Summer is the time when Aloe Vera gets mentioned a lot as it is widely known to soothe sunburns. However, did you know Aloe Vera can do much more than just soothing irritated skin, so much that the Egyptians called it “the plant of immortality”?
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What is Aloe Vera?
The plant has triangular leaves that are made of three distinct layers: 1) an inner clear gel that contains 95-99% water, with the rest made of glucomannans, amino acids, lipids, sterols and vitamins; 2) the bitter yellow sap is the middle layer that is rich in anthraquinones and glycosides; 3) the outer thick layer serves as the leaf’s protective layer, and synthesizes carbohydrates and proteins.
A typical Aloe Vera plant contains 12 vitamins including vitamins A, B4 (choline), B9 (folic acid), B12, C, and E, 8 types of enzymes, 20 minerals including calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc, 12 anthraquinones, sugars, 4 plant steroids (fatty acids), hormones like auxins and gibberellins, saponins, lignin, salicylic acid, 20 of the 22 human required amino acids, 7 of the 8 essential amino acids, and 200 phytonutrients.
Thanks to its phenomenal medicinal effects, the hearty plant has been used in Greece, Egypt, India, Mexico, and Japan for millennia. Legend even has it that Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra used it as part of their regular beauty regimes, whilst Alexander the Great, and Christopher Columbus used it to treat soldiers’ wounds.
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Aloe Vera’s Skin Benefits ① Healing
Glucomannan and gibberellin in Aloe Vera can interact with growth factor receptors on the fibroblast to stimulate its activity and proliferation thus increasing collagen synthesis in wounds and damaged skin. They also change collagen composition (more type III) and increase the degree of collagen cross linking, as well as increase synthesis of hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate in the granulation tissue of a healing wound, thus accelerating wound healing.
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Aloe Vera’s Skin Benefits ② Prevents UV-Induced Skin Damages
Upon topical application of Aloe Vera, an antioxidant protein, metallothionein, is generated in the skin, which scavenges hydroxyl radicals and prevents suppression of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the skin. This reduces the production and release of skin keratinocyte-derived immunosuppressive cytokines such as interleukin-10 (IL-10) and prevents UV-induced hypersensitivity.
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Aloe Vera’s Skin Benefits ③ Fights Inflammation, Bacteria, Allergies and Acne
Aloe Vera contains an antiallergic glycoprotein called alprogen, anti-inflammatory compounds like C-glucosyl chromone and aloin, and various antiseptic compounds. They work to inhibit cyclooxygenase pathway in the skin, as well as fungi, bacteria and viruses, thus reducing the appearance of inflammation, allergies, and even acne, and soothing existing redness and itchiness. It is thus widely used for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
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Aloe Vera’s Skin Benefits ④ Anti-Aging
Aloe Vera, with its wide array of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, can stimulate the fibroblast in the dermis to produce more collagen and elastin fibers, as well as hyaluronic acid, resulting in a thicker dermis and hence skin that is more elastic, supple, hydrated, and better yet, with less wrinkles. Whilst, the amino acids soften hardened skin cells and zinc helps tighten pores.
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Aloe Vera’s Skin Benefits ⑤ Soothes & Hydrates Skin
One of the most crucial elements found in Aloe Vera is a carbohydrate called acemannan. It helps nutrients, like the ultra hydrating polysaccharides, to reach our skin cells more easily and nourish them. Studies have found that topical application of Aloe Vera can increase the water content of the stratum corneum. It also prevents trans-epidermal water loss by forming a protective barrier on the skin, thus reducing the chance of dehydration.
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Aloe Vera’s Skin Benefits ⑥ Reduces Hyperpigmentation
According to one study, aloesin, a compound found in Aloe Vera, when applied four times per day for 15 days, was found to be effective in reducing UV-induced and post-acne hyperpigmentation. Whilst, another found that topical application of aloesin can directly inhibit hyperpigmented skin from producing more melanin, thus helping dark spots to fade faster.
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