Is it safe to use aloe vera on your face? In this article, we will walk you through benefits and potential side effects of using aloe vera for face care.
Benefits of Using Aloe Vera on Your Face
At first sight, aloe vera plants don’t seem all that inviting. The sharp, cactus-like plants thrive in arid climates and are tough and prickly to touch.
If you cut open an aloe vera branch, however, you will find a thick and transparent gel inside. This gel is known to have many health and beauty benefits for the skin, including the face.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), aloe vera holds antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties. This means that it can fight effectively against sunburns, rashes and lesions on the surface of the skin. It is similarly rich in vitamins and amino acids, and is said to keep your skin looking young and healthy. In fact, we have already included aloe vera in our other Utopia articles on:
- Sunburn Home Remedies: 3 Natural Treatment Methods, and
- Heat Rash Home Remedies: 9 Natural Methods for Adults and Children.
Now, with regards to using aloe vera on your face: aloe vera gel has been proven to fight effectively against acne, according to a scientific article from 2014, meaning that it can serve as a natural alternative to other ready-made beauty products. So why use a processed acne wash—with ingredients you can’t pronounce—when you have a natural remedy available directly from a plant?
Potential Risks and Side Effects for Using Aloe Vera on Your Face
Is it safe to apply aloe vera directly on your face? Most of the time, our skin can tolerate aloe vera. But some may experience mild burning or itching when applying the natural gel. One study in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) concludes that it is not uncommon to be allergic to this plant.
If you have never used aloe vera before, we suggest doing a patch test with a little bit of gel to see if you have an allergic reaction. To run a patch test, place a dab of aloe vera gel on a patch of your skin and let sit for at least four hours. This will determine whether or not your skin will react to the gel within a controlled area.
How to Use Aloe Vera for Face Care
If you’re ready to treat acne and sunburns on your face with aloe vera, you might be wondering how exactly to apply it.
You might have an aloe vera plant growing at home, in which case you can directly cut off a branch and extract the gel from the plant. Otherwise, we suggest buying pre-cut aloe vera, often found at many organic grocery stores and health shops.
- Once you have your aloe vera, scoop a small portion of the gel into a small bowl.
- Then, take the aloe vera in your hand and generously lather it onto your face.
- We suggest leaving aloe vera on your face overnight and then washing it off in the morning.
If you want to learn how to propagate your aloe vera at home, check out our article “How to Propagate Aloe Vera: Tips and Tricks“.
DIY Natural Aloe Vera Face Masks
Above, we described a simple way of applying aloe vera directly on your skin. If you are looking for other natural concoctions for face masks, complete with aloe vera and other natural ingredients, here are some ideas.
- Aloe vera and coconut oil: This mix will help to moisturize dry skin, and is especially recommended for those suffering from eczema or other skin-drying conditions.
- Aloe vera, honey, and turmeric: Take advantage of honey’s soothing benefits for a mask that will feel great on your face. Turmeric is said to help against hyperpigmentation and dangerous free radicals and may help brighten and enhance your skin.
- Aloe vera and apple cider vinegar: If you want to exfoliate your face, try this mask, using apple cider vinegar, a natural exfoliator. You can also substitute aloe vera with used coffee grinds or sugar.
Tips:
- When mixing, make sure to use about two times the amount of aloe vera compared to other ingredients. This way, your mixture won’t be too runny, and you can spread it evenly on your face.
- We suggest not keeping the mixtures on your face for more than 15 minutes.
There are many possibilities for using aloe vera on your face, and we hope that these ideas will inspire you to use this natural remedy for taking care of your skin – whether it be in a mask or alone.
Read more:
- 7 Natural DIY Facial Toners for Different Skin Types
- Rose Water for Skin: Benefits and How to Use It
- Banana Peel Uses: Why You Shouldn’t Throw Them Away
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