Aloe vera, scientific name aloe barbadensis miller, is a succulent plant of the Aloeaceae family characterized by pulpy leaves that contain a precious gel widely used both for internal purifying treatments and for external curative applications. Aloe vera gel is easily found on the market, both in chemist’s and in herbalist's shops, but today we are talking about another product, always obtained from aloe leaves, very interesting and useful for topical applications, aloe oil. From the maceration of aloe vera leaves in a plant based oil, generally sunflower seed oil, soy oil or sweet almond oil, you get this really special oil.
Aloe oil, properties
Aloe oil has a light color and is characterized by important cosmetic properties. It is in fact emollient, soothing, moisturizing and healing thanks to its active ingredient called acemannan or aloverose, which, based on scientific studies, is antioxidant and able to stimulate tissue repair (Xin et al, J Dermatol Sci, Aug 2015 - Liu et al, Molecules, Apr 2019). Therefore, aloe oil is useful in case of inflamed and irritated skin, such as after depilation, sunburned or acne-prone skin but also in the case of eczema, itching of the skin, dry and dehydrated skin.
Aloe oil, uses and applications
Aloe oil is a very interesting product. Compared to aloe gel, it is less effective because it is diluted, but it has the advantage that it can be kept for longer and, since it is an oil, it can be added without problems to oil based facial serums. These serums are very easy to make at home and, since they don’t contain water, they last longer. For example, in case of acne or irritated skin you can mix jojoba oil with aloe vera oil and apply a few drops of this serum on skin! If the skin is dry, you can also add apricot kernel oil. Aloe oil can be inserted in the DIY face cream formulations in the oily phase but it can also be used to create after-sun creams with a regenerating and calming action. Alternatively, aloe oil can be applied pure on the body and face after a shower, when the skin, still damp, can absorb it better. Aloe oil is also an excellent eye contour and can be massaged gently on the area.
