Aloe vera
Benefits For Skin
Aloe vera
Benefits for Skin
What is
Aloe Vera?
Of course, it's highly unlikely that you're going to carry around a plant to extract this gel from whenever you need it. So, helpfully, there are many products available such as lotions, topical creams and lip balms that deliver the same great properties and aloe vera benefits for skin.
Is aloe vera good
for Skin?
Aloe vera has many benefits for skin, provided that you don't have a sensitivity to it or a skin condition that is easily aggravated. It has so many uses for different concerns.
If you've spent too much time in the sun and your skin is burnt, it can be very painful. The anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera can help to soothe your skin, and it also helps to moisturise – which is especially useful if your skin has started peeling as a result of sunburn.
Whether your skin has been burnt, cut or injured in some other way, aloe vera has long been known as a great treatment for helping to repair the skin. Research suggests that the naturally occurring chemicals in aloe gel help stimulate new skin growth, which helps to heal wounds faster than they would otherwise.
As we age, our skin loses collagen. Collagen is the component that helps our skin feel full and plump, so as our bodies produce less of it we become more prone to wrinkles.
Aloe vera can help to combat this, as it contains something called sterol, which encourages the body to produce collagen and hyaluronic acid, helping to keep the skin moisturised. It won't stop wrinkles altogether, but it can improve skin texture noticeably.
Sometimes, the dark circles under your eyes or blemishes on your skin can simply be caused by dehydration.
Everyone experiences dry skin from time to time. Whether you've simply forgotten to use your daily moisturiser or you have patches of dry skin on your body (such as with eczema), aloe vera can quickly help ease the issue.
To prevent dry skin from appearing in the first place, it's best to keep your body moisturised daily. Aloe vera moisturisers such as the NIVEA Naturally Good Aloe Vera Body Lotion help hydrate your skin quickly, and keep it moisturised for up to 48 hours.
Whether you've been chewing your lips or they've become chapped because of cold, wintry weather, dry lips can be quite irritating. Moisturising your lips requires care, as the skin on your lips is different to the rest of your body.
The NIVEA 2-in-1 Caring Lip Scrub with Aloe Vera gently exfoliates your lips to remove dry skin, while the aloe vera works to replace any moisture lost so you're left with soft, smooth lips.
Day to day, you put your hands through a lot. Without proper care, the skin on your hands and fingers can become dry and cracked, which can be very painful!
To keep your hands soft and supple, using a nourishing cream designed just for hands can really help keep them in top condition. For example, the NIVEA Soothing Care Aloe Vera Hand Cream keeps your hands moisturised for up to 24 hours, and it also absorbs quickly so that you can apply it while you're on the go.
How to use
Aloe Vera on Face
Just like using aloe vera elsewhere on your body, you can also use aloe vera on your face. You might think that the intense moisturising properties of aloe vera could be too much for facial skin, but when you use it sparingly it can be a fantastic way of targeting problem areas on your face, such as:
- Eczema (atopic dermatitis)
- Rosacea
- Acne
- Sun-damaged skin
If you're dealing with a chronic skin condition, it's a good idea to check with your dermatologist before applying any products to your face. While aloe vera is a gentle remedy, sensitive skin can still react to it. So it's best to check beforehand to make sure you're not going to further aggravate your skin.
Does aloe vera
Help Acne?
If you've been looking into acne treatment, you've probably already come across numerous products that contain aloe vera. In fact, many over-the-counter acne treatments and creams contain it, and it can also be used in anti-acne medication and taken orally.
This is because aloe vera has been shown to help clear acne. Exactly why it works isn't fully understood, with some believing that aloe vera has the power to help heal the skin from within rather than only on the surface, as lots of topical creams do. With that said, there also isn't much research to suggest that aloe vera can help severe acne – mainly mild to moderate cases.
Because acne is a very particular type of skin condition (caused when the hair follicles on the skin become blocked), it's best to check in with a dermatologist or doctor before you start using aloe vera for acne or change your skincare routine at all.
