It’s common knowledge that you need sunscreen to keep your skin safe during long days in the sun.
However, when you come inside after a long day at the beach, do you find yourself skipping the after-sun care?
After-sun care is an essential part of your skincare routine, and a good aloe vera after-sun gel can make a world of difference to the short and long-term health of your skin.
Let’s dive into the benefits of aloe vera and how to pick an aloe vera after sun gel!
Aloe vera is a cactus-like plant that grows naturally in hot, dry climates. In the United States, we cultivate it in the desert regions of Arizona and New Mexico.
Aloe vera has been valued for thousands of years due to its natural skin-soothing properties. Today, it’s the most common ingredient in after-sun gels for the same reason.
Aloe vera supports healthy skin in many impactful ways. Here are 7 examples of how you might be able to benefit from aloe vera by applying it to your skin:
This is perhaps the most key reason why people use aloe vera today. Its unique properties help to reduce pain, inflammation, and redness, which is exactly what you want when treating sunburns.
Additionally, aloe vera stimulates the production of collagen. This protein helps your body heal faster, helping you to recover from your sunburn in less time.
Research also indicates that aloe vera can help to treat dry skin, which is something that a lot of people get after spending too much time in the sun.
Aloe improves the structural integrity of the skin and helps it retain more moisture – a big help after it’s been dehydrated in the sun!
There’s also strong support that suggests aloe vera can help to reduce the symptoms of itchy skin. The research isn’t conclusive here, but it’s a benefit that a lot of people report receiving after using aloe vera.
You may even be able to reduce acne by regularly applying aloe vera to the inflamed areas. This is also made possible by aloe vera’s natural moisturizing and skin-protecting qualities.
One study found that aloe vera, when used alongside traditional acne medicine, was effective at reducing acne lesions in people with mild to moderate acne.
Aloe vera is very good at absorbing into the skin because it has the same pH level as your skin. That means it’s effective at helping moisturizing agents disperse throughout your skin in more comprehensive ways.
As we noted above, aloe vera helps to boost your skin’s production of collagen and protects against dry skin. It’s also full of vitamins like E, C, and beta-carotene.
When you put it all together, you get a substance that may help you fight back against fine lines and wrinkles.
The best part about all of the benefits covered above is that you can get them all from a 100% natural substance.
Aloe vera is a plant that’s been used in holistic medicine for centuries. So if you’re looking for a non-chemical way to take better care of your skin after a day in the sun, this could be your ideal option.
With so many benefits coming from an all-natural substance, you may be asking yourself whether there are any downsides to using aloe vera. Though aloe vera is generally considered to be very safe, there are a few things to keep in mind before using it:
Some people may experience side effects when using aloe vera.
You have a higher chance of being allergic to it if you’re also allergic to garlic, onions, or tulips. Oral aloe also has a laxative-like effect. If you consume too much of it, then you may experience cramping and diarrhea.
There are also a few rare – but potentially serious – health risks that you need to know before using aloe vera.
High doses of oral aloe vera can be dangerous and may even cause acute kidney failure if you take more than 1 gram of it several days in a row.
You also shouldn’t take any aloe vera if you have a pre-existing condition like heart disease, hemorrhoids, kidney problems, or diabetes.
Finally, aloe vera isn’t meant to treat serious burns and deep cuts. If you’ve got a problem that goes beyond a nasty sunburn, then don’t rely on aloe vera to fix it for you. It’ll still be important for you to visit a doctor to resolve the issue.
One last word of warning is that aloe vera can have some unintended interactions when combined with heart and diabetes medications.
If you currently take these, you may still be able to use aloe vera safely. You would just want to consult with your doctor before doing so to make sure that it won’t be a problem.
As with any product, there are some very real differences in the quality of the different types of aloe vera gel that you find on a store shelf or online.
Picking a good aloe vera gel will ensure that you get as much out of this skin treatment as possible. There are three main things to consider while you shop:
If you’re buying an aloe vera gel, you want to be sure that it’s got a high proportion of aloe vera in it. Otherwise, you won’t get as many benefits from it as you might expect!
The easiest way to do this is by looking at the ingredients list on the packaging. You should see aloe vera listed near the top of the ingredients list. If you don’t, that means the product you’re looking at doesn't have a very high concentration of aloe vera.
While you do this, it’s also worth keeping an eye out for any qualifiers used on the packaging. If there are words that modify the name aloe vera, that could be a sign that you’re not getting the real deal.
How you plan on using aloe vera will determine which type of it is right for you. You can get in make-up, sunscreen, and after-sun lotion.
Each type of aloe vera product will offer different benefits. So you want to make sure that you select the specific product type that will give you the benefits that you’re looking for.
Another way to determine the quality of an aloe vera product is to look at the color of the gel. Pure aloe vera looks slightly translucent or gold. So if you find a product with a color like this, that’s a good sign that it’s got a lot of aloe vera in it.
Aloe vera gel has a very straightforward application process. When you get a sunburn, just apply a layer of aloe vera gel over the burn as soon as you get home.
Repeat this process 5-6 times per day for several days. If you do that, you’ll protect your skin, feel better, and speed up the healing process of your sunburn.
You don’t have to use aloe vera gel the next time you get a sunburn, and you’ll certainly still recover eventually without it.
But why wouldn’t you want to take advantage of everything that aloe vera can offer you?
It can help:
Plus, you can get a high-quality bottle of it for about $10. So it’s not like you need to break your budget to try this remedy out either.
Finding a good aloe vera after-sun gel will help you take better care of your skin and recover faster from painful sunburns.
The next time you’re in the market for a high-quality, soothing aloe vera after-sun gel, check out Australian Gold’s offerings.
Our after-sun gel is affordable and packed with nutrient-dense ingredients like:
It’s just what you need to keep your skin safe, healthy, and comfortable the next time you enjoy a sunny day outdoors.
