10 Best Aloe Vera Gels for Your Skin & Face
As a fair-skinned and freckled person, I’ve been a life-long friend of aloe vera.
I enjoyed long summer days on Cape Cod as a kid that, despite my best efforts, often resulted in painful sunburns and dry skin.
You may be looking for the best aloe vera gel to use after beach days, to hydrate your skin or to battle inflammatory acne. Rest assured, aloe has powerful benefits for a broad range of skin problems.
How to Choose the Best Aloe Vera Gel For Your Face and Skin
Before you grab any old aloe products off the shelf of the skin care section, there are some factors you’ll want to consider.
First of all, what is the problem you want to address? Aloe vera can be used as a topical treatment for:
- Sunburns
- Psoriasis, eczema and dry skin
- Dandruff and seborrheic keratosis
- Minor cuts and scrapes
- Inflammatory acne
- Acne scars
You want to choose an aloe product that has the best formulation for the job. We always recommend looking for pure aloe vera gel or products with only natural ingredients. However, these terms aren’t regulated by the FDA. The best way to evaluate the pureness of your aloe gel is to research the company manufacturing it (don’t worry, we’ve done the research for you).
The products on our list range from facial cleansers to shampoos to the best aloe vera gel. It’s important to know that the leaves of the aloe plant are gel-like inside. That’s why aloe skin care products tend to include gels.
Benefits of Aloe Vera Gel
Pure aloe vera gel contains skin-healthy vitamins A (beta-carotene), C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants that may reduce signs of aging and cellular damage. This effect also makes aloe gel for acne scars a popular choice.
Aloe also contains 8 enzymes, including bradykinase, which helps reduce excessive inflammation.
On top of all these nourishing vitamins and enzymes, aloe vera is rich in phenolic compounds that act as analgesics (pain reducers), anti-bacterials, antivirals and antiallergics.
Skin Types Best Suited for Aloe Gel
People with excessively oily or dry skin are rightly cautious of applying new substances to their faces.
Fortunately, aloe vera is a wonderful option for any skin type.
If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you may be wondering, “Is aloe vera good for acne?” You’ll be relieved to know that aloe vera gel ranks a 0 on the comedogenic scale, meaning it won’t clog pores.
In fact, aloe naturally contains cleansing salicylic acid, an antiseptic that softens sebum (your skin’s natural oil) and allows it to discharge from your pores effectively. Furthermore, aloe vera absorbs into the skin quickly, reducing any chance of trapping unwanted dirt in your pores.
Lastly, aloe calms inflammation caused by pimples for faster healing.
For people with dry skin, aloe vera acts as a moisturizer for the skin while soothing any uncomfortable cracks. An inert substance found in aloe vera called lignin enhances the penetrative effect of moisturizers (and other substances) into the skin.
Takeaway
Depending on your unique skin type, you’ll want to find a product that contains aloe vera, plus ingredients that support your skin care goals.
10 Best Aloe Vera Products
The Best Overall Aloe Vera Gel
Public Goods Organic Aloe Vera Gel
Our aloe vera gel is cruelty-free, vegan and made in Massachusetts. Its simplicity is what makes it an outstanding overall aloe vera gel. Free from dyes, perfumes, alcohol and toxic parabens, you can be sure you’re keeping yourself and your family safe.
Our aloe vera gel-based formula contains pure aloe juice. It’s thickened and preserved with natural ingredients like citric acid to ensure it lasts all summer long. This formula is non-greasy, making it perfect for whole-body sunburns or your nightly beauty routine.
Use this product on minor burns, sunburns, insect bites, dry skin and chafed skin.
Pura D’Or Organic Aloe Vera Gel
This aloe gel is USDA certified organic and free from artificial preservatives. Scented only with lavender, this organic aloe vera gel is rich in vitamins C and E. Pura D’Or’s aloe is harvested and cold-pressed in the USA.
The product goes on smooth, without the sticky residue that some gels leave behind. This soothing, hydrating aloe vera gel brings moisture to dry skin, eczema, and dry, damaged hair and scalp.
The Best Aloe Vera Gel for Acne-Prone Skin
Searching for a daily face wash that won’t dry out your skin? Look no further. This product is perfect for dry, damaged, sensitive skin. Unlike drug store facial cleansers, this formula is designed to clean your skin without stripping it of its natural oils or altering your acid mantle. It’s pH balanced at 5.5, the natural pH level of most people’s skin.
Enjoy the powerful hydrating benefits of aloe and manuka honey. In combination, these ingredients deeply hydrate your skin and seal in moisture. Aloe vera replaces water in this cleanser, ensuring relief from painful acne.
You won’t find sulfates, fragrances, dyes, alcohol or parabens here. On top of that, this product is cruelty-free.
Packed full of vitamin E with a dose of salicylic acid, this acne cleanser calms skin and reduces breakouts, no matter what their cause. This cleanser works wonders on any skin type, including oily, dry, sensitive or normal. Use this product daily for best results.
Instanaturals is a cruelty-free brand. All their products are free from sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, synthetic dyes, petroleum, unsafe preservatives and polyethylene glycol.
The Best Aloe Vera Gel for Sunburns
Honeyskin Organics Stem Cell Therapy Aloe Vera Gel
When you have a sunburn, all you want is for it to heal as quickly as possible. This organic aloe vera gel is packed with skin barrier repairing nutrients, including food-grade stem cells from orchids, apples and cucumbers. The deep moisturizing abilities of aloe and manuka honey increase the rate at which your skin heals by nourishing and protecting dry, irritated skin.
This non-greasy jelly-like formula cools and soothes painful sunburns. Use it as much or as little as you want because this formula doesn’t contain harmful synthetic fragrances, dyes, or chemicals. Honeyskin is a cruelty-free brand.
Severe sunburn? Step up the pain relief with Sunburnt Plus, an after-sun gel that adds 1% lidocaine for faster pain relief.
In addition, this product contains aloe, calendula, echinacea, cantharis, cucumber and red algae to moisturize and nourish your skin the botanical way.
This product quickly absorbs into your skin for faster relief. It’s dermatologist tested and cruelty-free. Sunburnt omits sulfates, parabens, glycols, phthalates and dyes. It’s totally synthetic fragrance-free.
At 99.75% USDA organic aloe vera, you get the optimal benefits of the plant without any interference from possibly irritating ingredients. Kate Blanc’s organic aloe vera gel is cold-pressed without added color, fragrance or alcohol. It’s as close as you can get to rubbing an open aloe vera leaf directly on your skin. This product is cruelty-free.
The Best Aloe Vera Gel for Dry Skin
Greenleaf Naturals Aloe Vera Gel with Manuka Honey for Eczema
Whether you’re suffering from painfully itchy eczema or garden variety dry, flaky skin, this combination of soothing aloe vera and hydrating manuka honey could help.
The creamy formula absorbs quickly so you can feel its anti-itch, anti-inflammatory effects immediately. Reduce irritation bumps by healing your skin for a smooth, moisturized feeling.
This product is cruelty-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, kosher, 71% organic and made in the USA.
Himalaya Moisturizing Face Wash
This face wash is designed specifically for those of us with dry skin. It skips ingredients that could further dry out your skin, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Instead, it uses hydrating aloe vera and cucumber to deeply clean your pores without stripping them of their natural oils.
This product is hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested. Himalaya never tests on animals.
The Best Aloe Vera Gel for Your Scalp & Hair
Honeyskin Organics Hair Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner
Sure, you can use our pure aloe vera gel as a hair mask, but for those of you with frustratingly persistent dandruff and dry hair, a daily hair care regimen might be required. That’s where Honeyskin’s shampoo and conditioner come in.
This product is a life saver for those of us who struggle with frizzy, unruly hair. The simple formula containing pure manuka honey and aloe vera soothes and hydrates your scalp.
Nourished hair follicles result in healthier, stronger hair. It’s a one-two punch that results in voluminous locs.
Honeyskin makes all their products in the USA. They never use parabens, sulfates or synthetic fragrances. And they never test on animals!
How to Use Aloe Vera Gel to Heal and Soothe Your Skin
Using aloe to soothe and moisturize your skin is as easy as squirting it onto your hand and massaging it into the affected skin. You should apply enough to create a thin layer of gel over the affected area.
When treating a sunburn with aloe vera gel, be sure to cover the whole burn. Apply aloe vera 2 to 3 times per day until symptoms improve. You should find that your sunburn heals faster and hurts less when using aloe vera versus letting it heal naturally or using lotions with irritating dyes and fragrances.
For a fresh face, add aloe vera to your morning and evening beauty routine. After your morning shower, apply a pea-sized amount of aloe vera to your face as a moisturizer. In the evening, remove your makeup and wash your face. Then, apply aloe gel to your clean face before bed to moisturize your face all night long.
Hopefully, you’ll notice a fresher, more youthful appearance and reduced acne and scarring.
Lastly, you can find aloe vera-infused products. For example, our bamboo wet wipes contain aloe for a more refreshing clean. We also never want our clients to leave the shower feeling dry, so we added aloe to our shampoo bar.
Aloe has many positive benefits on your skin, whether it’s damaged or healthy. Just be sure you’re getting the real deal by perusing the products above.
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