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The Best Aloe Vera Skincare Products
By Gabriella Buckner - 7 months ago | Updated
You might’ve caught too much sun on your summer holidays, or have naturally dry, sensitive skin. Or maybe it’s breakouts you’re dealing with, but a lot of astringent formulas are too harsh for your already damaged skin. Maybe you just want comfortable, hydrated skin but don’t know the best ingredients to look for.
Well, the answer might be as simple as a common house plant.
What is Aloe Vera?
Not just for looking fab in your kitchen window, the clear, slimy substance inside the leaves of the aloe vera plant is the magical ingredient that will calm your irritated, dry or sunburnt skin.
So magical, in fact, that Ancient Egyptians even called this spiky succulent the ‘immortal plant’ and 'blood of the gods’. We won’t go that far, but this natural ingredient is definitely something special, with a wide range of benefits and a gentle nature that makes it work well with all sorts of other actives to target your specific skincare needs.
Let’s look at what this immortal goo can do for your skin!
Aloe Vera Benefits
Rich in vitamins (A, C, D and E), minerals (like zinc, magnesium and potassium), fatty acids and amino acids, aloe vera has a plethora of uses.
It helps soothe and heal everything from blisters and sores to psoriasis and nappy rashes with its moisturising effect and high water content, and its cell regeneration properties make it great for healing cuts, burns, sunburn and more. And if you thought that was all, you were sorely mistaken—aloe vera is also antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, combatting redness, irritation and blemish-causing bacteria.
(You can even take it as a supplement, but we’ll be sticking to the topical uses! For more on aloe vera, check out our ingredient guide here.)
What’s the Best Aloe Vera Product For My Skin?
Since aloe vera is so gentle and nourishing, it’s the perfect ingredient to include in cleansers, acne treatments, moisturisers, SPFs and more.
You can definitely use 100% pure aloe vera gel, especially after sun exposure, or even use it straight from the plant if you have one, but we’ve also rounded up the best aloe vera gel products based on your skin concern.
BEST ALOE VERA SUN PROTECTION AND TANNING PRODUCTS
Aloe vera is a vital component in many sun care products, thanks to the healing and anti-inflammatory properties we mentioned earlier. You'll often see it as an after sun product to soothe redness, dryness and sunburn, but it's also great for hydration and preventive care in sun creams and self tanners.
Bondi Sands Hydra Aftersun Aloe Vera Cooling Foam
£6.39 £8.99 (29% off)Specially in fake tanner and sunscreen, Bondi Sands know what's up when it comes to taking care of your skin before, during and after sun exposure. This foam is 95% aloe vera for the ultimate soothing experience after you've had a little too much sun, plus ethically sourced algae for extra hydration.
TAN-LUXE The Face Illuminating Self Tan Drops
£34.29 £38.05 (10% off)Or, if you'd like to look like you've gotten some sun without having to worry about burn, try these self tan drops, which combine aloe vera with raspberry seed oil and vitamin E to keep your skin nourished and moisturised as you build a natural-looking glow.
Hello Sunday The Everyday One Face Moisturiser SPF 50
£15.00 £20.00 (25% off)You'll already expect plenty of hydration from this SPF as it also functions as moisturiser, but Hello Sunday takes it up a notch by blending in aloe vera with panthenol, allantoin and hyaluronic acid for the ultimate moisturising cocktail. Plus, vitamin C and bisabolol shield the skin with antioxidants whilst algae extract protects from blue light and pollution.
Dermaceutic Sun Ceutic SPF 50+ Tinted
£28.80 £36.00 (20% off)Another extremely nourishing sun cream, this Factor 50 from Dermaceutic also offers a tint to blur imperfections, while the aloe vera and hyaluronic acid work hard to improve your skin for long-term results. These two ingredients already do plenty to plump up the skin for a more youthful appearance, but then there's additional stem cell simulator technology for smoothing out fine lines.
BEST ALOE VERA PRODUCTS FOR DRY AND IRRITATED SKIN
Those of us with skin sensitivity know all about dealing with tight, dry and red skin, and we have definitely been burned in the past by cleansers and toners that were far too stripping. Thankfully, those days are mostly behind us, with nourishing ingredients like aloe vera included not only in moisturisers, but also in cleansers and toners to ensure they do their work without irritating the skin.
Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser Aloe Vera
£29.46 £32.70 (10% off)Tough on dirt and gentle on skin, this everyday cleanser calms redness and irritation with - you guessed it - aloe vera, while vitamin E restores and protects your complexion. Your skin's pH is balanced and all debris and makeup melt away when you use this Alpha-H cleanser.
Medik8 Daily Refresh Balancing Toner
£19.00While this toner uses witch hazel to reduce the appearance of pores and tighten your skin, it keeps things gentle with healing niacinamide and aloe vera, plus allantoin for preserving your skin barrier. Balancing the skin rather than stripping it - that's the name of the game!
Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance 2.0
£11.95 £18.00 (34% off)Smooth 'n' soothe your sensitive skin with the incredible hydrating powers of this moisturiser from Dermalogica. The Intensive Moisture Balance 2.0 locks hydration into your skin and plumps up fine lines with hyaluronic acid, echinacea, centella asiatica and aloe vera. There's also a chlorella algae complex for a healthy microbiome and a BioReplenish Complex for skin recovery. Everything your skin's been craving!
BEST ALOE VERA PRODUCTS FOR ACNE
While we tend to think of aloe as a product for dry or sunburnt skin, its soothing properties are just as great for blemishes, which cause a lot of redness and irritation in the skin. Plus, as we mentioned early, this plant's antimicrobial properties are superb at killing breakout-causing bacteria. And even though your blemish-prone skin might be oily, you don't want to strip it and cause it to produce even more oil, so a hydrating ingredient like aloe vera is perfect for all manner of cleansers, toners and moisturisers for your skin type!
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser
£23.60 £24.73 (5% off)This Oil-Reducing Cleanser from Paula's Choice will thoroughly cleanse your skin to remove excess sebum and control overproduction, while aloe vera and sunflower oil soothe the skin and glycerin adds extra hydration.
Medik8 Press & Clear
£30.00Although it contains salicylic acid and tranexamic acid for powerful exfoliation and pore-clearing, the Press & Clear Tonic from Medik8 is still gentle enough for sensitive skin, thanks to, of course, aloe vera and sake extract from fermented rice, as well as a gradual delivery system for the salicylic acid to keep it from irritating your skin. Bye bye blemishes!
Glow Hub Scar Slayer Wand
£8.40 £9.00 (7% off)For a more targeted treatment for blemishes, as well as the scars and dark spots they can leave behind, the Glow Hub Scar Slayer Wand is a go-to. Vitamin C, tranexamic acid and Kakadu plum extract fade discolouration and brighten your complexion. And while they don't shout about the inclusion of aloe vera, it's the first in the product's ingredient list, an underappreciated and ultra-soothing, antioxidant-rich ingredient your skin will love.
BEST EXFOLIATING ALOE VERA PRODUCTS FOR GLOWING SKIN
Similar to the idea behind including aloe vera in anti-acne products with exfoliating salicylic acid, it's a wonderful ingredient in other exfoliants designed to give you your most glowing skin yet. Check out these formulas for a healthy, radiant complexion that's totally comfortable.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
£12.30Get the perfect gentle exfoliation with the glycolic acid in this Toning Solution from The Ordinary. Your skin texture and tone gets refined as Tasmanian pepperberry and ginseng root work together with aloe vera to calm any inflammation from the exfoliation process.
PIXI Glow Peel Pads
£23.87 £26.50 (10% off)Another glow-inducing product (it's literally in the name!), the Glow Peel Pads from PIXI also uses glycolic acid, as well as rose water, to brighten your complexion and reduce the appearance of pores and wrinkles. Then aloe vera, along with vitamin E, come in to soothe, nourish and protect the skin.
PIXI Clarity Cleanser
£17.49 £19.42 (10% off)Also from PIXI is this refreshing cleanser that combines salicylic, lactic and glycolic acids for superior exfoliation and pore-clearing. Probiotics keep your complexion balanced while aloe vera soothes and moisturises.
BEST ALOE VERA PRODUCTS FOR ALL SKIN TYPES
You don't need to have a specific skin concern to be able to reap the benefits of aloe vera. Its hydrating and antioxidant properties are great for all skin types, as everyone's skin becomes dryer over time and less able to defend itself against free radicals (which antioxidants are great for; read more about this in our blog on Antioxidants and What They Do For Your Skin).
Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser
£16.99 £25.00 (33% off)This Gentle Foaming Cleanser from Clarins removes all traces of makeup, pollution, dirt and oil while still maintaining the skin's moisture levels with aloe vera and detoxifying with moringa extract.
Q+A Seaweed Peptide Eye Gel
£5.21 £7.48 (31% off)Keep your under-eye area looking hydrated and youthful with organic aloe vera, plus collagen-building peptides for skin firmness and witch hazel for reducing redness.
PIXI Body Glow Mist
£19.42Aloe vera isn't just for the face of course, and PIXI's Body Glow Mist utilises it for full-body hydration. There's also 13 natural oils, propolis and fruit extracts to nourish and protect you from head to toe and give you all-over glow. It can even be used a makeup setting spray and refresher and to give hair a luminous sheen. One to keep in your handbag at all times!
If you came to this blog because you had a little too much sun on that holiday, then you'll love the other recommendations in our Best After Sun Products article. And if you'd like to give your skin even more, concentrated nourishment, check out our Top Budget Serums for a powerful shot of skin-loving ingredients that won't break the bank.
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Written by Gabriella Buckner
Gabriella is a junior content writer with a background in creative writing, content marketing and journalism. She’s passionate about all things makeup and skincare, but especially vegan and cruelty-free beauty that is effective and inexpensive.
