Does Aloe Vera Have Healing Properties?

Aloe vera is a succulent plant known widely for its medicinal purposes. Though each part of the plant is useful, the leaves contain a gel-like substance rich in vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds. Aloe vera’s healing properties range from treating skin conditions to aiding in digestion, and it is a powerful anti-inflammatory in topical analgesics and creams.

The Aloe Vera Plant

Used by cultures worldwide, aloe vera, or Aloe barbadensis, has a long history in the world of medicine from treating skin diseases in India to alleviating radiotherapy burns on cancer patients in the United States. Today, you can find the plant’s skin, gel, and juice being used across multiple industries including cosmetics, foodstuff, pharmaceuticals, and more.

The aloe vera plant typically grows in warm, tropical climates. It is a thick, short-stemmed succulent with pointed and serrated green leaves which can grow up to two feet. These leaves store water in their flesh which, when broken open, reveals a clear, slimy substance that we call aloe vera gel.

What is Aloe Vera Good For?

From healing sunburn to treating canker sores, aloe vera is a versatile ingredient in homeopathic medicine and has several therapeutic properties. Similar to essential oils, topical aloe vera can help relieve symptoms of skin conditions. However, other parts of the plant such as the skin, or latex, and juice have many benefits:

• Aloe Vera Gel: Most people use aloe vera gel as a homeopathic remedy for rough, itchy skin, burns, sunburns, abrasions, and more. The gel is packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants, each with their own health benefits.
• Aloe Latex: The main use for aloe latex is improving digestion. The skin of the plant has a laxative effect, useful for those with constipation or irregular bowel movements.
• Aloe Vera Juice: Rich in antioxidants, drinking aloe juice can help fight free radicals in your body. It is also antibacterial with healing properties that help restore stomach lining if you have ulcers.

Aloe Vera Benefits for Skin, Wounds, Immune Health & More

The vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants present in the aloe vera plant are vital to the proper functioning of multiple systems in the human body. They aid in everything from speeding up the healing process of burns to boosting your immune system. Here's how aloe vera helps your skin, immune health, and more:

Natural Anti-inflammatory

Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties that make it an essential ingredient for natural pain relief.  Studies have shown that drinking aloe vera juice can reduce inflammation in people suffering from inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease.

Topical aloe vera soothes skin rashes, burns, and irritations like dermatitis or first to second degree sunburns. The plant also contains fatty acids and enzymes that reduce inflammation and have antiseptic and analgesic properties.

Powerful Antioxidant for Skin & Body

Polyphenols are antioxidants present in aloe vera that protect against UV radiation damage and inhibit the growth of infection-causing bacteria. Aloe vera contains vitamins A, C, and E that reduce free radicals and decrease oxidative stress in the skin.

The ingredient has also been linked to improved collagen production, which improves the look and feel of skin. Topical aloe vera is good for dry skin as it helps skin retain moisture, which is useful for individuals struggling with acne, psoriasis, or eczema.

Wound Healing & Soothing

Many people use topical aloe vera for wound healing. Research suggests that aloe vera accelerates the healing process for minor wounds, sores, abrasions, and burns. The plant’s healthful compounds including polysaccharides, glycoproteins, enzymes, sterols, and amino acids are believed to stimulate cell regeneration and reduce inflammation at the site of injury.

Aloe vera's anti-bacterial properties may reduce the spread of infection when applied to cuts or burns on the skin, as well. As an effective treatment for radiation damage from the sun, aloe vera prevents UV-ray induced suppression so sunburn can heal quicker.

Digestive Aid

Thanks to its high concentration of laxative compounds called anthraquinones, ingesting the aloe vera may help stimulate the digestive tract to ease constipation and relieve discomfort for those with IBS. As a natural anti-inflammatory, it can also increase energy levels and reduce inflammation in the digestive system.

It is important not to overuse aloe vera’s laxative effects as this could lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances if taken in large doses over a long period of time. Instead, talk to your doctor about any health concerns you may have and whether aloe vera could help.

Boosts Immunity

Digestive enzymes break down protein into amino acids which then turns into fuel for the cells in our bodies. This fuel keeps our bodily systems, including our digestive and immune systems, functioning. Good gut health is crucial to a strong immune system, helping us fight off illnesses like the flu and the common cold.

Bradykinase, one of eight enzymes in aloe vera, helps kill infections and boost immune health. Meanwhile, the nutrient and enzyme Zinc maintains immune function, safeguards our cells, fights disease, and minimizes harmful bacteria.

Aloe Vera & Arnica Boost

The skin is the body's largest and most vital organ. It protects us from outside elements, gives us sensations of touch and feel, safeguards internal organs, and regulates body temperature. Taking care of your skin from head to toe is important for your overall health and that includes healing wounds and reducing inflammation.

Doctor Hoy’s® Arnica Boost Recovery Cream uses effective, natural ingredients that fight inflammation and quicken the healing process of minor wounds, cuts, and abrasions. Used alongside the pain-relieving benefits of Arnica Montana, aloe vera gel is an important ingredient in Arnica Boost Recovery Cream. As a skin conditioning agent, it helps retain skin moisture, accelerate healing, and ease inflammation. 

You can use Arnica Boost Recovery Cream on sensitive areas of the body from open cuts to bruises and even as a calming treatment for nerve pain. Use the topical with additional applications of aloe vera gel to help alleviate sunburn, or discover ultimate relief for joint pain, muscle strains, sprains, and more with Doctor Hoy’s Natural Pain Relief Gel.

References:

Hekmatpou, D., Mehrabi, F., Rahzani, K., & Aminiyan, A. (2019). The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review. Iranian journal of medical sciences, 44(1), 1–9.

 Surjushe A., Vasani R., Saple D. ALOE VERA: A SHORT REVIEW. Indian J Dermatol 2008;53(4):163. Doi: 10.4103/0019-5154.44785.

Cho S., Lee S., Lee MJ., et al. Dietary Aloe Vera Supplementation Improves Facial Wrinkles and Elasticity and It Increases the Type I Procollagen Gene Expression in Human Skin in vivo. Ann Dermatol 2009;21(1):6. Doi: 10.5021/AD.2009.21.1.6.

Bahrami G., Malekshahi H., Miraghaee S., et al. Protective and Therapeutic Effects of Aloe Vera Gel on Ulcerative Colitis Induced by Acetic Acid in Rats. Clin Nutr Res 2020;9(3):223. Doi: 10.7762/CNR.2020.9.3.223.

Langmead L., Feakins RM., Goldthorpe S., et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral aloe vera gel for active ulcerative colitis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2004;19(7):739–47. Doi: 10.1111/J.1365-2036.2004.01902.X.