by BR Amelia
Growing up whenever I had a hint of sunburn or if a pimple popped up it wasn’t unheard of to be told by my mother ‘put some aloe on it’. So I’d go out to the aloe vera plant we had growing in a pot by the front doorstep, chop a bit off, open it up and apply that cool gooey gel and let its anti-inflammatory properties get to work soothing my skin.
Naturally being young and far more interested in boys, teen magazines and pop music I never really thought much more about aloe, until recently when I was having a browse at The Body Shop and noticed they had a whole range based around Aloe Vera from a Calming Facial Cleanser to Aloe Eye Defence to an Aloe Anti-Perspirant Deodorant – and everything in between. How had I missed this? And what was I missing out on?
While scientific studies have swung back and forth over the years as to whether aloe is all that and a bag of chips, people around the world have been using it and singing its praises for thousands of years as a natural way to heal the skin. Not only that, people have used it for beauty purposes as well, and no wonder, it’s filled with good stuff, including antioxidants Vitamins A, C and E, salicylic acid, minerals, amino acids and more.
So what’s Aloe Vera gel good for? Straight from the plant it’s perfect for post-sun application or for helping to soothe a minor burn. For anything larger you might want to pick up a bottle of aloe vera gel, such as Sukin’s Aloe Vera Gel, which can be used on skin post-shaving or as a moisturiser. Some people use it as an alternative to shaving cream, as an eye makeup remover, even as an eyebrow gel – just dip a clean spoolie into the gel and sweep it through your brows. Genius. I’ve even read that it can be used as a makeup primer, with people who do so claiming it smoothes over wrinkles and pores and reduces redness – get me on that wagon, I want to find out if it’s true! Others use the gel as a way to stop themselves nail biting by swiping some over their fingertips and hoping the not-so-enjoyable taste will put them off nibbling.
What if you want to supercharge your aloe action? Which other beauty brands, other than The Body Shop, have embraced aloe into their ranges?
Nivea’s Pure & Natural range, which includes cleansing wipes, a toner, cleanser and moisturiser, is enriched with organic aloe vera as well as argan oil to nourish the skin while giving it a healthy glow.
Vaseline Intensive Care has Aloe Soothe, an all-over body lotion designed to soothe dry skin.
And Aloe Up has a range of aloe-based products, including sunscreens and skincare.
Of course, if you’re going to give aloe a go, whether from the plant, in gel form or from a beauty range always do a patch test first.
So are you a fan of using aloe? Do you incorporate into your beauty regime? If so, how? Chat away…
I used to use aloe in the tropics for burns and even pimples. Then I moved to NZ and forgot about it. But love seeing it in my skincare products. I think I need to start making use of the potted aloe plants we have on the porch.