(In your ingredient list, you might find this listed as 'Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice', with aloe barbadensis miller being the botanical name)
Aloe vera, a plant whose anecdotes no one has tried to de-bunk and is today grown in home gardens around the globe. What is it about aloe vera that makes it such a wonderful ingredient and seems to be the solution for issues not just of the skin, but of overall health as well!
Aloe vera is native to Africa and many other tropical countries and its name is derived from the Arabic word “Alloeh” meaning “shining bitter substance”. The ancient Egyptians called it the ‘plant of immortality’ and there are even fables of Cleopatra rubbing aloe gel all over her body as a part of her beauty routine. The ancient Greeks went as far as using aloe vera to treat blindness and insomnia, and the Native Americans called it the ‘wand of heaven’, as it seemed that there wasn’t an ailment that couldn’t be treated by either ingesting or applying aloe vera.
For a plant with so many benefits, you’d be surprised to know that aloe vera is approximately 99% water, and it’s the remaining 1% that does all the heavy lifting. But what is really in that teeny tiny percentage that works wonders?
What is in it?
Aloe vera contains over 75 active components including vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides, amino acids, salicylates etc. The benefits differ depending how aloe is being used, i.e., is it being ingested or applied on the skin. Let us first try to understand what each component is, and what it can do for us -
1. Vitamins: Aloe vera contains vitamins A, C & E, Vitamin B12, folic acid (naturally occurring form of Vitamin B) and choline. These are extremely powerful antioxidants and collectively can help strengthen the skin barrier, speed up the repair of tissues (healing wounds), increase the production of collagen, protect the skin from sun damage, prevent free radical damage* and can potentially help prevent changes to our DNA (that could ultimately lead to cancer).
* Free Radical Damage - Free radical damage, also known as oxidative stress, is a key factor that ages your body and especially your skin. Free radicals are essentially molecules which have an unpaired electron making them highly reactive. They aggressively acquire another electron from other molecules to stabilize itself - creating another free radical, and causing a chain reaction. During the process of acquiring electrons, chemical bonds between molecules in our body (and skin) are broken and the molecules get re-structured causing irreversible changes. On the skin, it shows as skin damage in the form of wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, pigmentation, heightened skin sensitivity, and in worst case scenarios, even as skin cancer. This is where antioxidants come into the picture, they have an electron to spare and give it up to free radical molecules stopping the chain reaction, while continuing to be stable even after losing an electron.
2. Minerals: Aloe vera is a powerhouse of minerals and contains calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc. As we all know, minerals are key for the proper functioning of our body, but these function differently when applied to the skin. Apart from being antioxidants, minerals can help with healing wounds, help develop collagen and elastin which maintains the strength of the skin, promote the production of hyaluronic acid, is anti-inflammatory, help control sebum production (in-turn helping oily and acne-prone skin), hydrate the skin, and support DNA repair and replication.
3. Sugars: Aloe vera contains monosaccharides and polysaccharides which are essentially sugar structures that help in binding water and keeping it locked in when applied to the skin. These create a thin protective layer on a wound / skin as it dries, while anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen compounds (C-glucosyl chromosome and alprogen respectively) help soothe the wound / skin.
4. Salicylates: These are the salt or ester of salicylic acid – the very popular BHA extensively used in skincare as an exfoliant and has proven time and again to help immensely with acne. The form present in aloe vera has the properties of being bacteriostatic (able to contain the reproduction of bacteria), fungicidal and skin peeling.
5. Amino Acids & Sterols: Aloe vera contains 20 of the 22 required amino acids and 7 of the 8 essential amino acids. When amino acids are applied to the skin, they are strong antioxidants and protect and strengthen the skin barrier.
It also contains plant steroids (sterols) such as cholesterol & lupeol, which have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and pain relieving (analgesic) properties. Fatty acids help in the strengthening of skin structures and gives the skin its plumpness we so crave for! When plant sterols (called phytosterols) are applied to the skin, they work to keep the structural integrity of the skin barrier, which helps in reducing inflammation, aid water retention and help protect the skin overall.
6. Others: Aloe vera also contains 8 types of enzymes that can help reduce excessive inflammation and hormones that can potentially heal wounds.
What are the benefits?
1. Healing: Aloe vera has been used since time immemorial for burns of all sorts. This can be due to the presence of polysaccharides as well as growth hormones that stimulate the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid that can help the wound heal (collagen will fill in the gaps in the damaged tissues - called scar tissue). Additionally, the kind of collagen created is more elastic in nature keeping the skin more supple.
2. Sun damaged skin: On the application of aloe vera gel, an antioxidant protein (metallothionein), is generated in the skin, which protects and helps in the production of other enzymes that can help protect the skin from free radicals. When we are exposed to the sun for extended periods of time, the UV rays can induce delayed response by our immune system, causing sun damage. Aloe vera application has been noted to help reduce the production of these suppressants into the skin and help the skin better protect itself.
3. Moisturizing: Polysaccharides help in binding moisture to the skin and keeping it locked in. Additionally, the amino acids work to soften any hardened skin cells leaving the skin softer.
4. Anti-aging: We have spoken multiple times about how aloe vera stimulates the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid in the skin - these three together can help make the skin look healthier and more supple, and acts as a good anti-aging agent. Also, as skin elasticity is increased on application, theoretically aloe vera can even help with stretch marks.
5. Anti-inflammatory & Antiseptic: The anti-inflammatory combined with antiseptic properties of aloe vera can help those with acne-prone skin, as it would soothe the skin as well as get rid of the acne causing bacteria.
How safe is it?
Aloe vera is perfectly safe to both consume as well as apply on our skin, however, there are a few aspects to be kept in mind -
Aloe vera has exfoliating properties, and over application of aloe vera could lead to drying out the skin or excessive oiliness (depending on your skin type)
Aloe vera can cause allergic reactions (redness, burning, stinging sensation for those with sensitive skin) due to the presence of a specific compound called anthraquinones. Always do a patch test before applying any product.
Consumption of aloe vera during pregnancy and breastfeeding should be avoided, however, you do not need to worry if you're applying this on your skin. Do consult with your gynecologist before introducing anything new into your routine as every person and their condition is unique.
Aloe Vera At Home (DIY)
FINALLY, after all that let's us get to the most important part of the blog. How to incorporate aloe vera into your DIY face / hair masks?
You might hate me for saying this, but I don't have any specific DIYs that I could speak about. You can do almost anything with aloe vera, combine it with anything and apply it on your skin and hair, and it will work wonders. Aloe vera in every combination and form does wonders - period!
Having said that, there are a few pointers you need to keep in mind while incorporating aloe vera into your skincare / haircare routine -
For Skin: Aloe vera can be used just as is or can be combined with other ingredients to create a soothing face mask, however, be careful while pairing it with a physical scrub (sugar / salt, coffee, walnut / apricot kernels) or applying it after any form of exfoliation or peel - you could end up over-exfoliating your face leading to skin sensitivity, or excessive dryness / oiliness.
Pairing it with masks that dry out your skin like clay masks would give you ideal results as aloe vera can help replenish any moisture loss.
Please do always check the label, if your product already includes aloe vera (especially if it's in the top 6 ingredients), you might want to tone down on how much you apply - too much of a good thing can be bad.
I prefer to apply aloe vera directly to my skin, and usually use it when it's warm (hot and humid weather makes my skin react and I get these tiny bumps on my skin) - it is perfect for calming my skin and reduces all signs of irritation.
For Hair: My family has always made herbal hair oil at home, and a key ingredient in it is aloe vera. Aloe vera has been known to help hydrate the hair and scalp, and claims that it can thicken the hair. Do not know how true this is, but aloe vera does contain copper which has been proved to improve blood circulation to the scalp (especially copper peptides). Increased blood circulation to the scalp can strengthen the hair follicles, in turn helping hair grow, strengthen and thickening it.
DIY - Aloe Vera, Methi powder / seeds (fenugreek) and onion juice - aloe vera and methi can really help cool down your scalp (amazing during summers), fenugreek and onion can help rid your hair of dandruff and any flakiness, aloe vera and onion both might aid in hair growth and boosting hair strength.
Keep in mind, it will smell, but will leave your hair nourished and shining. Keep it on for approx. 30 - 45 mins.
Points to keep in mind if you are buying aloe vera gel or products with aloe vera:
1. The gel is sterilized and filtered, and can be then sold as gel or can be dried and sold in its powdered form. The powdered form of aloe vera most probably will not have the same benefits as the gel - always look for the ingredient 'aloe barbadensis leaf juice' / 'aloe vera juice' in products.
2. Aloe vera gel is clear and tranparent, if you are buying gel that is green in colour, it will contain colourants / dyes (Brilliant Blue & Tartrazine) which can potentially irritate the skin. If you have sensitive skin, and even in general, it is better to avoid products with dye in them.
References:
Indian Journal of Dermatology - Aloe Vera: A short review - PDF version can be accessed here.
Antioxidants & Free Radicals - You can refer this for an in-depth understanding of exactly how free radicals work and how antioxidants help here.
Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist. The overview of the ingredient has been sourced from multiple reputable websites that provide well researched and latest information on ingredients commonly used in skincare and make-up. Wherever specific facts and figures are mentioned, these have been sourced from the published journals, Paula’s Choice Ingredient Dictionary or INCI Decoder, and Journal sources listed on these websites. Wherever information has been taken from the source, the references will be listed as well.
I neither take credit for this information, nor can I guarantee the accuracy of these facts and figures and do not take responsibility for the same.
My main aim of the ‘What’s on the label’ segment is to help people understand what the ingredients in their skincare or make-up routines are, and more specifically how these ingredients can deliver benefits to our skin. If I have made any error or mistake, please do let me know, and we can work together to make the necessary changes.
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