Via AloeVera.com

Hair issues, such as hair loss or thinning, excessive frizz, dryness, or oiliness, as well as scalp conditions, including dandruff, scaly, or itchy skin plague, millions of Americans each day. Aloe vera shampoos and conditioners have been around for years and serves as an ideal alternative to commercial hair products. For gorgeous, healthy looking hair, try natural aloe vera.

Promoting Hair Growth

Aloe vera can be used as a safe and natural treatment to prevent hair loss. It is great for both men and women to promote new hair growth in places that have experienced hair loss or significant thinning. Aloe vera stimulates the production of new hair and may even lessen the effects of Alopecia.

Nourishing Shampoo

The aloe vera plant is packed with essential vitamins and minerals that aid in restoring hair’s strength and beauty. When combined with coconut milk and oils, such as wheat germ oil or jojoba, aloe vera gel can make a revitalizing shampoo that not only works to prevent hair loss but also promotes new hair growth. Aloe vera gel can be added to favorite shampoos to deliver nourishing benefits. When combined with herbs, essential oils, and plant extracts, the nutritive benefits of aloe vera are multiplied exponentially.

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By Cipriana of Urbanbushbabes.com

For years I used products containing mineral oil to coat my strands. Many manufacturers use mineral oil in a majority of products that contain synthetic ingredients because of its behavior as a preservative. Mineral oil is the result of the distillation of petroleum which acts as a saran wrap against your scalp, slowing down one of the skin’s main job which is to eliminate toxins. On the other hand natural oils are easily absorbed by the skin.

When I used products that consisted mostly of synthetic materials such as Blue Magic I’m not going to lie my hair did grow, but it was not until I switched to all natural products that I began to see the true potential of my growth capability. Before the change in my regimen I experienced a GREAT deal of shedding and dandruff. Now those days are far behind. I’m still fascinated by how are body responds to topical products. Not only is it important to watch what we put into our bodies but what we put on it as well.

My boyfriend’s grandfather is full Cherokee Indian and when we met three years ago he always talked about the importance of what you put on your body, coming from a background of ancestors rich in a holistic lifestyle. But I could not and would not give up my trusty Coconut Blue Magic until just about a year ago. When I finally gave in to the natural “stuff” I was determined that this was just a trial period and I would be back on my good old Blue Magic in no time. Well it’s been a year later and I am still using the natural “stuff”. For years I had been so accustomed to my hair feeling greasy from the mineral oil based products that it took me a while to really understand what my hair felt like with natural oils.

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Over the next few weeks our resident scientist, Jc will be examining products and ingredients that are popular in the natural hair world — not to disparage them, but to provide a well-rounded view of them. Check it out:

Aloe Vera is a natural plant which is currently being researched for its possible medicinal properties. The plant has a natural gel which can be obtained by squeezing from the leaf. Commercially this gel can be added to crushed leaf to give aloe vera juice extract. Aloe vera is very complex in composition but is mainly composed of a large number of sugars.

Benefits

1.  It is natural and fresh aloe vera can be obtained simply by purchasing and keeping a plant.

2. It is generally regarded as non toxic however due to the very high sugar content it is not advisable for diabetics or people with kidney problems to consume without getting advice from a doctor. 

3. The large sugar content allows it to act as a humectant (i.e trap and hold water).  It may therefore help moisturise hair.

4. In general, aloe vera gel and juice has a low pH (generally between 3 and 6) but this will vary according to the manufacturer. For those looking to reduce pH of their products,aloe vera is a possible natural choice.

5. Outside of hair, it can also be used to soothe burns as well as possibly help with wound healing. It can also help with skin moisturisation.

Risks / Negatives

1.  As aloe vera is natural, it is variable in composition depending on where the plant was grown. It is therefore possible to experience batch to batch variation with commercial products.

2.  Commercially, aloe vera is modified to allow it to have a longer shelf life. It does still in general have a short life span generally requiring refrigeration once opened and discarding after 2-3 weeks. If mixing with conditioner, ideally aloe vera should be added to a separate container and not the main conditioner bottle/jar.

3. Fresh aloe vera (i.e squeezed out of a leaf) is not suitable for storing and should be used immediately.

4. For those strictly adhering to natural products do note that some commercial aloe vera juices and gels can have added synthetic ingredients (mainly to ensure their shelf life).

Ladies, do you use aloe vera on a regular basis? Have you experienced any of these pros and cons?

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