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Benefits of using aloe vera in your skincare routine

10 Oct 2019

by O. Ten

Hello Wonderlanders!

We are often thinking about how to help our customers to make a more educated choice when it comes to skincare products. The most important thing (as you all know) is taking a good look at ingredients with which the product is formulated. This is why we are starting a series of blog posts that will give you a ‘must know’ information about common skincare ingredients! Let’s begin!

This blog post will be about Aloe Vera, an ingredient familiar to all of us and present at least to some extent in nearly all Korean skincare products. So, where did it come from and why k-beauty producers are obsessed with it?

Interesting Facts about Aloe Vera:

The first (known) reports about skincare benefits of Aloe Vera juice go as far as 6,000 years ago to ancient Egypt. Cleopatra and Nefertiti themselves both used this natural product in their daily beauty rituals, states Aloe Medical Group International.
Aloe Vera feeds on air and thrives in dry earth, which is why it is not that difficult to take care of this plant in home conditions
Aloe Vera is not only beneficial for your skin, but also for your hair! It prevents hair breakage, and makes it soft and shiny. When used on scalp, Aloe Vera reduces dandruff and irritation and promotes hair growth

To be clear about what exactly is so special about Aloe Vera plant, let’s closely look at some of its constituents and start with some of the vitamins. As all of you know, vitamins are essential micronutrients that oftentimes cannot be produced by our body in sufficient amounts…or at all! An instance of this would be Vitamin B12 (that Aloe Vera contains), which is important for the formation of cells and hence, for healthy skin, hair and nails. Aloe Vera also contains the life-time besties: Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Vitamin C works to brighten skin complexion, reduce an appearance of wrinkles and fine lines and even out skin tone (particularly useful if you are tackling hyperpigmentation). However, Vitamin C does make your skin more vulnerable to sun exposure. This is when its bestie Vitamin E comes to help. It makes your skin less sensitive to sun rays as well as boosts the functions of Vitamin C mentioned earlier.

Additionally, Aloe Vera is rich with Vitamin A (also known as Retinol) , which works to increase the production of collagen, reduce sebum secretion, repair the structure of dermis and heal wounds. Definitely a star ingredient in all anti-aging and anti-acne products. Among other constituencies, Aloe Vera contains 8 types of Enzymes, each of which serve as catalysts to particular chemical reactions. Bradykinase, for instance, is an enzyme that is responsible for healing wounds and relieving inflammations. It does so by breaking down the inflammation mediator our body produces.

Minerals such as:

Copper (an element that becomes Copper Peptides if combined with three amino acids in formulation of products. Copper peptides rejuvenate skin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and neutralize free radicals)
Calcium (this elements is found within epidermis and maintains the overall healthy condition of your skin by helping to regulate sebum secretion and skin turnover cycle)
Zinc (oftentimes this element is present in SPF products as it helps to protect skin from harmful sun rays)

Other constituents:

Fatty Acids and Amino Acids are also present in Aloe Vera and possess antibacterial properties, reduce inflammation, heal wounds and strengthen skin’s protective barrier.
Salicylic Acid acts as anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent.
Lignin is a substance that Aloe Vera is famous for. It boosts the penetration of other ingredients into skin, thus, increasing the effectiveness of skincare products

Overall benefits of Aloe Vera:

Having said all that, the bottom line is: Aloe Vera is a plant full of nutrients that promote a healthier skin condition. It restores moisture of your skin as well as works as an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredient, which is particularly beneficial for acne-prone, dry or irritated/damaged skin. There are plenty of products on Little Wonderland website that contain Aloe Vera ingredients, but here are some of our recommendations for particular skin types: