Can Aloe Vera Help Treat Acne?

Does aloe vera help acne?

Aloe vera does have many benefits that make it a great addition to a skincare routine. It can help soothe, heal, and moisturize the skin, for example.

But acne won’t go away completely until it does more than just heal.

Aloe vera has been used as a treatment for acne for a long time, but current research isn’t strong enough to say that it works well on its own.

How Does Aloe Vera Help Acne?

So, if aloe vera alone can’t get rid of acne, what else can it do to help your skin? To answer this question, let’s look at some common claims about how aloe vera affects the things that cause acne and how true they are.

Limiting the production of oil

Aloe vera helps acne because it is naturally astringent. This means that it can soak up extra oil and unclog pores.

Zinc, which is found in aloe vera, is an astringent.

Zinc’s astringent properties are so useful that the FDA has approved it for use in acne treatments, and it is often used to stop excess sebum from coming out of the skin.

If you don’t do anything about it, excess oil can clog pores and cause whiteheads and blackheads. It can also speed up the growth of acne-causing bacteria, which feed on the oil our skin makes.

Killing bacteria

Aloe vera for acne works because it kills the bacteria that causes acne because it is antibacterial.

Aloe vera has properties that kill bacteria, but it has not been shown to kill the bacteria that cause acne.

Aloe vera is very good at killing some types of bacteria, but it is not as good at killing acne-causing bacteria, which are called P. acnes. There is no evidence that the plant can kill an overgrowth of P. acnes on its own.

For that, you’ll need an ingredient like benzoyl peroxide, which has been shown to reduce the amount of acne-causing bacteria (like P. acnes) on your skin.

So, we put 3.5% benzoyl peroxide in our Acne Treatment Serum. Our formula is strong enough to kill bad bacteria without being too harsh on your skin while it heals.

Managing Inflammation

Aloe vera helps acne because it protects the skin and reduces inflammation, which helps stop acne from forming.

One of the best ways to stop acne is to reduce inflammation, but research is very mixed on whether aloe vera reduces inflammation enough to help acne.

Many people believe this because aloe vera is so good at treating sunburn, which causes inflammation, and acne is linked to inflammation.

When our skin gets hurt, it sets off an immune response, which leads to inflammation, which helps protect the skin from more damage.

This makes the skin swell a little, and when acne forms, the pores get smaller and trap oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria inside.

The anti-inflammatory response in the skin is also set off by sunburn, so this reasoning is not completely wrong. This claim that aloe vera can reduce inflammation has also been looked at by doctors, but the data is, at best, not clear.

How to use aloe vera at home

Fine says it’s easy to add aloe vera to your skin care routine if you want to use it to treat acne. She says, “Aloe vera gel can be used like a face mask a few times a week as part of a treatment plan for acne or redness. It can be used safely with other products.” Just don’t forget to do a spot test on your inner arm to make sure your skin doesn’t freak out before putting it all over your face.

Fine says that putting your aloe vera in the fridge will make it last longer and help it calm your skin even more (you’re literally chilling out your acne).

But in general, Fine says that you should always use fresh aloe vera from a plant instead of the gel you buy at the store. “It’s hard to tell how much aloe vera is in products you buy at the store,” says Fine. (In fact, Bloomberg found in 2016 that some stores sold “aloe vera” products that didn’t have any aloe vera in them.)

If you don’t know how to grow plants or don’t have the space or time to start growing aloe vera at home, check the ingredients list on any aloe vera product you’re thinking about buying. If aloe vera is one of the first few ingredients on the list, you can be sure that it is the main ingredient in the product.

7 ways to use aloe vera to treat acne

It is likely that not every method will work for everyone, but aloe vera is very gentle on the skin, so there is little risk in trying it.

Aloe vera is an alternative medicine, so there are no rules about how much or how strong it should be. Here are some ideas for how you might be able to use aloe vera for acne.

People shouldn’t put anything new on their faces before talking to a doctor or dermatologist. They can also tell people how aloe vera might interact with any other medicine they are taking.

1. Pure aloe vera

Researchers have found that aloe vera has some qualities that may make it useful for treating acne. For instance, aloe vera gel is:

• An antibacterial
• An antioxidant
• An anti-inflammatory

If someone wants to avoid getting acne, they can use pure aloe vera cream instead of a traditional cleanser. This works because aloe vera has antibacterial properties that kill bacteria on the skin. This makes it less likely that spots will form.

Some people put aloe vera on their acne and leave it on overnight to help get rid of it. In the morning, you should wash it off.

There are a lot of different kinds of aloe vera gel you can buy online.

2. Aloe vera and lemon juice

Acne may also be helped by citric acid, which is found in fruits like lemons. Since pure lemon juice is acidic, mixing it with aloe vera may stop the acid from causing skin irritation.

Aloe vera and lemon juice can be mixed 8 to 1 to make a face mask. The mask is then spread evenly over the face and left on for about 10 minutes. Importantly, they should keep the mask away from their eyes and wash it off well afterward.

3. Cinnamon, aloe vera, and honey

You could also try making a face mask with honey, cinnamon, and aloe vera. This may help to calm acne. Aloe vera has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that are similar to those of cinnamon and honey.

In a small bowl, a person can mix about 2 tablespoons (tbsp) of honey, 1 tbsp of aloe vera, and 14 teaspoons (tsp) of cinnamon to make a cinnamon, honey, and aloe vera face mask. You can put this on your face, leave it there for 10 minutes, and then wash it off with warm water.

4. Aloe vera gel and tea tree oil

New research from 2017 shows that gels and face washes with tea tree oil may help treat mild to moderate acne.

People shouldn’t leave tea tree oil on their skin for a long time, but if they mix it with aloe vera, it could be used as a cleanser.

Mix water, aloe vera, and 2 to 3 drops of tea tree essential oil to make a cleaning solution. Some people are allergic to tea tree oil, so it is important to wash off the solution after a few minutes with water.

5. Aloe vera spray

A diluted aloe vera solution can be sprayed on the skin to hydrate it without making it shine or producing more oil.

To make a spray, a person can mix about 2 parts water to 1 part aloe vera. You can put the solution in a spray bottle and spray it on the affected area, avoiding the eyes.

6. Coconut oil, sugar, and aloe vera scrub

A lot of the over-the-counter exfoliants have chemicals in them. If someone doesn’t want to use chemicals, they can make their own scrub with coconut oil, sugar, and aloe vera.

The grains in sugar get rid of the dead skin cells. Studies show that the main ingredient in coconut oil, lauric acid, may help fight acne.

Sugar, coconut oil, and half of an aloe vera leaf can be mixed together to make a scrub. After the scrub is mixed, it can be put on the affected area and then washed off.

You shouldn’t exfoliate too often, and you should always talk to a doctor before using exfoliating creams on acne, since they can make the skin even more sensitive.

7. Creams

A lot of over-the-counter acne creams have aloe vera in them. People can tell which products have aloe vera by looking at the label for the list of active ingredients.

Because aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties, it might be a good idea to use creams with it every day to help fight acne.

Risks and side effects

Aloe vera that is put on the skin rarely causes an allergic reaction. But there are some signs that drinking aloe vera may be bad for you.

Some people may have an allergic reaction to aloe vera, but it is rare. Redness, a rash, or swelling can all be signs of an allergy. Stop using aloe vera if you start to feel sick. If someone is worried about how they feel, they should see a doctor.

Aloe vera is used in many ways that involve mixing it with other things. These ingredients could cause a skin reaction in people who are allergic to them. If an ingredient makes your skin feel bad, you should stop using it.

In Conclusion

Aloe vera is a safe and possibly effective way to treat acne and keep it from getting worse.

There are different ways to treat acne at home using aloe vera, and one or more of these treatments may work.