The amazing Aloe barbadensis

Today I’m diving into the health and skin-soothing and healing benefits of this beautiful green plant.

We've used Certified Organic Aloe Vera Gel for its soothing and calming properties in all of the products from our Skin Care Range!

Aloe barbadensis or better known as Aloe Vera, needs no introduction when it comes to its powerful skin-soothing and healing properties. The question is often how does it work?

The plant has big triangular, fleshy leaves. Each leaf is composed of three layers:

1) An inner clear gel that contains 99% water and the rest is made of glucomannans, amino acids, lipids, sterols and vitamins.

2) The middle layer of latex which is the bitter yellow sap and contains anthraquinones and glycosides.

3) The outer thick layer with with cells has a protective function and include carbohydrates and proteins. Inside the rind are vascular bundles responsible for the transportation of substances such as water and starch.

Aloe Vera contains 75 potentially active constituents that include essential vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids and amino acids all contributing to the anti-inflammatory and healing properties of this powerful plant.

1. Vitamins: It contains essential vitamins such as A (beta-carotene), C and E, which are powerful antioxidants that has the ability to neutralise free radicals. It also contains vitamin B12, folic acid, and choline.

2. Enzymes: It contains 8 enzymes: aliiase, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, bradykinase, carboxypeptidase, catalase, cellulase, lipase, and peroxidase. Bradykinase helps to reduce excessive inflammation when applied to the skin topically.

3. Minerals: It provides calcium, chromium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc. These minerals are essential for the proper functioning of various in the body.

4. Sugars: It provides monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and polysaccharides: (glucomannans/polymannose). These are derived from the mucilage layer of the plant and are known as mucopolysaccharides. Glycoproteins has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties.

5. Anthraquinones: It provides 12 anthraquinones, which are phenolic compounds traditionally known as laxatives. Aloin and emodin act as analgesics, antibacterials and antivirals.

6. Fatty acids: It provides 4 plant steroids; cholesterol, campesterol, β-sisosterol and lupeol. All these have anti-inflammatory action and lupeol also possesses antiseptic and analgesic properties.

7. Hormones: Auxins and gibberellins that help in wound healing and have anti-inflammatory action.

8. Others: It provides 20 of the 22 human required amino acids and 7 of the 8 essential amino acids. It also contains salicylic acid that possesses anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Lignin, an inert substance, when included in topical preparations, enhances penetrative effect of the other ingredients into the skin. Saponins that are the soapy substances form about 3% of the gel and have cleansing and antiseptic properties.

We used Certified Organic Aloe Vera Gel and extracts as a base or a key ingredient in most of our products. It has the ability to penetrate the skin FOUR times faster than water and the above-mentioned healing constitutes of the gel can actually penetrate through all seven layers of the skin.

It help promote collagen production and is 96% water, it therefore makes an excellent skin hydrator and it has the ability to normalise oil production to support dry flaky skin.