If you live in the Southwest US, you may already know the refreshing and soothing feeling of apply aloe vera gel to the skin – especially sun-parched skin. The gooey, yet sticky, substance provides a relief that is cooling and kind.
A One-of-a-Kind Facial
The substance is even used at spas in the US, such as the Eforea spa at the Hilton in Aruba. The spa’s Aloe Sun Relief Wrap provides soothing relief in the form of a nutrient-rich cream and aloe vera – one meant to cool and moisturize the skin after a day of play in the Caribbean sunshine. Additional attention is placed on the face – to protect and repair its delicate features.
Both men and women at the resort can enjoy the benefits of aloe – products based on the gel, which is prominent in the Aruban culture. Aloe not only feels good and soothing on the skin, its nutrient-rich ingredients protect the skin from free radicals. Free radicals trigger oxidation, which speeds up the aging process and wrinkles the skin.
What the Experts State
According to Renee Rouleau, a celebrity esthetician and expert in skincare, aloe vera contains polysaccharides. These ingredients provide hydration and anti-inflammatory benefits, which protect the skin. Aloe also contains phytosterols, which soothe irritations and itchiness. These substances protect the skin, preventing trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).
The gel holds compounds that contain vitamins A, C, and E, including the B vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, potassium, and magnesium. All these nutrients hydrate the skin and prevent lines and wrinkles. Aloe can also be used to reduce skin inflammations or irritations, such as eczema and acne.
How Aloe Helps Burns
Any burn results when water evaporates from the skin, creating a tight an uncomfortable feeling. Aloe prevents this from happening by creating a moisture barrier plus hydration. Because aloe hydrates the skin, the skin heals more quickly.
Some Aloe Facials You Can Make at Home
An Aloe and Cucumber Facial
If you want to make your own organic facial at home, take fresh aloe vera gel and combine it with some cucumber slices. Include a couple drops of lemon juice into the mix. Apply this paste on the skin, leaving it set about 20 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm water. All the ingredients will protect and hydrate the skin.
Aloe Vera, Banana, and Honey
If you use a commercial product to moisturize your skin in hot weather, it can be difficult. The liquid may be oily, which causes you to sweat. However, an aloe, banana, and honey pack will moisturize your skin and keep it soft, non-greasy and glowing. Simply mix all the ingredients in equal parts, blending them well before applying them on the skin. Massage gently. Rinse with lukewarm water before patting the skin dry.
Aloe Vera and Olive Oil
If you suffer from dry skin, this facial is meant for you. All you need to do is add a small bit of olive oil to fresh aloe vera gel and mix well. Apply the facial to the skin and leave it on while you sleep. In the morning, rinse off the mix. You will be amazed how soft your skin feels.
Aloe Gel and Yogurt
Combine aloe vera gel and yogurt in a bow, mixing the ingredients well. Apply the facial to the skin and leave it on until it dries. Rinse with lukewarm water. This combination of ingredients will keep your skin hydrated and cool.
Aloe Vera Gel Plus Rose Water and Almond Oil
You can also use aloe vera in a mix to moisturize oily skin. Mix fresh aloe vera gel with rose water and almond oil in a bowl. Apply to the skin and leave the facial on 15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water. Rose water rejuvenates the skin while the almond oil and aloe hydrate the skin. This mix keeps the skin from feeling sticky or greasy.
Keeping Wrinkles at Bay
Needless to say, because aloe vera hydrates the skin, it can also be used on the hair and be used in an anti-aging mask. For anyone who experiences dull-looking skin, along with lines and wrinkles, the following mask can be prepared.
Anti-aging Aloe Mask
Add one egg white, beaten until it peaks with 3 teaspoons of aloe vera gel. Combine the mixture with 2 tablespoons of China clay or kaolin, 2 teaspoons of almond paste, and 1 teaspoon of fresh cream. Place the mix on the skin for about 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water. This mask will tighten and firm the skin so it looks refreshed and instantly younger.
Why Aloe Vera Gel Prevents Aging and Dryness
According to one study, enzymes, known as matrix metalloproteins, degrade the youth-giving collagen in the skin. Researchers showed that the occurrence of wrinkles were reduced. Aloe vera was shown to reduce the manufacture of matrix metalloproteins.
How Wrinkling Occurs
Before you delve deeper into aloe’s hydrating properties, you need to learn more about wrinkling. Wrinkles result from a number of factors, including the following:
1) The skin loses elasticity as people get older, thereby causing wrinkles. The layers of fat that add plumpness to young skin decrease with age, causing the skin to loosen or sag.
2) UV rays causing wrinkles to form because they break down collagen and elastin fibers.
3) Smoking also lends to wrinkling.
4) Using repetitive facial expressions, such as frowning, squinting, or smiling, leads to the formation of lines and wrinkles.
5) Nutritional deficiencies lead to wrinkling and lines.
Women tend to develop more wrinkles around the mouth than men. The skin is thinner in this area on a woman, which explains part of the reason for increased wrinkling.
Types of Wrinkles
Wrinkles come in various forms, as follows:
1. Dynamic wrinkles appear when the muscle below the skin contracts. These wrinkles are seen in the areas of the forehead and near the eyes.
2. Static wrinkles develop for reasons of lifestyle or genetics. For example, continuous exposure the sunlight or the habit of smoking causes static wrinkling.
3. Wrinkle folds result from the sagging of muscles in the face. These folds cause groove-line lines to form between the mouth and nose, also known as a nasolabial groove.
Why Wrinkles Form
While lines and wrinkles increase with age. Other factors contribute to their formation. These factors include the following:
1. Habitual smoking. Because smoking reduces blood circulation, it causes skin damage and wrinkling. People who smoke can see wrinkles as young as 30 years old.
2. Genetics. Your DNA will also determine lines and wrinkling. If your family tends to wrinkle easily, you need to use aloe vera gel packs or facials and use sun protection products when exposed to the sun.
3. Skin tone. People with lighter skin tones are usually affected by exposure to the sun over people whose skin tends to be darker.
4. Exposure to sunlight. If you get a heavy dose of UV rays, you are more likely to experience wrinkling over women or men who protect their skin against UV rays.
5. Facial expressions. Habitual frowning or smiling can form ridges beneath the skin, thus accelerating aging.
6. Using strong chemicals. The recurrent use of strong chemicals, such as those found in some skin preparations or cosmetics can trigger premature aging.
Treating Wrinkles
As you can see, aloe vera is a skin-hydrating and age-defying product, as the gel is all natural. It not only eliminates the look of fine lines and wrinkles, it hydrates the skin so it stays supple and soft.
Using Botox versus Aloe Vera
One of the popular wrinkle treaters is Botox. This product, which is injected is derived from a type of bacterial, known as Clostridium botulinum. However, Botox does not eliminate wrinkles, or hydrate the skin like aloe vera. Instead, it blocks the signals transmitted from the nerves to the muscles just below the skin. These signals prevent the muscles from contracting and forming wrinkles. Therefore, use of the product causes the muscles to become paralyzed.
Ways to Prevent Wrinkles
You can use a number of methods to prevent wrinkles from forming. For instance, stay out of the sun between the hours of 10 am to 2 pm in the day, or when the UV rays are strongest. Always wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
You can also prevent wrinkling and lines by wearing a large-brimmed hat or wearing long sleeves. Retinoid creams may also be used to target wrinkles.
Some of the more advanced dermatological options include dermabrasion, non-ablative laser treatments, and laser skin resurfacing.
However, many people want to opt for a cheaper, non-invasive wrinkle-preventing solution. That is where aloe vera comes into play.
How Aloe Vera Can Be Used to Prevent Wrinkles and Reduce Dryness
Aloe vera can help reduce the looks of lines and wrinkles in a number of ways. This anti-aging agent possesses skin-friendly vitamins and minerals – ingredients that make the skin suppler and elastic.
Hydration from the Inside Out
Aloe vera protects the skin from sunburn and maintain skin hydration. It is also considered a great anti-oxidant, as it keeps the skin from wrinkling naturally. The skin-friendly vitamins in aloe vera, include the power antioxidants, vitamins C and E. In fact, one study showed that consumption of aloe vera gel or the plant’s whole leaf led to better skin health.
This is because the availability of phytochemicals protected the vitamins C and E from degradation. This means that consumption of aloe vera in gel or leaf form replenishes the stores of vitamins C and E, both which protect the skin form wrinkles and lines.
Improving the Skin’s Elasticity
Aloe vera’s moisturizing benefits extend to the fibroblast. The fibroblast represents a tissue that assists in the formation of elastin and collagen, both which keep the skin elastic and soft. Aloe promotes collagen production and also softens flaky skin.
Rich in the mineral zinc, aloe vera serves as an astringent – causing the skin to contract and tightening the pores. The gel also maintains the structural health of the skin. Therefore, aloe vera serves to smooth the skin and moisturizes the cells, preventing premature wrinkling.
Improving Antioxidant Defenses
Antioxidants are important compounds in skin health. They scavenge the free radicals that are produced from the environment and stress. Free radical damage the skin – its cells, nucleic acids, and proteins. One study in 2015 investigated the antioxidant capacity of aloe vera.
Tests showed that the consumption of aloe vera increase antioxidant ability of the skin’s plasma membrane. In addition, an increase in protein was observed. This finding demonstrated that aloe vera was able to prevent the oxidative damage caused by environmental stress.
Antioxidant properties in aloe vera come from certain active compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, aldehyde, phytosterols, ketones, and alcohols. Therefore, aloe vera proves to be a potent antioxidant, which can prevent the skin damage that results form oxidative stress and free radicals.
Enhanced Moisturization
When aloe vera is used to moisturize the skin, wrinkles become less pronounced and the skin stays soft and smooth. One short-term study analyzed the hydrating capacity of aloe vera gel. After six days of applying the gel, test results showed an increase in skin hydration. Another study also showed that aloe vera successfully restored skin moisture to normal levels after one or two weeks, depending on the concentration used.
The main reason for dry skin is dehydration of the stratum corneum, which is the technical name for the skin’s outermost layer. One three-week research study revealed that moisture formulation containing aloe vera showed optimum levels of skin hydration. Studies have determined that the application of aloe vera can restore hydration the skin, preventing further irritation and dryness, thus stopping the formation of future wrinkles.
Using Home Remedies for Dryness and Wrinkling
Using the Gel for the Eye Area
You can use several aloe home remedies to prevent wrinkling and to treat specific facial area. For example, pure aloe vera gel can be used under the eyes. Never rub the skin too hard in this area, as it is delicate and thin. Don’t allow the gel to come into contact with the eyes. Because aloe vera gel contains vitamins A, C, and E, it will nourish the skin and prevent wrinkling beneath the eyes. Apply the gel and wash it off after a few minutes.
You can also use the gel to prevent puffy bags beneath the eyes. The anti-inflammatory properties of the gel will reduce the appearance of bags. Crow’s feet, at the corners of eyes, can be prevented with the use of the gel. Because the gel contains B vitamins, vitamin C, niacinamide, and 18 amino acids, the skin, in this area, will appear firmer and less lined.
Creating Aloe Vera Lotion
You can also use the following recipes to create moisturizing lotions:
1. Mix 1 cup of aloe vera gel with one capsule of vitamin or one teaspoon of vitamin E liquid. Add one tablespoon of soy lecithin. Heat a sauce pan and melt 1/3 cup of beeswax with olive oil. Add the mix, when cooled, to the aloe mixture. Include 1/4 cup jojoba oil or sweet almond oil and 4 drops of an essential oil (lavender or sandalwood). Mix all the ingredients well and refrigerate in a tight plastic container. You can keep this aloe lotion for about three months.
2. Blend together 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil with the juice of a cucumber and add 1/2 cup of aloe vera gel and olive oil in a bowl. Store the ingredients in a refrigerator. Like the above recipe, this moisturizer should last about three months.
Aloe Vera Dosing
Aloe vera gel can be consumed or applied to the skin in gel or lotion form. To consume the gel in liquid form, take about 250 mL of aloe vera extract daily. This amount has been shown to increase antioxidant capacity and prevent wrinkling.
You can also add 30 mL of aloe vera juice to a smoothie or beverage, such as pineapple juice – one to two times each day.
For external applications, use up to .5% aloe vera gel as a moisturizing agent. You don’t need to use much of the gel to obtain maximum hydration.
Aloe Applications
Moisturizing the Face
When applying aloe vera gel, do so gently with the fingertips. Dab the substance lightly. You don’t need to massage the gel deeply into the skin. Warning – If the gel is absorbed too deeply, it can cause the opposite effect, or cause further dryness.
Remember to use only a thin layer of gel (a little dab will do it). Never slather the substance on your face or skin. A thick layer of the gel will not supply added benefits.
For the best results, leave the gel on your face for around 10 minutes. Rinse the face, patting it dry. Never leave the gel on too long. Again, it has a drying effect if you overdo it.
Cleansing the Face
Cleanse you face with aloe twice daily. You can use the gel in place of commercial moisturizers and facial cleansers. Cleanse the face in the morning and at night. Apply a thin layer of the gel to the skin before rinsing it with cool water and patting it dry. Again, never rub the delicate area around the eyes, as doing so can weaken and damage the skin.
Creating a Moisturizing Facial Scrub
If your skin is acne-prone, combine aloe vera gel and brown sugar for a facial scrub. To make the scrub, pour a small measure of brown sugar into your hand, adding the aloe vera gel until the mix is moistened. Spread the mixture over the face, avoiding the delicate skin around the yes. Massage softly for about two minutes before rinsing with cool water and patting the skin dry. Use the scrub about twice weekly.
In Summation –
You can find a number of ways to use aloe vera for your skin care routine. Whether you go to a resort or use it at home, the miracle gel of the aloe vera plant will keep your skin flawless and smooth.