Aloe Vera: Benefits In Skin & Hair Care

Aloe Vera is extensively used in natural skincare products and for good reason. It’s got anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, and the ability to help treat a variety of skin ailments.

The medical benefits of the Aloe Vera plant’s gel and juice were recognized in several cultures for millennia: Greece, Egypt, India, Mexico, Japan and China.

In the early 1800s, Aloe Vera was in use as a laxative in the United States. By the mid-1930s, it was successfully used to treat chronic and severe radiation dermatitis. (1)

Aloe Vera Gel and Aloe Vera Juice are extracted from the leaves of the Aloe Vera plant.  An Aloe Vera leaf consists of two parts: the gel and the juice. Although the gel and the liquid share similar benefits and can both be used directly and safely on the skin, they are not identical substances and have distinct properties.

Aloe Vera Gel

The gel is the clear, odorless, mucilaginous, innermost portion of the leaf, and it is the most prevalent form and use of the Aloe plant. It is largely composed of water but also contains vitamins, a protein consisting of several amino acids, and organic and inorganic compounds.

Aloe Vera Juice

The juice, also known as “Aloe Latex,” is the yellow, strong-smelling, bitter-tasting sap that is found between the leaf’s green inner skin and the gel. This is the liquid that drips from the Aloe leaf when it is cut.

Aloe Vera in Skin & Hair Care

We formulate our products with Aloe Vera Juice which is not the juice (Latex) from the plant itself but is rather a juice derived from the plant’s gel.

First, the outer leaf rind is stripped way, then the Aloe Latex is rinsed off, then the inner fillets are de-pulped. This results in a thin liquid, which contains the naturally-cloudy juice of the plant. Because the resultant product is not filtered and thus retains all the fibre and particles of the leaf fillet, this allows the final juice to retain its full-bodied, tangy, fresh aroma.

Used cosmetically, Aloe Vera Juice can hydrate, exfoliate, nourish, clarify, and revitalize the skin and hair. Its antioxidant activity and richness in vitamins help it to repair skin and hair damage and to protect them before and after the harmful effects of UV radiation.

Its smoothing quality helps to prevent and diminish the appearance of wrinkles, making it ideal for “anti-aging” formulations as well as formulations for acne, psoriasis, and dermatitis.

It moisturizes without leaving skin or hair with a greasy residue, which makes it beneficial for oily skin and hair types. Aloe Vera is believed to help fade tans and stretch marks.

Used in massage applications, Aloe Vera Juice is reputed to soothe muscular aches, joint pain, inflammation, wounds, burns, frostbite, and infections. It is also believed to stimulate skin regeneration, enhance energy, and promote the development of muscles.

Top Picks Containing Aloe Vera

Written By: Mary Ellen Wank, Wellness Advocate and Founder of LATIV, Natural Skin Revival. DISCLAIMER

References:

(1) Indian Journal of Dermatology

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June 28, 2022 7:56 am

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