
How to use aloe vera for skin and hair: Know from a Dermatologist
Written By Dr Surbhi, MD Skin
Last updated: 19/09/18Written By Dr Surbhi, MD Skin
Last updated: 19/09/18"Doctor, can I use aloe vera on face daily? Does it helps in skin whitening?"
Yes, you can use aloe vera on your face twice daily in morning and night for skin whitening, degreasing oily skin, curing pimples, moisturising the dry skin, reducing wrinkles, soothing the irritated skin, calming sunburn etc. However, make sure that you either extract pure aloe vera at home or buy brands (listed at the end of article) that are free of harmful chemicals. Read further to know how to use aloe vera either alone or in combination with other natural ingredients for best possible benefits!
You can extract pure aloe vera gel at home, but, remember to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator immediately to avoid oxidation. The method of extracting aloe vera is as follows:
Alternatively, you can buy one of these chemical free pure organic aloe vera gels available in India, US, UK and Canada. I want to bring to your notice that many popular brands of aloe vera gel (especially in India) have harmful preservatives, colours and additives.
Aloe vera is one of the most powerful skin repairing herbs, It is rich in minerals (zinc, magnesium, and selenium), enzymes (catalase and superoxide dismutase), amino acids (cysteine, anthraquinones) and vitamins (B2, B6, E and C). No wonders this single natural product has a composition as rich as an anti-wrinkle cream. Therefore, you can massage aloe vera gel extracted at home or from market on your face twice a day for repairing, lightening and soothing your skin.
However, it is not a good moisturiser and you might need an extra layer of moisturising cream if you have dry skin type. You can also combine it with other natural ingredients to make home remedies listed below to address specific skin concerns.
Aloe vera helps in reducing dark patches by aggregation of skin pigment called melanin according to this study. Aloesin, a compound isolated from the Aloe vera, has been proven to competitively inhibit tyrosinase, the enzyme involved in the formation of skin pigment, according to this study.
You can either apply aloe vera gel containing skin lightening cream on your skin at night or try one of these face pack, customised for your skin type:
Aloe vera can be used as an excellent moisturiser for oily skin because it can reduce acne and yet not clog your pores. You can apply aloe vera jelly on your face overnight alone or make this aloe vera and tea tree oil anti-acne moisturiser. In addition, you can scrub the dead skin cells clogging your pores with the help of this homemade aloe vera and brown sugar scrub for oily skin.
Aloe vera gel heals red pimples by reducing inflammation and fighting against bacteria. You can combine aloe vera with tea tree oil to make this homemade anti-acne moisturiser. It takes less than a minute to make as shown in this video.
Aloe vera showed improvement of the viscoelastic and hydration properties of the skin in one of the study. Another study quoted that aloe vera stimulates fibroblast which produces the collagen and elastin fibers making the skin more elastic and less wrinkled.
Thus, aloe vera protects and repairs the damage caused by the sun, dust, pollution, harsh chemicals, etc. and retards wrinkle formation. Similar to aloe vera, my research revealed that these best Vitamin C serum in India, US and UK might be effective in reducing signs of ageing in 3 months duration.
Aloe vera has a steroid-like calming action on the red and irritated skin. However, there are few reports of sensitivity reaction with aloe vera as well.
Therefore, to minimise the chances of reaction, you should remove the yellow liquid that oozes out during extraction of aloe vera at home. I highly recommend you to make this soothing cream for sensitive skin by combining the 3 most potent anti-inflammatory ingredients, namely; aloe vera, rose water, and calendula.
Application of aloe vera not only helps in reducing pain and redness but also helps in healing of the sunburnt skin. No wonders aloe vera is part of these top sunburn relief creams. You can also make your own aloe vera soothing cream for relieving and preventing sunburn.
The natural ingredients in aloe vera help in nourishing hair roots and reducing hair fall. Aloe vera jelly can be massaged to scalp around 1 hour before washing your hair.
Aloe vera helps in reducing dandruff owing to its anti-septic action. Add 5-10 drops of lemon to 3 tablespoon aloe vera jelly and massage the mixture into scalp around 1 hour before hair wash. You can also try these effective anti-dandruff products.
Yes, of course. In fact, one study has shown improvement in the wrinkles with intake of aloe vera daily for three months. You should start with two tablespoons of Aloe vera gel mixed with lemonade or any juice and increase to 4 tablespoons maximum. It is not advisable to consume undiluted aloe vera.
The Cosmetic ingredient review expert panel labels aloe vera preparations as safe. However, several case reports of the development of hypersensitivity reactions and contact dermatitis in response to aloe vera preparations have been published. Oral intake of aloe vera might cause diarrhoea especially at higher doses and may lower blood glucose levels. Rare cases of kidney damage with chronic intake of aloe vera have been reported. The above-mentioned side effects are more common if the yellow liquid (rich in anthraquinone) is not removed during extraction.
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