Aloe vera has become a very popular ingredient especially in skincare. Aloe vera is most well known for being a hydrator however it can also be an exfoliant, it has mostly been used for sunburns, dry skin and even eczema. Aloe Vera is great for just about every skin type especially because it doesn’t have an oily consistency. With this alone aloe is a great ingredient but aloe may also be a treatment for acne scars.
Anyone who’s dealt with acne knows it’s awful, annoying and can be incredibly hard to get rid of. But even worse than acne is acne scars. Acne scars can be even more difficult to get rid of than acne, and can even take weeks or months to go away. Luckily there are a couple of treatments for acne scars one of which is aloe vera.
But what exactly is aloe vera? Aloe vera comes from the natural aloe plant. It comes in gel like consistency and is quite simple to get straight out of the aloe plant. All you have to do is cut open one of the leaves from the plant and the gel will come out easily.
There are a couple of benefits aloe has on acne scars one of which being repairing the skin. Like any other scar, acne scars are caused by a breakage in the skin. Luckily aloe vera can help prevent and treat these scars because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. As Well as this studies have shown that aloe vera increases growth factors from the cells that make collagen also known as fibroblasts. Aloe vera also heals wounds and inflammation. Which is exactly what acne scars are. This is because aloe vera decreases a chemical called thromboxane which slows down wound healing. It also contains something called magnesium lactate, which decreases histamine (a chemical involved in the anti-inflammatory response) and itching/irritation.
But aloe’s benefits don’t stop with just acne scarring. Many people know aloe vera is a great treatment for sun burns or damaged skin but there’s even more than that. Going along with the sun burn treatment one of the benefits of aloe is soothing the skin. As mentioned before soothing the skin is the most popular use of aloe when it comes to skin care. It can be used to soothe itching, burning, and irritation. Another benefit is moisturizing, aloe has been shown to have a strong moisturizing effect however it may not be the best for people who need an extreme moisturizer such as people with eczema. Aloe can also prevent transepidermal water loss or (TEWL) TEWL is something that happens when the skin gets dehydrated caused by water passing from the body, through the epidermis and into the surrounding air. This can cause irritation and dryness in the skin. Aloe contains something called phytosterols which soothe the irritation caused by TEWL and can also prevent TEWL itself. Lastly aloe vera can cool and hydrate the skin, this helps with the sunburn aspect because while it is actually helping the sunburn it feels nice on the irritated skin as well. This is due to the fact that aloe vera is 99.5% water.
Now that you know how aloe vera helps to get rid of acne scarring, there are a couple of ways to use aloe so which one is the best for acne scars? There are a number of different ways to use aloe some of which including, gels, drinks and supplements. So far the best way we have found to use aloe for acne scars is gels or topical treatments. Taking aloe vera orally has shown to not have the same effect on healing scarring or other wounds. Whenever you notice acne scarring showing up on your skin you can start applying aloe right away for 1-2 weeks or until you have the results you want. Start your skin care routine normally by washing your face. After you’ve dried your face you can apply a thin layer of aloe to the skin and continue with your skin care routine. This should be done 1-2 times a day.
With anything skincare products (especially natural ones such as aloe) irritation is a risk. Luckily since aloe is mostly water and not a strong ingredient it doesn’t have much of a risk for bad side effects. However, allergies are always a risk when it comes to natural ingredients. If you’re not sure whether you’re allergic to aloe or not, be sure to spot-test it on your hand or arm before applying it to your face.