No one likes acne. It is unpleasant in both sensation and appearance and has been the bane of many since puberty first reared its ugly head. While it is a natural part of how our bodies develop, it is something that most of us would likely prefer to avoid if at all possible.
Since the rise of modern cosmetics, there has been a never-ending struggle to find a solution to acne that would enable us to forgo its effects and live our best lives free of the burden. However, with all of the products from the pharmaceutical industry, the journey continues without an end in sight. Nevertheless, there might exist a more natural approach that mainstream producers have overlooked.
Aloe vera is a substance that has existed in nature for centuries and has seen use in some fairly remarkable ways. One of the more underappreciated uses for aloe vera has been to control acne and help to clear your otherwise healthy skin. With this article, we hope to help inform you of a few ways how aloe vera can help to control pimples.
#1: Pure Aloe Vera to Clean the Skin
The issue with acne is not strictly cosmetic but can be a sign of a more significant issue regarding the health of your skin. Specifically, acne tends to be one of the early signs that your skin is trying to cope with an excess of bacteria in the pores, which leads to the development of common acne known as blackheads.
Blackheads, given the name due to the dark spots they produce on the skin, deceptively appear to result from dirt buildup in the pores. However, they are the result of bacteria and oil buildup. Traditional pimples that you likely experienced in your teens are generally born of the same causes. Bacteria is one of the chief causes of acne.
While there are more than a few antibacterial scrubs, they are not always the ideal choice for those who prefer a more naturalistic approach. This is where aloe vera comes into play. Pure aloe vera gel can be applied topically to the affected parts of the skin.
You might be wondering how a gel commonly used to minimize the pain from sunburns could contribute to managing acne. The fact is that aloe vera itself possesses potent antibacterial properties that make it a highly effective weapon against the threat of bacteria-induced pimples. Aloe vera's antibacterial effects have been proven and can make all the difference in purging bacteria from your pores without the risk of an allergic reaction.
Aloe vera offers these effects because it promotes the flow of blood throughout your system. Even when applied on a surface level, aloe vera boosts blood flow through your pores and enables it to eliminate harmful bacteria. With this in mind, aloe vera gel can even be used as an overnight treatment. Applying it in the evening and washing it off when you wake up the next day promotes blood flow and frees you from skin irritation as a result of the treatment.
#2: Combine Aloe Vera With Other Products to Make a Mask
While aloe vera is one of the ideal products to manage acne, it does not have to be the only product you use. Multiple additional products can be combined with aloe vera to compound its effects with those of the other substances. Taking your aloe vera gel and mixing it with other products with proven anti-acne effects allows you to reinforce your skin against pimples. One of the most common compounds to mix with aloe vera to manage pimples is lemon.
Lemon juice has been used as a home remedy for acne for some time. However, it is a little riskier than aloe vera because lemons are acidic, as with all citric fruits. As a result, using lemon-based products for acne risks irritating or inflaming the skin, damaging it. Therefore, relying strictly on lemon juice would result in some diminished acne but risks harming your skin's overall health.
However, if combined with aloe vera gel, the lemon's anti-acne effects would compound with aloe vera's. Aloe vera neutralizes the acidic qualities of the lemon juice and allows you to use both without the risk of damaging your skin. Although, you will want to ensure your aloe-lemon mix is predominantly composed of aloe vera and to be sure to leave it on for exactly ten minutes before immediately washing it off.
Lemon juice is not the only compound you can combine with aloe vera to double up the anti-acne properties it has to offer. Another commonly used tool alongside aloe vera is oil from tea trees, which has shown some promise as an anti-acne treatment. The studies concluded that tea tree oil successfully treated mild to moderate cases of acne but was less effective for more severe breakouts.
However, combining the oil with aloe vera gel compounds the effects together and helps double up on the benefits each has when dealing with acne. That said, tea tree oil can wreak havoc on those with sensitive skin if left on for too long, meaning you should wash the solution from your face after the resting period is complete to avoid any adverse reactions.
Another effective combination of aloe vera and other compounds involves mixing your aloe with honey and cinnamon to create a face mask. While these might seem like odd ingredients, honey and cinnamon share a common trait with aloe vera that allows you to reinforce the aloe's overall efficacy. Both cinnamon and honey have antibacterial properties. All you need to do is mix the three compounds and apply them to the face for about ten minutes.
While aloe vera offers the main benefits for acne treatment, the additional antibacterial properties of honey and cinnamon should serve to purge acne-inducing bacteria quicker than with aloe vera alone.
Combining aloe vera with other products can be handy in a pinch since it is not the only product capable of helping with acne. However, it has far fewer risks associated with it when compared to other compounds which can harm the skin. So, aloe vera can not only manage the pimples themselves but your potential treatment options.
#3: Aloe Vera Spray
If you are not crazy about applying gel to your face, there are alternatives. Aloe vera spray is a commonly employed alternative to apply aloe vera to skin afflicted by acne without having to rub a gel substance into the skin.
Sprays involve diluted aloe vera solutions packed into spray bottles for application to the skin to hydrate and minimize your body's oil production. Skin oil is one of the leading causes of acne, and those of us that produce an excess of such oils are more prone to severe breakouts. By rehydrating the skin, your body is signaled that it does not need to produce more oil since your skin is already absorbing moisture to open the pores.
Aloe vera is a hydrating substance, so sprays made from aloe vera play a double role in minimizing the production of oil on your skin and applying some of aloe vera's more common effects on existing acne. When applying an aloe vera spray, you should avoid spraying it into your eyes. The last thing you want is to irritate your eyes.
With all of this in mind, it is worth noting that aloe vera spray has a far less effective range than a topical application of aloe vera gel. Therefore, Aloe vera spray should really only be used if gel causes issues for you or as a way to keep your skin hydrated in place of oil production if you are prone to excessive generation of the substance.
Does Aloe Vera Come With Risks?
We would never want you to go into any treatment for any condition or skin ailment without having the full range of information you need to do so safely. So, we know you might want to know if there are any potential side effects or issues you need to be on the lookout for with aloe vera.
The good news is that aloe vera is a safe product for application and consumption alike, with no side effects in and of itself. So, you should be perfectly safe taking advantage of its many benefits for acne management.
This is not true for everyone, as aloe vera can still cause an adverse reaction in a select population. We refer to those who might suffer from an allergy to aloe vera itself, in which case you might experience negative side effects. Granted, the allergic effects of aloe vera on the human body are pretty standard as far as allergic reactions are concerned. Still, there have been reports of people who have ingested aloe vera suffering from:
- Redness of the skin.
- A rash.
- Swelling.
However, the effects are not necessarily life-threatening, and the odds of you having an allergy to aloe vera are rare enough. Though, if you are concerned that you fit into that demographic, we recommend that you consult with your primary care physician to test for an allergy to aloe vera. If you are not allergic to aloe vera, you are free to take advantage of it in all forms.
Keep it All Natural
Aloe vera can be an excellent tool for maintaining your skin in a safe and health-conscious manner without using artificially created compounds. With aloe vera, you can take advantage of a natural resource to cope with a natural issue as it should be.
While acne is just a part of life, aloe vera could be just the solution you need to make sure that it does not control you or your confidence. Aloe vera's antibacterial and hydrating effects make it an excellent way to flush out bacteria and minimize skin oil production. It cooperates with other substances that produce similar, albeit weaker, versions of these effects, only serve to compound its worth as an acne treatment. The only real question is where to get a quality aloe vera product.
For that, we at Bella All Natural are here to help. Our specialized Aloe Vera Gelly is designed for topical application to problem areas to resolve skin issues. It rehydrates and treats skin conditions like rashes and acne while using natural and organically grown aloe vera to accomplish its role. We also have a lot of insight about other ways to enhance your skincare, among other potential cosmetic or health troubles you might face. So, visit our website today and check out what we offer. Just remember to keep it All Natural!
Have you ever tried aloe vera to help combat acne? If so, what were your thoughts on the results? Did it work as well as you hoped it had? Additionally, have you ever given our Aloe Vera Gelly a try? Be sure to leave your feedback on it, as well! We'd absolutely love to hear what you all think, and we hope that you enjoyed it as much as we do!
If you're interested in learning more about aloe vera, the methods in which you can use or take it, or what it can do for you in terms of your health, we've written several articles all about it!
For example, did you know that aloe vera may be able to help you with stomach ulcers? We've written an entire article on the topic, which you can find over here! In another article we wrote, we talked about the benefits of drinking aloe vera juice before or after a workout, which you can read about here! The potential benefits that aloe vera can have for your health is vast, and what we've shared thus far is only a glimpse into its full potential! If you're interested in expanding your knowledge on the topic some more, please be sure to check out our wide collection of articles! We've written not just about aloe vera, but a whole plethora of subjects that could help take your health to the next level!
