If you reach for aloe vera when you get a burn, you already know how wonderful this plant can be and how it’s good for soothing pain and healing. But there’s so much more to know about the aloe vera plant and so many reasons to make it a regular part of your beauty regimen.
In addition to all of the benefits of aloe, it’s found in many products that you regularly use, like some dish soaps, hand sanitizers, and sunscreens, so you might be getting benefits right now while not even realizing it. It’s also easy to grow in the house, which means you can go directly to the source when you need it.
Benefits of aloe vera
You’ve heard that aloe is good, especially for burns, but now you’ve begun seeing aloe vera drinks, and you’re noticing it in all sorts of products. Why is aloe such a popular ingredient, and what are the benefits?
Burns and aloe vera
Burns are a given, right? But why is aloe vera so good at soothing burns? When scientists dug into the efficacy of aloe vera on burns, they found that there was cumulative evidence to support the use of aloe vera for first and second-degree burns. They did say that further research was necessary before they could conclude that more severe burns would benefit from aloe vera. But from your perspective, any burns that are that severe shouldn’t be treated at home anyway and would require a visit to a medical health professional.
Sunburn is definitely a type of burn, and aloe is great for this type of skin damage, mainly because most sunburns are in the first-degree category, which is right in the aloe wheelhouse. The naturally moisturizing quality of aloe, which is primarily made of water, is a big reason it’s so soothing. It’s also been suggested that the compound aloin has some anti-inflammatory properties and helps with skin healing.
Aloe can protect your skin
Not only does aloe vera soothe a sunburn, but when it’s applied to the skin, an interesting antioxidant protein called metallothionein is generated within the skin cells. This protein scavenges hydroxyl radicals, which causes a chain of events to occur that prevent damage from UV-rays.
Boosts your immune system
More than ever, we realize the importance of having a healthy and strong immune system, aloe vera can play a role in that. Packed with micro-nutrients and compounds that can help fight free radical damage, your body can benefit from aloe vera.
Helps with digestion
There are anthraquinones found in the latex portion of an aloe vera plant, this substance is a potent laxative. By increasing intestinal water content, mucus secretion is stimulated, and intestinal peristalsis is encouraged. Put simply, aloe vera gets your digestive system moving, which can then reduce yeast formation and promote a healthy microbiome.
Fades dark spots
Hyperpigmentation can come from sun exposure or age. These dark spots typically aren’t anything to be worried about, but they are often unsightly and despised by people who have them. The aloesin in aloe vera comes to the rescue and is proven to help lighten these spots.
Excellent moisturizer
While most of the leaf of an aloe vera plant is water, which is the ultimate in hydration, there is another element at work. The mucopolysaccharides or sugars in aloe help retain the moisture in your skin. This means that you get a two-fold effect of adding moisture and then locking it in for the ultimate in hydration.
Reduces signs of aging
One of the most popular uses of aloe vera is for reducing the signs of aging. The compounds in this leaf can stimulate the production of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin, which in turn help your skin stay moisturized, firm, and supple. You’ll also notice an improvement in skin elasticity and a decrease in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Active components in aloe vera
That’s a lot of work for one little plant to do, but an aloe vera plant is not as simple as it appears. It’s actually a very complex leaf with 75 potentially active constituents. Inside one aloe vera plant, you’ll find vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids, and amino acids. Each of these compounds has a whole host of benefits it can provide the body, internally and externally.
The Simple Beauty Trio
If you want to get even more out of aloe vera, try using our Simple Beauty Trio, where you get three different products that harness the benefits of aloe vera and use them in different ways. The moisturizer fuels your skin with much-needed hydration that stays put due to the sugars in aloe. The eye serum reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles to rejuvenate your eyes and improve your outward outlook on the world. Finally, the cleanser safely and gently uses the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties in aloe to gently clean your skin and improve its appearance.
To put it simply
Aloe vera is one of the hardest working ingredients out there. It gives your body so many different benefits, and it's incredibly easy to find and incorporate into a product. At Simply Beauty, we love its anti-aging, moisturizing, and healing properties, which is why we’ve incorporated it into some of our products.
If you’re looking to harness the power of aloe vera, try using these Simple Beauty products: Retinol Moisturizer, Fine Line Eye Serum, and the Daily Purifying Cleanser. Or, for an easier route, try the Simple Beauty Trio to pull several natural and effective ingredients together for a simplified solution with remarkable results. No matter which route you choose, you’ll love the way that aloe naturally makes you look and feel.