A look at the label: Aloe Vera Leaf Juice

As more brands start to become more environmentally aware, you might find aloe leaf juice mentioned in the ingredients list of numerous products. So what is it, and why is it being deemed as a hero ingredient?

Aloe leaf juice is an ingredient I learned about early on in my transition to natural skincare. I stumbled across a small US brand called Jivi, who produce skincare so natural they claim it’s edible (but don’t suggest eating it), with all their products using aloe leaf juice as their base instead of water.

They explain on their site that aloe vera helps carry all other active ingredients further into the skin, whereas ingredients in water-based products are often left on the surface because the water evaporates.

This explanation swayed me to be more conscious of water-based products, and I started researching the other benefits of aloe vera. And boy are there a lot.

Aloe leaf juice specifically, which is found inside the plant’s leaves and is a gel-like consistency, contains anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which make it ideal for burns, skin irritations and wounds. You can also find vitamins B, C and A (in the form of carotene) in aloe vera, and to top it off, it’s hydrating and calming on the skin.

Infographic by Alysia Georgiades

Knowing all this, I struggled to see the benefits of using products which listed water as its first ingredient, as this not only waters down the product, but doesn’t provide anywhere near as many benefits as aloe leaf juice. This isn’t to say that products which do use water aren’t effective - I still use water-based products which benefit my skin - but for key stages of skincare like moisturising, an aloe vera-based product is ideal.

Don’t be put off if aloe leaf juice, or aloe barbadensis as it’s often written on products, is listed somewhere in the top five, this still means there’s a decent amount of the ingredient in use, it’s just not acting as the product’s base.

For key stages of skincare like moisturising, an aloe vera-based product is ideal

But just because a product contains this wonder-ingredient doesn’t mean it’s any good. I have often picked up products which promote its use of aloe vera, only to find the rest of its ingredients are disappointing, or aloe leaf juice is in the bottom third of the list, meaning only a minute amount of it has been used.

So when you see a product advertising aloe leaf juice, be sure to double-check its role in the product, and all the other ingredients it’s been mixed with. If all is well, then you’ve found yourself a very powerful and good quality product that will do wonders for your skin.