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Grown in tropical areas worldwide, aloe vera is a beautiful succulent plant with medicinal properties. You can grow it indoors as a low-maintenance houseplant which does double-duty as natural burn cream. It’s often used as an ingredient in lotions and ointments, and is also available in gel form for topical application.
Aloe vera can be used to treat burns (including sunburn), minor cuts, and to clear acne. You can use the gel from the plant directly, applying it to affected areas. It also contains enzymes and vitamins that treat dry skin.
Some people are allergic to aloe vera, and this can cause redness, itching, swelling, and difficulty in breathing. Test the product in a small area before using it for the first time. Additionally, aloe vera can sometimes make skin rashes worse, and ingesting aloe can lead to stomach pain, cramps, and other negative side-effects.
Oily skin occurs when the sebaceous glands in the pores are producing more oil, or sebum, than necessary. Sebum is natural in all skin as it keeps the skin moist and healthy. Over production of sebum can be caused by hormones, genetics or could even be a result of dry skin over-compensating by producing extra oil, in order to retain some measure of moisture.
Oily skin can also be caused by using the wrong products for your skin type. For example, if you are using overly drying soaps and astringents for your skin type, your skin may respond by over producing oil to compensate, as mentioned above. This can create an unfortunate cycle of using harsh soaps to eliminate oils, but instead exacerbating the problem.
On the other hand, overly oily makeup and products can also cause oily skin.
Ingredients that help exfoliate dead skin cells to keep pores unclogged and increase new skin cell production, such as Vitamin A/Retinol, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid, are good for treating acne as well. Benzoyl peroxide is a topical agent for fighting bacteria and unclogging pores. It is one of the longest-used medications to keep oily pores clean and healthy. Jojoba oil is also good for fighting bacteria trapped in oily skin and maintaining a moisture barrier to prevent over-production of sebum.
aloe vera may be effective for oily skin, but there are many other factors that may affect whether this ingredient would work on your skin or if there are better ingredients that may work for you. Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skincare routine.
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