Aloe Vera: The Greatest Natural Acne Treatment inside planet?
The history of aloe vera among humanity dates back at least 6000 years, which we know coming from Ancient Egyptian stone carvings of aloe vera. Egyptians referred to the leaves’ gel-like substance as “the blood” in addition to also used the idea for daily beauty in addition to also skincare. Both Cleopatra in addition to also Nefertiti used aloe vera on their skin daily as part of their regimen.
In fact its healing properties were so widely hailed of which the Egyptians embalmed newly dead mummies with aloe vera gel, with the idea of preventing decomposition in addition to also granting eternal life. The Papyrus Eber, a medical text which dates back to 1550 B.C., contains detailed descriptions of aloe vera’s anti-inflammatory in addition to also analgesic effects.
Fast forward a couple of thousand years to Ancient Greece, in addition to also the masses were still enthusiastically using aloe vera for skincare on a daily basis. For Alexander the Great, King of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, aloe vera was so sacred in addition to also medicinally valuable of which he conquered the entire land of Socrata in an obsessive attempt to gain control of the plantations.
In fact King Alexander regularly brought along his own supply of aloe plants to treat the wounds of his soldiers. Hence, during his later schemes to invade India the idea’s believed of which Alexander the Great based his army in Socrota to ensure a fresh supply.
Hundreds of years later there was extensive documentation of Indian tribes using aloe vera for topical purposes inside 1600s. Aloe was considered to be one of the 16 sacred plants in Indian lore in addition to also hence, they rubbed aloe vera juice all over their Centeng to protect themselves coming from insect bites.
Elsewhere the idea can be even said of which Christopher Columbus brought pots of aloe vera with him on his ships as he set sail to discover America.
Aloe vera has given birth to fantastical tales of skin-enriching miracles in every culture in addition to also civilisation the idea has ever come into contact with…
…in addition to also today, scientific experiments are finally backing up what our ancient ancestors knew coming from experience. Back in 2014 a study was released showing of which aloe vera incorporates a strong ability to clear acne.
50% aloe vera gel slashes acne
Scientists led by Dr Z Hajheydari gathered 60 acne-ridden volunteers in addition to also divided them into two test groups of 30; group 1, who were treated which has a topical retinoid cream (0.05% tretinoin in This kind of case), in addition to also group 2, who received the same cream nevertheless featuring 50% aloe vera gel. Both group 1 in addition to also group 2 received the treatments daily for eight weeks, during which time both non-inflammatory in addition to also inflammatory acne lesions were measured in addition to also analysed.
The results offered the clearest recommendation for aloe vera you could possibly trust for.
The tretinoin treatment was decent, nevertheless the combined tretinoin/aloe vera gel resulted in a far greater reduction in inflammatory acne lesions, non-inflammatory acne-lesions, in addition to also total acne lesions. Apparently, “the combination therapy showed superior efficacy to TR in addition to also placebo”.
What’s almost as great can be of which the combination cream group endured far fewer side effects too. Obviously one of the 75 medicinal compounds in aloe vera was acting as damage control. The scientists concluded of which “the combination TR/AVG was well tolerated in addition to also significantly more effective than TR in addition to also vehicle for the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris”.
How does aloe vera, a common succulent (the idea’s not a cactus) found in Africa, Asia in addition to also the Middle East, achieve This kind of magic? Easily, of which’s how; out of all the natural topical treatments, few can match the indisputable fact of which aloe vera contains over 75 medically recognised bioactive compounds. First, there are traces of the standard vitamins in addition to also minerals like zinc, vitamin C in addition to also vitamin E. Then there’s saponins with anti-inflammatory powers, there’s antioxidant proteins like metallothionein, there’s almost all the essential amino acids needed for human survival.
Aloe vera contains twelve members of a strong phenolic antioxidant family called anthraquinones, including aloin in addition to also emodin. Lastly, all of the aforementioned compounds are powerful, nevertheless several are especially well researched in addition to also they include glucomannan, a polysaccharide (sugar), in addition to also gibberellin, a plant based growth hormone.
The aloe vera plant contains so much natural goodness of which if the idea so much as brushes against your face, your acne will have a hard time recovering. nevertheless what are the specific scientific mechanisms involved?
Aloe vera’s standout acne power – wound healing
To get beautiful, radiant in addition to also clear skin the idea’s not enough to stop pimples coming from forming – you have to massively accelerate their healing too. of which way you will have less acne on your face at any given time.
One of the most critical strategies for doing so can be accelerating the conveyor belt of collagen formation. Collagen can be a protein which forms 30% of protein inside human Centeng. the idea forms a scaffolding inside skin which additional proteins in addition to also immune actors congregate around, in addition to also can be hence vital for rebuilding the skin following acne. Increasing collagen formation can be a key power of treatments like royal jelly in addition to also, according to many studies, aloe vera too.
Firstly, we have This kind of 2000 study by Thai scientists where aloe vera was shown to accelerate the healing of second degree burns. 24 male rats were divided into four groups, some of which were deliberately burnt, in addition to also one of which received aloe vera as a topical treatment once daily For two main weeks.
The aloe vera was dramatically superior for treating the burn wounds both 7 in addition to also 14 days after the initial burns. The conclusion was promising for acne: “aloe vera could exhibit the actions of both anti-inflammation in addition to also wound healing promotion when applied on a second degree burn wound”.
Secondly, we have This kind of interesting 1996 study led by Dr JP Heggers where rats were wounded in addition to also then treated with aloe vera to heal of which wound. The aloe vera was applied topically 3 times per day for 14 days.
The aloe vera significantly accelerated the contraction of the wound, which according to the scientists, was due to an increase inside rat’s skin collagen levels.
Next on the never-ending list we have two very similar studies both conducted by the same team led by Dr P Chithra in 1998 which again applied aloe vera to rat wounds.
inside first study scientists created thick incision wounds inside diabetic rats. The rats were divided into 5 groups, two of which featured aloe vera, in addition to also their wounds were treated with the various extracts three times daily for 21 days. The results showed of which aloe vera increased the wound healing of the rats in a wide variety of ways: wound inflammation decreased, collagen levels increased, in addition to also wound maturation in addition to also contraction increased.
The second study was extremely similar, in addition to also the scientists concluded of which “the idea was observed of which aloe vera increased the collagen content of the granulation tissue as well as its degree of crosslinking”, or in additional words, there was more collagen in addition to also stronger collagen thanks to aloe vera.
Finally, we have a study where a combination of aloe vera gel in addition to also collagen applied to wounds on human volunteers led to a dramatically higher wound healing rate. After ten weeks the wound had successfully healed in addition to also the scientists concluded of which “the compound was well accepted in addition to also efficient in This kind of particular case”.
As you can see, there’s a mountainous pile of evidence of which aloe vera can heal old acne scars in addition to also accelerate at the pace at which your newly dead acne fades away.
Two compounds in aloe vera stand tall above the rest. Glucomannan, a polysaccharide, in addition to also gibberellin, a plant growth hormone, both interact with growth factor receptors on the wound’s fibroblasts (skin cells which manufacture collagen in addition to also additional proteins), stimulating their activity in addition to also proliferation in addition to also in turn dramatically accelerating collagen production.
Scientists also claimed of which an increase in hyaluronic acid in addition to also dermatan sulfate inside wound site was responsible. I didn’t have a clue what those substances are, nevertheless a quick search reveals of which they’re two proteins in addition to also chemicals involved inside reformation of wounds, doing sure of which’s yet another bullseye for aloe vera.
Also promising can be aloe vera’s known natural bleaching ability, which simply dyes your acne scars in addition to also skin back to its original colour. Throughout history we can see the benefits for wound healing as well, such as Alexander the Great using aloe vera to heal his soldiers.
Aloe vera has countless anti-inflammatory compounds
Nevertheless, topical treatments like rose water in addition to also resveratrol are great for directly reducing inflammatory cytokines on the skin surface. According to numerous studies, aloe vera can be just effective because of This kind of not just because of one anti-inflammatory compound (such as resveratrol), nevertheless similarly to raw honey, thanks to dozens of smaller enzymes in addition to also compounds.
Firstly, the aloe vera plant can be rich in an enzyme called bradykinase which helps to break down bradykinin, an important inflammatory mediator. This kind of study confirmed of which aloe barbadensis, AKA aloe vera, could lower bradykinin levels when applied to the skin’s surface. inside conclusion they praised both This kind of power in addition to also aloe vera’s general anti-inflammatory effect: “aloe barbadensis gel contains a material of which inhibits the bradykinin effect, which might explain the anti-inflammatory properties of Aloe barbadensis”.
Secondly, aloe vera contains an anti-inflammatory compound called C-glucosyl chromone, which according to This kind of study of which isolated in addition to also applied the idea to an inflamed mouse ear, has just as strong topical anti-inflammatory activity as pharmaceutical hydrocortisone (catabolic steroids). Aloe contains plenty of C-glucosyl chromone; in fact the idea was the first plant coming from which the compound was isolated in 1996.
Then there’s the aloe vera plant’s class of phenolic antioxidants called anthraquinones. The most notable can be aloin, a bitter yellow coloured compound found in at least 68 of the aloe species. Aloin was long used as a laxative before the FDA ruled the idea as unsafe in 2002, nevertheless the idea’s been born again as an inflammation slasher. This kind of study found of which aloin could inhibit COX-2, basically the public enemy number 1 of inflammation which controls the Discharge of many immune system cytokines behind acne.
The study also showed of which another compound called aloe-emodin could reduce COX—2 in addition to also inflammation; they commented of which “the anti-inflammatory effect of aloe-emodin was comparable to of which of kaempferol in addition to also quercetin, indicating aloe-emodin as a possible key constituent responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of aloe”. Aloe-emodin can be another anthraquinone, found inside plant, leaves in addition to also sap of aloe vera.
This kind of study in addition to also This kind of study also found of which emodin has anti-inflammatory powers against pro-inflammatory chemicals behind acne like interleukin-1beta. Interestingly, aloe-emodin also possesses a strong anti-viral effect against both the herpes virus in tests on cells. Could the idea kill p.acnes bacteria as well? Who knows? The truth can be fogged with the clouds of mystery.
Gibberellin, the plant hormone of which upregulates collagen output, has the ability to decrease inflammation in diabetic mice with poor wound healing in a dose dependent manner according to This kind of excellent study, which concluded of which gibberellin was an active anti-inflammatory component of aloe vera. An old study coming from 1989 found virtually identical results.
This kind of study was more mixed, finding of which gibberellin could increase the activity of anti-inflammatory mast cells. nevertheless what definitely puts the cherry on the acne-clearing cake can be gibberellin’s ability to inhibit substance P.
Substance P can be one of the least well-known villains behind acne. the idea’s a compound in acne-prone skin which directly increases both inflammation in addition to also sebum production. Gibberellin could lower substance P in both prolonged in addition to also single doses.
Aloe vera gel contains lupeol
Next we have what I believe to be the greatest anti-inflammatory phytonutrient in aloe vera of them all – lupeol.
Lupeol can be a triterpenoid fatty acid found in aloe vera gel, in addition to also also mango in addition to also dandelion coffee. There’s so many studies on lupeol in addition to also inflammation of which reading them all might make your brain explode. This kind of study, This kind of study, This kind of study, This kind of study, This kind of study, This kind of study, in addition to also many more found of which lupeol lowered inflammation, whether extracted coming from aloe vera itself or coming from additional medicinal plants.
The most clear-cut of these showed of which lupeol reduced the swelling of an inflamed rat paw by 39%, which was even better than the pharmaceutical NSAID indomethacin, which achieved a 35% reduction.
Another study compared lupeol to the notable anti-inflammatory compound a-mangosteen found inside mangosteen fruit. Mangosteen has been hyped up as a superfood for years at This kind of point nevertheless the 38.70% reduction of skin inflammation achieved by a-mangosteen fell well short of the massive 57.14% achieved by lupeol coming from aloe vera.
The lupeol in aloe vera reduces inflammation when applied to rat skin, human skin, mouse skin – probably even alien skin if we could track them down. If you’re the scientific type then you’ll love This kind of massive review of lupeol’s anti-inflammatory powers.
Lupeol can be found in abundance in aloe vera. In fact, the idea’s one of the greatest medicinal compounds in aloe vera in addition to also what’s more, the idea’s found in very few additional plants.
One juggernaut of a compound we haven’t addressed yet can be the polysaccharide glucomannan. This kind of relatively uncommon plant-based sugar traditionally extracted coming from the elephant yam (konjac) has flooded into the supplement market during the last ten years as a natural weight loss pill.
the idea’s also used as an emulsifier in addition to also thickener in processed food nevertheless what we definitely care about can be This kind of study showing of which topical application of glucomannan to mice controlled the strength of their inflammatory responses. The mice had the inflammatory skin conditions eczema in addition to also atopic dermatitis in addition to also were fed glucomannan for 8-9 weeks daily. There was a big reduction in inflammatory chemicals such as interleukin-4 in addition to also TNF-alpha.
of which was just with feeding glucomannan to the mice orally. By applying the glucomannan topically the anti-inflammatory properties should become hyper concentrated.
What’s interesting can be of which again, glucomannan had the ability to lower substance P. of which’s two compounds in aloe vera at This kind of point with of which power, in addition to also the idea suggests of which aloe vera can successfully lower sebum production as well as inflammation, which can be not a power the idea’s well known for. Glucomannan even caused a reduction in hyperkeratosis, an overgrowth of the sticky protein keratin which can cause acne by gluing dead skin cells together in addition to also clogging the pores.
What about aloe vera itself?
These compounds are fantastic nevertheless there’s one last hurdle – what about the whole aloe vera gel or extract? Could there be a random irritating plant chemical which outweighs all the anti-inflammatory benefits in addition to also scuppers its ability to clear acne?
For most people, the answer can be a resounding no, because studies directly on aloe vera have been just as conclusive:
- This kind of 2003 study concluded of which aloe vera extract had significant inhibitory activity against p.acnes-induced skin inflammation. Deadly pro-inflammatory, pro-acne chemicals such as interleukin-8 in addition to also TNF-a fell off a cliff.
- Scientists reached an exciting conclusion in This kind of old 1989 study: “the results show of which little amounts of A. vera given topically will inhibit inflammation induced by a moderate amount of irritant”. The results showed of which aloe vera lowered skin inflammation by a gigantic 47.1%.
- This kind of 1996 study was particularly interesting; scientists applied aloe vera to inflamed rat paws in addition to also observed a reduction in inflammatory chemicals called neutrophils. Excessive amounts of neutrophils are especially dangerous for acne because one of their main jobs can be to fire out free radicals in order to break down damaged cells. For us acne patients, the conclusion could not be clearer or more promising: “these results demonstrated of which the extracts of Aloe vera gel have anti-inflammatory activity”.
If you apply aloe vera to a particularly inflamed piece of acne, then the idea’s safe to say of which the acne’s prospects are grim. There are very few plants which beat the sheer number of anti-inflammatory compounds found in aloe vera. the idea seems of which wound healing in addition to also lowering inflammation are where aloe vera definitely stands out among natural acne treatments.
Elsewhere there’s one truly excellent study we haven’t discussed yet. Instead of following acne patients the idea analysed the effect of topical aloe vera on volunteers with psoriasis, a skin condition of which causes red, crusty, flaky, inflamed patches of skin which can be particularly common between ages 15 in addition to also 35.
Scientists inside study compared a 0.5% concentration aloe vera cream to a placebo. They gave both creams to 60 patients aged between 18 in addition to also 50 years old (mean age 25.6), who all had moderate to slight psoriasis. The patients applied the creams three times daily for a few consecutive days per week.
By the end of the experiment the psoriasis cream had cured 25 out 30 patients (83.33% success rate), while the placebo cured a truly shocking 2/30 (6.66% success rate) patients. Furthermore there were no side effects whatsoever. The study was conducted superbly, being double-blind in addition to also placebo controlled. Before the study took place the mean duration of the disease among the patients was 8.5 years, so these weren’t just “casual” psoriasis sufferers.
Psoriasis has inflammatory roots very similarly to acne, so This kind of can be a stellar result for us acne-clearing crusaders.
Any side effects for acne?
Aloe vera can be no exception to This kind of rule. In fact, the one major downside of using topical aloe vera for acne can be of which the idea seems to have a higher rate of allergic reactions than others. I gleamed of which fact mainly coming from extensive trawling through the archives of the internet.
Some of the reactions spoken of include…
-A rash of eczema popping up despite an improvement in acne.
-Tiny red bumps all over the face.
-Red rashes springing up despite an improvement in acne.
Elsewhere there’s This kind of study. the idea documents the case of a 72 year old woman who had taken to bathing her legs with homemade aloe vera juice in order to get pain relief. Scientists had observed patches of dermatitis (an inflammatory skin disorder) on her legs. Tests of the patches showed positive reactions to both the leaf of Aloe in addition to also macerated Aloe jelly. This kind of study in addition to also This kind of study observed additional side effects such as redness, irritation, in addition to also contact dermatitis.
the idea’s not surprising; with such an endless array of compounds comes a higher chance of which your skin might react to one. However, the scientists coming from the first study did comment of which “reports of allergic reactions are rare”, in addition to also they certainly are; they’re only moderately more common than additional topical acne treatments. Many of the studies on wound healing in addition to also inflammation above specifically praised the lack of side effects coming from aloe vera. The only real risk can be an allergy, the idea might seem.
The solution for acne then? the idea’s a smart idea for acne patients to apply a patch of aloe vera to your arm before your face, to establish whether you have a sensitivity or not.
Another common fear can be of which aloe vera increases the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, in addition to also hence acne coming from sunlight due to the free radicals caused by ultraviolet light.
One study supports This kind of theory, claiming of which aloe vera leads to phototoxicity among additional symptoms. However, another study found the exact opposite. Apparently, applying aloe vera gel to human skin generates an antioxidant protein called metallothionein, which both scavenges free radicals in addition to also prevents antioxidants like glutathione in addition to also superoxide dismutase coming from being suppressed. This kind of had the effect of lowering inflammation in ultraviolet irradiated areas of skin.
This kind of study however, concluded of which topical application of aloe vera can be neither an effective preventative treatment for sunburn, suntan, nor sunlight induced radiation injuries.
There’s little evidence of harm either though. Hence the jury can be out on whether aloe vera alters your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight.
The final advantage can be of which unlike the favorite acne treatment cocoa butter, aloe vera does not possess an ounce of comedogenicity, or the ability to clog skin pores.
As part of the American Academy of Dermatology’s ongoing scheme to research in addition to also analyse every topical acne in addition to also skincare treatment, aloe vera gel was assigned the comedogenicity score of a stone-cold zero.
a few (“high change of clogging pores”) can be top in addition to also zero (“will not clog pores”) can be lowest, so aloe vera can be totally harmless. Plus, the lowering of substance P achieved by gibberellin in addition to also glucomannan should have a positive effect on sebum production.
One final important note: do not consume aloe vera! Doing so could lead to nausea, digestive problems, in addition to also even liver problems! There’s no point at all in eating aloe vera. For acne, the idea’s strictly a topical treatment.
The best aloe vera product for acne?
The fresh variation of aloe vera, applied coming from leaf to face, will contain more bioactive compounds. This kind of study found of which pasteurizing aloe vera reduced the vitamin C content in addition to also antioxidant activity by 16% in addition to also 57% respectively. The glucomannan content fell by over 30% as well.
The problem can be of which most products on the market are heated in addition to also processed so harshly. What the idea seems like can be of which the developers don’t care about the effectiveness of the product; they simply want an excuse to slap aloe vera on the label. Hence the beneficial gibberellin, glucomannan, antioxidants in addition to also fatty acids get warped or destroyed entirely…
…nevertheless there’s one product where of which age-old rule doesn’t apply: Aubrey Organics Pure Aloe Vera 4 oz Gel.
The makers of This kind of product have taken special care to process the aloe gel in a way of which preserves many of the special compounds. This kind of natural product can be entirely free of harsh chemicals added to cheap products such as sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.
There’s no thickeners either, in addition to also any preservatives they’ve used are entirely natural ones like citric acid or even radish root, which can be not an ingredient I’ve ever stumbled across anywhere before. Compared to additional commercial aloe vera products, Aubrey Organics can be far more liquid due to the lack of thickeners, which allows the idea to last longer.
Short of trekking to the plant’s homeland in addition to also getting lost inside desert on the way back, or emptying your entire bank account on the super-elite versions, Aubrey Organics Pure Aloe Vera can be the best aloe vera product for acne bar none.
If you’re not obsessed with getting ultimate pure quality in addition to also want something cheaper ounce-for-ounce, then This kind of Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel can be slightly impurer nevertheless still 99% organic in addition to also miles above the standard product.
Conclusion
Aloe vera packs such a powerful punch against acne of which your poor old pimples will be crawling to the edge of the ring within 5 seconds.
What’s more, the idea incorporates a very clear place inside pantheon of acne topical treatments. Raw honey can be perhaps the greatest topical treatment for acne of all time, nevertheless the idea mostly functions due to its antibacterial compounds like Methylgyloxal, peptides like bee-defensin 1, in addition to also additional enzymes. In additional words, the idea clears acne by wiping out p.acnes bacteria.
Aloe vera meanwhile, can be a top-notch treatment for lowering inflammation in addition to also accelerating wound healing. The only reason to avoid aloe vera coming from a scientific standpoint can be the slight risk of an allergy.
Again, the best product can be Aubrey Organics Pure Aloe Vera 4 oz Gel.
Last nevertheless not least, if you’re looking for a definitely interesting overview of all the science about aloe vera in addition to also skincare you should check out This kind of review. the idea contains links to tons of different studies about aloe vera in addition to also inflammation, aloe vera in addition to also antioxidant levels, in addition to also all sorts of fascinating stuff about the various compounds the idea contains.
In summary, aloe vera can be a top-notch topical acne treatment which can be best for accelerating the healing of old pimples in addition to also acne scars, in addition to also for lowering inflammation topically.
NEXT: learn why chronic inflammation can be the root cause of acne
Thanks for reading!