5 Benefits of Aloe Vera Face Products
The aloe vera plant has been used for centuries for medicinal and skincare benefits, and was proven in the early 20th century to be useful in treating radiation dermatitis. The aloe vera plant is made mostly of water but contains concentrated amounts of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals that can be used for two primary benefits: soothing and moisturizing.
Benefits of Aloe Vera
While aloe vera has been touted as a miracle cure for everything from acne to skin laxity, its anecdotal benefits are probably a little over-hyped for what’s really going on with this natural compound. For this reason, it’s probably not in your skin’s best interest to replace all your daily skincare products with aloe vera-heavy products, as it’s best used for specific circumstances or for certain skin types. Let’s find out what benefits high-quality aloe vera products can have as part of your skincare regimen.
Soothes Skin
Aloe vera is perhaps best known as a skin calming ingredient. At some point, nearly everyone who has gotten a sunburn has reached for a bottle of green goo for relief. This is because aloe vera’s main ingredient, water, hydrates sensitive, dry, and damaged skin to help facilitate the healing response. When applied to skin made sensitive by sunburn, wind burn, or injury, the water in aloe vera gel absorbs heat given off by the body, providing an instant cooling sensation while the antioxidants, nutrients, and other compounds aid in healing.
Hydrates Skin
Along with the high water content, which helps hydrate skin, aloe vera contains polysaccharides that nourish the skin, allowing it to uptake more water and stay hydrated longer than without the aloe. Hydration is key to healthy, resilient skin, especially when irritated by sun damage or other condition.
Seals in Moisture
Dermatologists recognize that skin dryness is often due to transepidermal water loss (TEWL), when water in the body evaporates through the skin, leaving the surface dehydrated. Aloe vera prevents TEWL by forming a protective barrier on top of the skin where it’s applied. This locks in the moisture it and other products you may have used provide for injured or sensitive skin.
Promotes Breakout Healing
Although not clinically proven to treat certain skin conditions like acne and sunburns, aloe vera is known to hydrate, and hydration is deeply important for helping skin to heal. Moist environments, such as those under a bandage, heal faster than those exposed to the air. With its moisturizing and barrier benefits, aloe vera can help aid in healing drying skin after a breakout, although it’s probably not very helpful with an active one.
Decreases Inflammation
Another dimension to aloe vera’s help with healing is its ability to reduce inflammation. Not only does it accomplish this with its natural cooling effect, but also with the compounds in the small percent of gel that’s not water. This can be complemented with oral anti-inflammatory drugs if needed.
How to Use Aloe Vera
Aloe vera products come in all types and potencies. Some are nearly pure aloe vera whereas others advertise their aloe vera but contain only a tiny percentage of the ingredient. So when looking for a high-quality aloe vera product, check to see how much of the formula actually contains aloe vera if the soothing benefits are important to your distinct needs.
Aloe takes many forms, including powders, liquids, and gel skincare products. As you may have guessed, aloe vera is typically beneficial in products like soothing masks and sun care kits primarily.
Professional-Grade Aloe Vera Skincare Products
With its hydrating benefits helping with everything from sunburns to thin skin, aloe vera is a potent natural ingredient used in many Epicuren Discovery products beyond our Aloe Vera Calming Gel. Our pharmaceutical research has shown aloe vera is the perfect ingredient, when looking for hydration benefits.
Learn more about our complete line of natural, professional-grade skincare products by browsing our site or by taking our Skin Quiz to find personalized recommendations for your unique skin type.