Aloe Vera Review

What You Should Know

How Aloe Vera Compares with Leading Beauty Products
 

Product	Star Rating	2 or More Patented Ingredients	Less Than $5 Shipping	Testimonials	Trial Offer
Nue Science (2013 Editors Choice)	(4.8)
Facial Toner	(4.6)
IQ Derma	(4.0)
Dermitage	(3.7)
Strivectin	(3.6)
Juvederm	(3.6)	N/A
Aloe Vera	(3.4)
Meaningful Beauty	(3.2)

*Picks were chosen by editor based on reader contribution. Details Here

Aloe Vera has been used for centuries in skin care regimens by women around the globe. Rumor has it that Cleopatra herself used this wonder ingredient to keep her skin soft, smooth and younger looking. This plant has also been used for generations as a natural skin healer, by rubbing the leaves onto scrapes and cuts or applying an Aloe Vera gel directly to the injury. Today, Aloe Vera can be found in all aspects of skin care; from cleansing and toning to moisturizing and anti-aging products.

There are more than 240 species of Aloe Vera plants that are grown on three different continents today. The most popular species found in skin care products is the barbadensis miller. The plants can easily be grown at home, where you can simply snip off a leaf when you need to treat a scrape, burn or cut. It even acts as an anti-inflammatory agent for treating poison ivy. The ingredient is also incorporated into numerous skin care products. Some people even drink Aloe Vera juice to clean out the digestive system and bring the body to better health from the inside out, but little solid research has been done on this approach. For the purpose of this review, we will examine Aloe Vera’s effectiveness as an anti-aging treatment.

Product Details

When applied topically, Aloe Vera has the ability to increase oxygen to the skin, which can in turn strengthen skin tissue. When this ingredient is combined with other effective skin care ingredients like collagen and vitamin E, the result can be softer, more supple skin with greater elasticity. This effect can mean younger looking skin, although the jury is still out on whether a formula containing these ingredients alone will be successful in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles that have already appeared.

To treat wrinkles, there are many good ingredients on the market today. These include argireline, which relaxes the facial tension that can lead to the appearance of lines on the face. Another good substance to look for is matrixyl 3000, which will effective plump and smooth the skin to reduce the look of lines and wrinkles. Collagen is another good skin plumper, and is highly effective in anti-aging products since the body naturally loses this important substance as we age. While Aloe Vera may enhance skin care products that include these essential anti-aging ingredients, it is not a good substitute for them.

The Good

• Aloe Vera has substantial healing properties that make it a good choice for treating skin abrasions, cuts and burns.
• Aloe Vera is a solid moisturizing agen.

The Bad

• There is no evidence to suggest that Aloe Vera alone will reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Many products that contain Aloe Vera do not contain proven anti-aging ingredients and are usually formulated to be more general skin health products.
• Some of the benefits of Aloe Vera can be obtained by rubbing the actual plant leaf into the skin, eliminating the need for formulated products.

The Bottom Line

While Aloe Vera is a wonderful ingredient to find in skin care products of any kind, it cannot stand alone as an effective anti-aging substance. Look for additional ingredients like argireline, matrixyl and collagen when purchasing your Aloe Vera products to ensure you get the biggest bang for your anti-aging buck.