Ingredient Library
Aloe Vera
Aloe barbadensis
Aloe vera is a soothing succulent whose gel hydrates, calms, and cools the skin. Lightweight and gentle, it suits every skin type, especially sensitive or sun-stressed skin.
A natural history
Aloe vera is one of the most ancient and widely used plants in all of beauty and medicine, grown across the Arabian Peninsula and Northeast Africa and carried around the world for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians thought so highly of it that they reportedly called it the plant of immortality, and it appears in some of the oldest written medical records, including the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus from around 1550 BC, where aloe preparations were described for the skin.
That long history is, above all, a skin history. From Egypt to India its cool, clear gel was smoothed onto burns, scrapes, and sun-stressed skin to soothe and comfort, and in the Indian tradition the plant, called kumari, was valued as a cooling remedy for irritated skin. It is the same use that makes aloe a staple of soothing skincare today.
What it does for your skin
Aloe's clear gel is mostly water, carried with gentle, soothing compounds. In a forearm study, formulas containing aloe vera extract raised the skin's surface moisture, a sign of aloe's humectant, hydrating nature.[1] And in a systematic review of clinical trials, topical aloe vera tended to support the skin's recovery and comfort after minor burns, consistent with its centuries-old reputation for cooling and calming.[2] It is, simply, one of nature's most reliable soothers.
References
[1] Dal'Belo SE, Gaspar LR, Maia Campos PMBG. Moisturizing effect of cosmetic formulations containing Aloe vera extract assessed by skin bioengineering techniques. Skin Res Technol. 2006;12(4):241-246. doi.org/10.1111/j.0909-752X.2006.00155.x
[2] Maenthaisong R, Chaiyakunapruk N, Niruntraporn S, Kongkaew C. The efficacy of aloe vera used for burn wound healing: a systematic review. Burns. 2007;33(6):713-718. doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2006.10.384
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
Yes. Its cool, water-rich gel is one of the most time-honored soothers for hot, dry, or irritated-looking skin.
It does. Aloe gel acts as a humectant, and studies show aloe formulas raise the skin's surface moisture.
Because of how highly they prized it. Aloe was treasured in Egyptian beauty and medicine and appears in records like the Ebers Papyrus.
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