Posted by James Brown | October 08, 2024

What Does Aloe Vera Do for Your Skin?

aloe vera plant

Why is aloe vera good for your skin? Our community asks this question a lot, so we decided to put together a complete guide to this popular powerhouse ingredient. While aloe vera is famously a summer skincare routine essential (especially for soothing sunburns), it’s actually very useful all year round. Let’s explore the many benefits of aloe vera!

1. Deep Hydration

Aloe vera, often called just “aloe,” is a succulent plant that typically grows in arid environments, especially throughout Southeast and South Asia. Because it's native to dry climates, it retains moisture exceptionally well. In fact, a typical aloe plant is composed of nearly all water—roughly 96% to 99.5%!

So, what does aloe vera do for the skin? Unsurprisingly, it’s an amazing moisturizer that deeply hydrates without causing oily skin. Furthermore, aloe vera contains humectants that draw moisture from the air and from within the skin, naturally bringing it to the surface. Aloe vera also contains mucopolysaccharides that bind the moisture to skin cells, helping you to retain that moisture.

2. Free Radical Protection

Why is aloe vera good for your skin? It’s rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants that offer wide-ranging benefits, including providing protection from environmental stressors that can lead to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress often causes chronic inflammation and other unpleasant skin conditions—even skin diseases in extreme cases.

What does aloe vera do for the skin? When external free radicals toxins penetrate the skin, the delicate balance of antioxidants and free radicals is disrupted. Aloe vera can restore or maintain that balance, eliminating free radicals and replenishing antioxidants.

3. Soothing and Repairing

skincare swatch on a white surface

Aloe vera isn’t just for sunburns! It can soothe and repair a wide range of common irritations and infections. It contains various compounds, such as anthraquinones and polysaccharides, that boost the skin’s natural healing and growth processes. Aloe vera also stimulates the production of collagen, which can make the skin more resilient, firm, plump, and tight.

What does aloe vera do for skin that has been damaged? It also contains salicylic acid magnesium lactate—substances that can inhibit the production and reaction of histamines. Histamines are the chemicals that cause unpleasant immune system responses to aggravated skin, such as itching, inflammation, and redness.

4. Anti-Aging

Why is aloe vera good for your skin? It can enhance the appearance of aging skin in quite a few ways. As mentioned, aloe vera can stimulate the production of collagen. Increased collagen levels can tighten skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also has astringent properties, meaning it constricts blood vessels, further tightening skin.

Aside from boosting collagen, you may be wondering, what does aloe vera do for skin that shows signs of aging? It also stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid—a substance in our body that lubricates, hydrates, brightens, and repairs. It’s no wonder hyaluronic acid has become so popular as a skincare ingredient!

As we get older, our body doesn’t produce as much hyaluronic acid. Aloe vera can provide a boost, encouraging the body to produce more hyaluronic acid, which keeps skin looking youthful. Among many anti-aging benefits, hyaluronic acid can fill in the gaps between collagen fibers, making the skin smoother. It can also inhibit melanin production, producing a more even skin tone with a radiant glow.

5. Natural Exfoliation

A woman with fresh skin drying her face with a washcloth

Although it’s incredibly gentle, aloe vera is actually a natural exfoliator. What does aloe vera do for the skin? It contains salicylic acid, which loosens, softens, and dissolves proteins. This allows dead skin cells to shed naturally, leaving your complexion refreshed. Salicylic acid also has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties that can eliminate other unwanted molecules that are detrimental to your skin.

Shop Natural Products with Aloe Vera

Why is aloe vera good for your skin? As you can see, aloe vera is a multifaceted ingredient that can work wonders for your daily skincare routine. We add aloe vera to many Lea Black Beauty® products, including the following:

What does aloe vera do for the skin? It’s time to experience the clinically proven results for yourself! Shop our 100% natural skincare products now to see what aloe vera can do for you.

Author Bio

James Brown is an award-winning marketing executive with thirty years of diverse experience in traditional and new media marketing. He is known for his detail-oriented approach and vast knowledge of retail, fashion, and customer service. At Lea Black Enterprises and Lea Black Beauty®, he leads day-to-day operations for leablack.com, steering all brand direction and marketing efforts for Lea Black Beauty® Skincare.

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