On social media, aloe vera is acclaimed as a “miracle plant,” especially for skin care.
In videos that have gone viral, people rub halved aloe vera leaf on their face, freeze its gel in facial rollers and even ingest its juice — despite a Food and Drug Administration ban on the use of over-the-counter aloe vera as a laxative — to improve their skin. One TikTok lists the skin benefits of aloe vera as moisturization, sunburn relief, acne treatment, scar reduction and skin brightening.
“On TikTok, everybody talks about, ‘Oh, it’s great for me,’” said Lacy Gill, the assistant director of the Institute of Cosmetology, Esthetics and Massage, in Houston. “I just want to say, ‘Yeah, maybe good for you. But it’s not necessarily good for the other person.’”
Aloe vera has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years; however, societal emphasis on a “healthy lifestyle” has spurred the plant’s modern popularity, one review said.
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The global aloe vera extract market was valued at $1.6 billion in 2018 and from then was expected to expand at a compound aggregate growth rate of 7.6 percent till 2025, according to Grand View Research, a market forecaster.
“Anytime you have something that doesn’t require a prescription that in some way comes out of the ground and is perceived to be natural, people will want to try it,” said David Leffell, section chief of dermatologic surgery and cutaneous oncology at Yale School of Medicine.
While dermatologists and other skin-care experts say that aloe vera is generally safe for topical use, it may not be the solution for everyone. And there are best practices — beyond what is claimed on social media — that users should abide by to reap the desired effects.
What’s the science on aloe vera?
Aloe vera is a succulent plant native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is 96 percent water.
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Studies have identified over 75 compounds, including polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and seven essential amino acids, in the remaining 4 percent, as well as its anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and antiseptic effects.
End of carouselResearch has shown that many benefits stem from the polysaccharides in the clear gel found inside the aloe vera leaves.
Nevertheless, there has been a lack of rigorous clinical trials to ascertain the exact mechanism behind aloe vera’s effects, said Oliver Grundmann, a clinical professor in medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.
This is partially because formulations of aloe vera gel do not need approval from the FDA, since they are sold as cosmetics. Also, isolated natural products are mostly exempt from patentability. Researchers are thereby unincentivized to dedicate financial resources to understanding how aloe vera works, several experts said.
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When there have been clinical trials on aloe vera, many were completed in vitro or on rodents, added Joseph F. Fowler Jr., a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
What scientists do know, Grundmann said, is that aloe vera gel contains glucomannan, a carbohydrate that covers the skin, attenuating an inflammatory response. When used on unbroken skin that doesn’t show signs of deep redness and peeling, aloe vera gel is safe to use topically, he said.
Is store-bought gel as good as gel from the plant?
There isn’t a huge risk associated with store-bought gel, dermatologists said.
But store-bought aloe vera gel does lack standardization, Leffell said. Consumers are left in the dark about how their gel was extracted and which excipients, or inactive substances, are in it, he added.
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Store-bought gel may be more practical for those hoping to use it in their everyday skin-care routines, Gill said. (This is because aloe vera’s high evaporation rate means a cut leaf does not hold well.)
In these cases, buy clear gel (as the gel appears in nature) since others tend to contain additives, Gill said. And avoid aloe vera gel sold with the local anesthetic lidocaine; it has limited ability to penetrate intact skin, Grundmann said.
How do you harvest raw gel?
When harvesting gel from the aloe vera leaf, choose a mature leaf that is plump and fleshy, said Missy Gable, the director of the University of California Master Gardener program. Cut as close to the base of the leaf without disrupting the roots. Then clean the leaf with soap and water.
Drain out the latex, which is the foul-smelling yellow sap beneath the skin of the leaf, said Allison Keeney, the assistant director of the University of California at Los Angeles Mathias Botanical Garden.
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Research has shown that the aloe vera latex contains anthraquinones, which have strong laxative effects and may be harmful, including promoting phototoxicity. “If you get the straight latex onto your skin, it could be an irritant,” Keeney said.
Let the latex gradually drip out or, even better, soak the leaf in water, since aloe vera dries out very quickly, Keeney said.
Afterward, place the leaf on a flat surface, round side up, Gable said. Cut thin strips from the margins of the leaf, removing its spikes. Finally, use a knife or your thumb to peel off the leaf’s outer layers, leaving only the clear or slightly cloudy gelatinous substance. Refrigerate it in a glass container for no longer than a week, or freeze the gel for up to a year, Keeney said.
Fridge storage is also preferred, Grundmann said, because glucomannan may break down when exposed to sunlight over time.
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Is aloe vera good for sunburn?
Aloe vera cannot protect against a sunburn, said Shari Lipner, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. Only sunscreen can do that, she said.
However, if a sunburn has already occurred, aloe vera can attenuate the inflammatory response, which occurs in the body in response to UV radiation, Grundmann said. “Inflammation basically causes the skin to get warmer because the body wants to break down any invading agent, for example bacteria,” he said.
To relieve inflammation, first apply a cold wet towel to the affected area. The water evaporates off the skin, which helps reduce the inflammation. Then apply chilled aloe vera gel.
Aloe vera gel is more effective than aloe vera cream products because of the gel’s high water content, he said. Cream “might be able to stick a little bit longer, but the evaporation of the [gel] fluid also leads to cooling the skin,” Grundmann said.
Is aloe vera good for skin care?
Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory, exfoliating and hydrating effects, Gill said, which makes it a good “food” for the skin. Specifically, aloe vera gel is good for acne treatment, she said. It can also help to repair the skin barrier and soothe the itching of individuals with eczema, Fowler said.
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Aloe vera can be used as an occasional face mask or as part of a daily skin-care routine, Gill said.
As a face mask, apply aloe vera gel as a thick layer to clean skin. After waiting 20 minutes, or until the mask dries, scrape off the excess before rinsing the face with water — not a cleanser — she said.
Aloe vera gel also integrates well into a multistep skin-care regimen. Cleanse and tone your skin. Then apply a thin layer of the gel before heavier serums, moisturizer and sunscreen, Gill said. Only a small amount is needed to penetrate the skin, and press rather than rub the gel in, lest it pill on the skin, she added.
In contrast to cooled aloe for sunburns, room-temperature aloe is best for daily use.
“You want the skin warmer, so the product will penetrate and the follicles are expanded,” Gill said. “And when you make it cold, you contract the follicles, so you’re not going to get the same kind of penetration.”
Only use aloe vera gel if it works for you, dermatologists and aestheticians said. But if aloe vera treatment does not improve or worsens the skin condition, it’s best to see a board-certified dermatologist, experts said.
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