Aloe Vera Benefits For Skin

Others believe aloe vera can help to maintain normal blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. However, ingesting aloe latex can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, potassium deficiency, and kidney damage if taken improperly, according to the Mayo Clinic. Consult your doctor before using aloe latex as a laxative.

There’s also strong evidence that aloe juice, which contains latex, taken by mouth is a powerful laxative. In fact, aloe juice was once sold in over-the-counter constipation drugs. But because aloe’s safety was not well-established, the FDA ordered in 2002 that over-the-counter laxatives containing aloe vera either be reformulated or removed from store shelves.

Two substances from Aloe vera – a clear gel and its yellow latex – are used to manufacture commercial products. Aloe gel typically is used to make topical medications for skin conditions, such as burns, wounds, frostbite, rashes, psoriasis, cold sores, or dry skin. Aloe latex is used individually or manufactured as a product with other ingredients to be ingested for relief of constipation. Aloe latex may be obtained in a dried form called resin or as "aloe dried juice". “Aloe vera is a cactus-like plant known for its healing and medicinal properties,” says Joel Schlessinger, M.D., Omaha-based board-certified how to use aloe vera dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon. Aside from being a staple in your mother's medicine cabinet for sunburned skin, aloe vera has been used by different civilizations for centuries for a range of skin care, health, and medicinal purposes.

Aloe vera has plenty of skin-related benefits when used topically, but research suggests it may also have a positive effect on irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. In fact, a 2018 review showed that, compared to people with IBS who used placebo, people with IBS who used aloe vera in the short-term had significant improvement in IBS symptoms. Research has also shown that aloe vera may help in improving symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease . One older study showed that, compared to placebo, short-term use of oral aloe vera can benefit those with ulcerative colitis, a form of IBD. Aloe vera has potential toxicity, with side effects occurring at some dose levels both when ingested and when applied topically.

This after-sun aloe lotion also contains antioxidant ingredients and emollients meant to increase the soothing and moisturizing effects. Just like the name says, it'll help your skin cool down after a long day outside, which is why it's one of our favorite after-sun products. "If there is any benefit to using aloe topically, you are much more likely to get those benefits from using a treatment directly from a plant versus using a formulated product," Romanowski says.