Ingredient glossary
Aloe
On your shelf ✓What Aloe does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice · Also: Aloe Vera
In short: Aloe delivers hydration and soothing, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is moderate.
- What it does
- Hydration, soothing
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Evidence
- Moderate
- How long
- Never measured
The Glow take
The kind of ingredient sensitive skin quietly loves.
Aloe earns its place by calming things down: less redness, less sting, a happier barrier. Not a headline active.
— Maya
What it does
- hydration
- soothing
moderate evidencePlant extract with humectant and soothing properties; effects depend strongly on concentration and overall formula.
Why we say this
The botanical family, at a glance
17 botanical entries in the base, Aloe among them. 15 of the 17 are a supporting active.
- Aloe
- Bakuchiol
- Centella Asiatica Extract
- Ginger Root Extract
- Ginseng Root Extract
- Heartleaf Extract
- Honeysuckle Flower Extract
- Licochalcone A
- Mugwort Extract
- Neem Flower Extract
- Neem Leaf Extract
- Purslane Extract
- Rice Extract
- Rosemary Leaf Extract
- Tasmanian Pepperberry
- Willow Bark Extract
- Witch Hazel Extract
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- all
- sensitive
Approach with care
- rare allergy
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Take extra care if any of these apply to you: rare allergy.
Where it fits in your routine
Nobody has published how long this takes to work.
What is known, and what is missing
- Measured on: stratum corneum hydration and soothing of irritated skin.
- Aloe leaf juice is a dilute mixed extract with humectant polysaccharides, and instrumental studies of aloe-containing lotions exist, but the aloe content of commercial products ranges from the first ingredient on the list to a token trace, and no published work establishes when a hydration or soothing effect begins at a stated concentration.
- The base's own moderate evidence rating and its note that effects depend strongly on concentration point the same way.
- What is specifically missing is any dose-anchored time course; what is known is only that formulations containing it can raise surface water content.
No dose-anchored time course identified. Instrumental studies of aloe-containing lotions exist but do not fix concentration or onset; sunburn and wound-healing claims are separate and poorly supported.
Plays well with
- humectants
- allantoin
Aloe, answered
Is Aloe safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Aloe is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Aloe?
Approach Aloe with care if any of these apply to you: rare allergy.
What concentration of Aloe actually works?
Its concentration is rarely printed on the label, so use the ingredient list as your clue: near the top third it is likely doing real work, near the bottom it is more of a sprinkle.
Compare Aloe with
22 comparisons built.
This, for every label you own
One ingredient is easy. A full label is where it gets confusing. The Ingredient Decoder reads any product and tells you the honest truth, ingredient by ingredient.
Sources & how we reviewed this
- PMID 17613130abstract read, not the full text