Aloe Vera is a natural ingredient in many of Elm Organics' products because of the soothing and healing effects it has on the skin.
Aloe Vera
As one of the earliest recorded healing botanicals, Aloe Vera has played an important role in our history for thousands of years. Native to the Arabian Peninsula, it flourishes in tropical and subtropical regions such as the Caribbean island of Aruba, where Aloe is a major export, and has long been used in Chinese and Indian medicine as a health elixir and wound healer. The Aloe plant stores water in its succulent leaves in the form of a gel, and it is this gel that contains most of the bioactive compounds found in the plant, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.
How does Aloe Vera work?
Studies have shown that Aloe has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties and can be used especially well to treat damaged skin, including sunburn or scars. Its cooling effect, which occurs when it evaporates on the skin, has soothing benefits and it contains six antiseptic agents: Lupeol, Salicylic Acid, Urea Nitrogen, Cinnamic Acid, Phenols and Sulfur, which have antibacterial effects on the skin. This is why you often find Aloe Vera in products that target blemishes and acne, where bacteria is one of the causes.
Aloe also stimulates the cell division of fibroblasts, which produce collagen and elastin fibers, increasing skin elasticity and reducing wrinkles. Aloe has been shown to accelerate wound healing by improving blood circulation and preventing cell death around skin damage. It is also packed with antioxidants, vitamins and fatty acids that have moisturizing, protective and nourishing effects.