When we set out to create Hello Joyous beauty products we wanted to tap into the abundance of incredible healing plants to create the foundation for our products. Today we’re going to take a closer look at an ingredient that many people might have sitting on a windowsill in their kitchen: aloe vera! You’ve likely seen it pop up in our All Natural Shampoo and Conditioner, but do you know why we’re obsessed? Read on for all the deets on the amazing beauty benefits of aloe!
What Is Aloe Vera?
Raise your hand if you’ve ever accidentally killed a succulent despite being told they are the easiest plant to keep alive! Well, aloe vera, also called aloe barbadensis, is a member of this plant family, specifically the genus Aloe! Though native to Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula it now grows abundantly in tropical locations around the world. It has been used for centuries as a medicinal plant, which can be done by squeezing the juice from the leaf or purchasing it as a gel, ointment, or other formulation.
If you’re planning on growing your own aloe vera plant, it’s best not to harvest any leaves until it is a few years old since older plants have a higher concentration of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds. We also suggest having more than one plant on hand if you plan on harvesting your aloe regularly. To keep your plant as healthy as possible, you’ll want to wait for several weeks between harvests on one plant.
As an ingredient in beauty and skincare products, aloe is safe for all skin types–dry, oily or combination! That makes it a perfect addition to any beauty routine. And, as you'll see below, it’s also incredibly hydrating for hair, which is why it’s the primary ingredient in our All Natural Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner.
What Part of the Aloe Plant is Best for Beauty?
When it comes to beauty benefits, the inner filet or gel is the part of the plant that you’ll want to focus on. If you harvest your own aloe, remove the outer skin and the aloe vera latex, which is also known as aloin. This compound is a yellowish sap-like liquid that can be harmful if ingested in large concentrations. Applying the gel directly to your skin will provide many of the benefits outlined below.
8 Amazing Beauty Benefits of Aloe
When it comes to incorporating aloe vera gel into beauty products, there are eight main reasons we love this humble ingredient!
1. Softens And Conditions Hair
The incredible moisturizing properties of aloe vera juice combined with its phytonutrients and vitamins softens and conditions hair without any silicones. The natural conditioning properties of aloe leave your hair feeling silky smooth after each use and doesn’t leave behind any residues or films. Double up the moisturizing benefits by using a shampoo and conditioner whose main ingredient is aloe vera juice!
2. Cleanses Hair Without Stripping It
We’re all about natural hair care, and one of the benefits of aloe vera gel in natural shampoos and conditioners is that it deeply cleans the hair shaft without stripping or damaging it. Aloe also removes product residue and excess oil so that your hair looks smoother and shinier and feels softer with every use. It’s no surprise why aloe is one of the main ingredients in both our Natural Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner.
3. May Prevent Hair Loss
While there are no clinical trials supporting this claim as of yet, aloe contains nutrients mentioned that support cell growth and turnover. These same nutrients can also encourage healthy hair growth. In addition vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, aloe contains folate and B12, both of which may help prevent hair loss.
For the best in natural hair care, we combined the incredible benefits of aloe with organic lavender oil, which helps to promote hair growth, prevents dry itchy scalp, and manages hair conditions such as dandruff and hair loss. But we didn’t stop there, we also added organic rosemary oil to encourage hair growth, soothe itchy scalps, help stimulate circulation to nourish hair follicles, and to manage dandruff. Shop our best-selling hair care pair here!
4. Calms An Itchy Scalp
Not only does aloe do an amazing job cleansing your hair while leaving it soft and shiny, it can also help resolve itchy scalp and dandruff thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.
If you struggle with a dry scalp or dandruff, try switching over to an all-natural shampoo and conditioner that contain soothing ingredients like aloe, plus jojoba, rosemary and lavender extracts for even more scalp protection!
5. Potent Anti-Inflammatory
The aloe plant is full of powerful phytochemicals, vitamins, and antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory effects. One of these chemicals, anthraquinones, helps reduce pain and swelling while promoting healing when applied to the skin. It’s great for soothing inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, and sunburns. As mentioned above, it can also help soothe a dry, itchy and inflamed scalp.
6. Promotes Skin Regeneration
You know all of those amazing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits of aloe? Well it turns out that they also help with skin cell regeneration. Specifically, vitamins A and E plus beta-carotene all promote cell turnover and can help with skin regeneration. That’s why aloe has traditionally been used as a topical application for minor cuts, scrapes, and burns.
Applying aloe to cold sores can also help reduce pain and promote faster healing, so if you’re prone to them it’s a great idea to keep an aloe plant on hand! We’ve also included it in our Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorants to help soothe the sensitive skin under the arms.
7. Prevents Premature Aging of the Skin
Thanks to skin-lovin’ antioxidants like vitamins C and E and beta-carotene that help prevent premature aging of the skin, aloe is a wonderful addition to your skincare routine. Specifically, these nutrients help to protect the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals damage the DNA of skin cells making them die off sooner which can result in wrinkling skin.
If you’re looking for an easy at-home mask, try this DIY Hydrating Face Mask made with aloe vera, organic yogurt, and honey. The hydration packed in this mask will help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Another key to hydrated, moisturizing, and nourishing the skin? Using a product like our Hella Hydrating Serum that contains cold-pressed organic rosehip oil and hyaluronic acid for a complexion that glows.
8. Soothes & Supports the Digestive Tract
Digestive health is the foundation upon which healthy hair and skin is built. If you’re not properly digesting and assimilating the foods that you eat, then your body won’t be able to build strong hair, skin and nails. Your skin reflects what’s happening inside your body, so soothing the gut is a bonus beauty benefit of aloe.
This review showed that taking aloe vera internally showed significant improvement in IBS symptoms when compared with a placebo, with no side effects. As a bonus, add aloe vera to delicious smoothies. You can learn more about soothing the skin from the inside out with these 5 simple healthy skin hacks.
Hello Joyous: Harnessing the Power of Nature
At Hello Joyous we’ve created products you can trust because we've eliminated all the unnecessary fillers, junk and harmful additives, have completely transparent labelling and we are determined to bring products that help you find more joy in the everyday.
Our products are made from concentrated botanical extracts rich in antioxidants from nature, including organic aloe vera. There are no fillers like water, therefore no need for synthetic preservatives. Instead of water, we use functional carriers for our organic botanicals like organic aloe and organic vegetable glycerin derived from coconut that keep the phytonutrients intact and stable.
You can feel confident exploring Hello Joyous for all-natural, plant-powered skincare, hair care, and body care products! We are committed to making products without any hormone disrupting chemicals, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrance, mineral oil, fillers, SLS, harsh detergents, GMOs or any other junk you don’t want in or on your body.
