is an aloe plant, some lemon juice and water.

*The Whole Foods Companion also cautions pregnant women and diabetics not to take aloe vera internally, so I wanted to be sure and repeat the warning here.

-By Kelly Smith Trimble for DIYNetwork.com

MORE FROM HGTV FAMILY OF SITES

9 Must-Have Kitchen Countertop Appliances for Foodies
GALLERY: Hollywood Stars' Out-of-This-World Swimming Pools
Peek Inside Britney Spears's Former Malibu Love Nest
These Wedding Trends Will Be Huge in 2014
10 Clever Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Organized