Antioxidant And Antimicrobial Properties
Research has backed up the claims that aloe vera is a powerful antioxidant source. So powerful, that one study associated it with alleviating symptoms/or prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurodegeneration, and diabetes. On the skin, the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of aloe vera help prevent damage caused by pollutants, and if you have pimples caused by bacteria these properties of the aloe vera can help your skin.
Myths About Acne And Skin Disorders
The thing about acne is that there are so many controversies around its causes and treatments. Many of these myths and half-truths about acne have confused people around the world for years. You may hear things like its in your genes and that you inherited it from your ancestors.
Other stories about acne skin disease are that, if you have it, you will never get rid of it. They say that you are sentenced for life with this so-called genetic deviance. On top of everything else, you might hear that it is contagious. Some will even say it is unhygienic and must be scrubbed off.
Most of these misconceptions are just that misconceptions. None of the things that are said about acne can be proven without a doubt. It is true that certain things, such as overproduction of dead skin cells, may increase acne development.
However, if the myths are true, then you cannot treat acne. Thankfully, that in itself is a myth. Acne can be successfully treated with many products, and aloe vera is one of them. Let us see how aloe vera can help with acne and bring relief to many of its side effects.
Aloe Vera Spray Or Face Mist
You can also make a facial mist with aloe vera and use it throughout the day to soothe your skin.
What To Do: Mix a tablespoon of aloe vera gel in 1 ½ cups of distilled water. Add 2-3 drops of any essential oil of your choice . Store this solution in a spray bottle and spritz it on your face whenever required. Remember to always shake the bottle well before use.
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Aloe Vera With Baby Oil
Because baby oil contains vitamin E, it has the ability to hydrate the skin naturally, as well as heal and nourish it. By adding just one or two drops of baby oil to a teaspoon of aloe gel, you can make a cream that works to soothe and help heal acne. Leave it on for about an hour before rinsing clean with warm water.
How Aloe Vera For Acne Is Supposed To Work
If the Internet hype is to be believed, this type of aloe can help heal acne in the following ways. It can:
- reduce the inflammation that starts acne
- absorb excess oil that could clog pores
- kill acne-causing bacteria
- heal acne faster so it doesnt leave a scar and
- help the skin to absorb other acne-fighting ingredients better.
If aloe vera really did possess all these qualities, theres no reason everyone in the world wouldnt already be using it in their skin care routine. Thats why were wary about all the hype surrounding the medicinal uses of this plant.
That being said, we dont think aloe vera is a hoax eithermany of its properties make it a logical acne-fighting ingredient . The problem with using aloe vera for pimples isnt that its completely ineffective its that we just dont know enough to say anything for sure.
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Type Of Aloe Vera To Use
Aloe vera is available in a number of preparations. You can even purchase an aloe vera plant and break off one of its leaves, squeezing the clear gel out and applying it on the skin.
You can purchase aloe vera-containing gels at most drugstores and online. However, not all are intended for the face. Look for labels that use wording like:
- fragrance-free
- noncomedogenic
- suitable for face and body
Some aloe vera preparations are made with topical anesthetics to reduce burning sensations when a person has a sunburn. These arent usually intended for the face also look for 100 percent pure aloe vera gel.
Aloe Vera Can Soothe The Skin
At some point, you’ve probably aloe gel on a sunburn. Just as aloe soothes the sting of sunburn, it can also soothe a host of other skin irritations including acne.
If acne treatments are leaving your skin dry and irritated aloe vera gel, or a moisturizer containing aloe, can be especially helpful. Your skin will be more comfortable, so you’ll be less likely to ditch your acne medications.
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Apple Cider Vinegar And Aloe Vera For Acne
Apple Cider Vinegar is frequently used in anti-acne home remedies because its believed it can kill acne-causing bacteria due to the organic acids found in vinegar. Those same acids can make acne scars and discoloration of the skinless visible. Just be careful, applying apple cider vinegar directly on the skin can cause burns. This is why its good to mix it with other ingredients like aloe vera and still get the most out of its healing powers. Mix together 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel, 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon of water. Stir well until you blend the ingredients completely. After this, use your fingers or a cotton ball to apply the mixture all over the face. Let it dry for 20 minutes and then wash your face with warm water. Repeat the procedure one to twice a week.
How To Use Aloe Vera To Diminish Acne Scars
Type of Ingredient: Topical hydrator and exfoliant Main Benefits: Hydrates and helps repair the skin.Who Should Use It: Most people can benefit from aloe as its’ helpful for a plethora of skin conditions from dry skin, to sunburn, to eczema.What Is Aloe Vera?Benefits of Aloe Vera for Acne Scars.Repairs the skin : Aloe vera is a wonderful natural option for reducing the residual injury to skin caused by acne or other wounds, Nazarian says.Heals wounds and inflammation: “There are also studies that have supported the use of aloe vera to improve wound healing, and to decrease skin inflammation,” Nazarian explains.Aloe vera is best used for soothing itchiness or irritation.She adds that the reason aloe vera extract is so hydrating is the fact that it’s primarily water.She also credits the polysaccharides for the hydrating and anti-inflammatory benefits.She adds that the reason aloe vera extract is so hydrating is the fact that it’s primarily water.She also credits the polysaccharides for the hydrating and anti-inflammatory benefits.How to Apply Aloe for Acne Scars.Aloe Vera Products for Acne.Cosmetics Soothing Aloe Facial Mist.Badger Aloe Vera Gel $5.94 Shop. .
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Aloe Vera Cinnamon And Honey
Honey plays an important role in inhibiting Propionibacterium acnes. It has the same action on Staphylococcus aureus. Both bacteria cause acne. Cinnamon possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Mix 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel, half teaspoon of cinnamon oil or powder, and 4 tablespoons of honey. Apply this mixture over the affected region then wash off after about 10 minutes. Do this every two days.
Aloe Vera And Witch Hazel
You may have heard about using a combination of aloe vera and witch hazel for acne scar treatments. Witch hazel is a compound from a flowering shrub that is usually applied as a toner. Thats because it may tighten pores and remove excess oils.
Unfortunately, there arent any studies to point to this as a winning combination. Still, some people use witch hazel to treat acne by reducing skin oil.
Others may have irritation reactions to witch hazel or find it over-dries their skin. Therefore, a lot of skin care pros dont recommend it for treating acne or acne scarring.
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Aloe For Skin Irritation And Dryness
Skin irritation, dryness, and scaling are common side effects of topical acne treatments. However, even without using acne treatments, acne patients typically already have what is called an impaired skin barrier function, which makes the skin lose more water and become dehydrated more easily than acne-free skin. Can the application of Aloe reduce the irritation and dry skin associated with acne and acne medication? The evidence to date is contradictory.9 While some studies find a small improvement in skin irritation and/or dryness with Aloe, others find Aloe ineffective in reducing these side effects of topical acne treatment.9-11
Expand to read details of studies
Pharmacognosy Magazine published a study in which researchers examined the role Aloe in skin hydration and skin irritation. They found that when participants used Aloe gel repeatedly, it dehydrated the skin compared to a placebo. They did, however, find that two strains of Aloe – Aloe vera and Aloe ferox – showed anti-redness activity similar to hydrocortisone, a common topical anti-inflammatory medication.10
Why Is There So Little Conclusive Evidence
The research around the effectiveness of Aloe, particularly regarding skin irritation and wound healing, is inconclusive. Some studies have shown benefits to using Aloe and some have shown it to be ineffective.
The differences in Aloe formulations and the instability of the polysaccharides found in Aloe gel may explain the contradictory data. As researchers from a 2008 study published in the journal Molecules explain:
“…these conflicting results could be due to the use of plants from different locations with variations in their chemical composition and also because of different isolation techniques that were used to extract compounds from the Aloe leaf pulpFurthermore, the polysaccharides found in Aloe gel are not stable, especially under stress conditions such as heat, the presence of acid and enzymatic activities.“3
If researchers can adopt a standardized method for producing Aloe gel products that avoid degradation of the unstable polysaccharides in the gel, it may be possible to achieve more consistent study results.3 But for the time being, based on what we can gather from existing data, Aloe most likely does not hold great promise in acne treatment.
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Does Aloe Actually Help Acne
In one 2014 study, researchers grabbed 60 people with mild to moderate acne and split them into two groups:
* Group A was given a topical retinoid cream * Group B was given a topical retinoid cream , plus topical aloe vera
Guess which groups acne healed faster?
Group B, of course! Turns out that aloe vera combined with the retinoid cream was significantly more effective at reducing acne lesions than the retinoid cream alone.+1 for aloe!
Hold on a sec, though that doesnt mean you should run out and A) buy Retin-A , or B) buy aloe and slap it all over your face. Why? The thing is, if you do these things, youre still treating the surface symptom, not the root cause.
And if you browse around on the blog a little more, youll quickly learn that were all about treating the root causes of acne. Using topical creams doesnt do that, so we dont recommend it.
In short, aloe might help heal existing acne, but it will not prevent new breakouts.
Aloe Vera And Lemon Juice Face Mask
A face mask with aloe vera and lemon juice will give your face a refreshed and invigorated look while it cleans your pores and kills some of the bacteria that might be causing your acne. have shown fruit acids, like those contained in lemon juice, are effective cleansers for treating acne.
How to
For this mask, use pure aloe vera as the base, adding about 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice to 2 tablespoons of aloe vera. If you need more to apply this mask evenly across your skin, make sure you maintain a lemon juice to aloe ratio of about 8 to 1 so that you dont irritate or overwhelm your skin with the acidity of the citrus. Leave the mixture on your skin for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing off completely.
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Can Aloe Vera Reduce The Appearance Of Acne Scars
Aloe Vera will not erase some acne scars however, it can help with hyperpigmentation. The plant contains aloin, a constituent that helps to face post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Apart from this, Aloe Vera is known to boost the immune response to inflammation and reduce the appearance of scarring. It also increases elastin and collagen fiber production, and since both fibers repair scarred areas, their production increases the chances of helping your scars.
Since Aloe Vera contains aloesin, a compound that can reduce hyperpigmentation, it does this by reducing the overproduction of melanin. However, it takes a while before a scarred skin will lighten. Nonetheless, the process ultimately works to reduce visible acne scars.
Aloe Vera Coconut Oil And Sugar
Well, if you are not the one who wants an aloe vera cleansing solution for your acne, we have another, gentler alternative a scrub. Over-the-counter exfoliants that claim to deal with acne are often loaded with harmful chemicals that impart even more toxicity to the skin. This gentle aloe vera scrub with a few other ingredients, on the other hand, is gentle and totally effective. Sugar grains are known to work efficiently on dead skin layers. Also, coconut oil is known to be rich in lauric acid which helps fight acne issues.
How to: Take equal parts of sugar and coconut oil and mix it well. Add aloe vera gel which is exactly half the amount of this mixture. Apply this on the affected area like a normal scrub and then rinse off.
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How Long It Takes For Scarred Skin To Lighten
Acne scarring usually progresses through three stages. These include:
Unfortunately, scar formation often takes less time than treatment. Often, you have to apply compounds like aloe vera to the skin on a twice-daily basis for several weeks or months to see an improvement in acne scarring.
Thats because skin cell turnover can take 28 days or more . As a result, you may need to apply aloe vera regularly.
You can incorporate aloe vera into your skin care routine, both for your face and body. Steps can include:
But Can Aloe Vera Kill P Acnes
This is a trap that many home remedies fall into: if something is antibacterial, then it kills all kinds of bacteriaright? Sadly, this is not the case. Although aloe vera has proven very effective in killing certain kinds of bacteria, it has proven much less effective with acne-causing bacteria, also known as P. acnes .
Although P. acnes do cause acne, they arent objectively terrible bacteria. In fact, theyre a healthy part of the skins natural bacterial biome, meaning some of them always live on the surface of our skin. In small numbers and with limited inflammation , they typically dont cause a problem. The issues start when the skin becomes inflamed, which causes a spike in oil production. Then, the bacteria reproduce much more quickly, due to the increased nourishment available to them.
If aloe vera truly killed P. acnes bacteria, it would be very helpful in treating and preventing pimples or even cystic acne, which is typically much more difficult to treat. However, the matter has been medically reviewed, and there is no evidence that the plant can kill P. acnes on its own.
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What Are The Benefits Of Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has been used for a variety of purposes including healing wounds and lowering blood sugar levels, but is most widely used for treating and relieving mild to moderate sunburns, and keeping your skin from peeling. If you forget to apply sunscreen or spend too much time out in the sun, soothe your sunburnt areas with aloe vera to help moisturize and minimize inflammation.
Aside from being a miracle worker for sunburns, aloe vera is also known for being one of the best plants for skin since it contains 75 active components, including vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and fatty acids that help fight free radical damage and improve the complexion overall. Research shows that the plant has healing, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, anti-aging, and antiseptic properties, which has led to the use of aloe vera for acne.
Can I Apply Aloe Vera On Burnt Or Cut Skin
A. Absolutely not. Aloe vera is an effective self-care solution, but only for mild to moderate acne that occurs on non-sensitive skin. If you are someone who has sensitive skin or even skin that has burns or cuts, avoid using aloe vera and consult with your dermatologist as to what further steps you can take to get rid of your acne.
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Aloe Vera For Repairing The Skin
Aloe Vera may not be the first thing you turn to fix a bad break out or a dark spot. However, it should be on the radar for repairing your skin from damage. If Aloe Vera can heal sunburns and cold sore, why cant it heal sunken eyes and blemishes? Here are some skin-repairing products that contain Aloe Vera in it.
Kama Ayurvedas Sensitive Skin Day Cream is the most comforting and therapeutic. It is ideal for sensitive skin plagued by painful swelling, dryness, stinging, and bouts of allergic reactions. As it contains Aloe Vera, this cream also acts as a daily moisturizer, which helps in strengthening the natural protective barrier of sensitive skin.
2. Rejuvenating And Brightening Ayurvedic Night Cream
Rejuvenating And Brightening Ayurvedic Night Cream from Kama Ayurveda is a powerful Ayurveda based formula created from Aloe Vera and the finest of saffron from Kashmir. This night cream helps in lightening and brightening uneven skin, reducing dark circles and pigmentation marks while also repairing fine lines, age spots, and other signs of aging. Altogether, this Kama Ayurvedas product is perfect leave-in night treatment for naturally radiant and youthful skin.
