Aloe Vera

Aloe is famous for its use as a skincare ingredient. It is cooling, moisturizing, and due to it's antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, it is commonly used to heal irritated or damaged skin. The juice or gel that is expelled from Aloe Vera leaves is used to create a multitude of products.

Probably the most familiar of these products is Aloe Vera Gel, sometimes referred to as Aloe Vera Juice. It actually has a consistency closer to water than jelly. This is the closest thing you are likely to find to pure aloe. Unfortunately, aloe is so fragile that a preservative is often added to delay bacteria growth.

In Aloe Moist, another aloe based product, a gelling agent has been incorporated to create the jelly like consistency that many aloe products possess. The Aloe Moist carried by FromNatureWithLove.com contains 55% pure aloe. It can be used as a hair gel base, a body glitter base, or in other water based formulations at around 10%.

Aloe has also been incorporated into vegetable butters.  Aloe Butter is a combination of a soft fraction Coconut Oil and aloe leaf extract. This soft-solid butter melts upon skin contact making it fabulous for use "as-is" or in formulations. You can use Aloe Butter to incorporate aloe properties in lotions, bath melts, massage bars, soaps, and other products at around 10%. Shealoe Butter is another fantastic aloe product. Aloe Vera and Shea Butter have been combined to create a smooth, cooling, and creamy butter. This luxurious product can help to soothe dry, chapped, or irritated skin without leaving it too greasy.

Last but not least, aloe is also used in it's dried and powdered form as a delightful additive to soaps, scrubs, or bath teas. Aloe Vera Leaf Powder also makes a fine addition to any dry product that you would like to incorporate soothing properties into.

Comments

[Felicia]

If I wanted to make a hair gel out of this, how much would I have to use?

[Emmy]

Hi Felica,

I have not had any personal experience making hair gel from Aloe Vera yet. I believe you would have the best luck using a base of Aloe Vera Moist. On it's own, this gel might not be quite the right consistency. I would experiment by adding a thickener such as Guar or Xanthan Gum. Also, a water dispersible Silk Powder (Silk Peptide Powder) might give the gel a nice slip and consistency.

Thank you for your question, it has been very inspiring! I think I'll experiment with this idea and see if I can develop a recipe. I'll be sure to let you know if I come up with anything. For now, I hope that this information is helpful.