Most typically slather on aloe vera to soothe skin after a bad sunburn or think of it as a bonus when it’s added to tissue. The natural ingredient, found in everything from dish soap to shaving lotion, is great in many ways. But did you know that when aloe is properly incorporated into your everyday skin care, it could bring a marked improvement to the skin as a whole (even for acne sufferers? That’s what the forthcoming book Simple Skincare, Beautiful Skin: A Back-to-Basics Approach teaches.
Fargo, ND, board-certified plastic surgeon Ahmed Abdullah, MD, an expert on the restorative and medical effects of aloe vera, wrote the book and did so to educate consumers on how effective this potent ingredient can be in the quest for healthful skin.
Aloe contains more than 200 active components, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharides and fatty acids, which all work to eliminate symptoms of inflammation-based skin conditions, including acne, dermatitis and rosacea. Unlike water, aloe can actually be absorbed into the skin and heal it from within, says Dr. Abdullah, which is important as it not only allows the active components of the plant to be delivered, but helps other anti-aging ingredients found within aloe-based skin-care formulations to be dispensed within the skin’s layers.
“Among the antimicrobial compounds found in aloe are saponin, which acts as an antiseptic, and barbaloin, an effective antimicrobial. Given that bacteria are a main cause of acne, aloe’s antimicrobial properties are beneficial in treatment of the condition,” says Dr. Abdullah.
But not all aloe is created equal, or it’s not always used to the best of its capabilities within products. Aloe must be used in high concentrations to ensure its benefits. “It should be the first ingredient listed on the back of the product,” he says, as water dilutes the active ingredients in a product, which makes any aloe it does contain virtually worthless.
To learn more about aloe’s important use in fighting acne, check out the book, on sale this summer and for a skin-care product with high potency and quality aloe vera, try Lexli Aloe-Based Acne Clarifying Lotion ($28).
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