Aloe Vera Plant & Acne

Acne is a complicated condition, so there are scores of aggressive treatments on offer to clear the blockages, kill the infecting bacteria, and remove the dead skin cells that contribute to acne's brutal cycle. Such treatments leave significant skin irritation in their wake. If you're the possessor of chapped, red, scarred post-treatment skin, take heed: The humble aloe vera plant has the power to moisturize, soothe and heal (and it's blessedly inexpensive, too).

What Is Acne?

• According to a definition given by the University of Maryland Medical Center, "Acne is an inflammatory skin condition characterized by clogged pores, blackheads and pimples." The condition involves the inharmonious interaction of the skin's oil glands, hair follicles and dead skin cells, leaving the follicles blocked, infected and inflamed.

Benefits

• The juice in the succulent leaves of the aloe vera plant has been prized for thousands of years for its soothing, healing properties. The juice is rich in mucopolysaccharides, which are believed to speed healing by acting to reduce inflammation. Aloe is used to treat many skin complaints (among them psoriasis, burns and allergic rashes) but has special usefulness for acne. Aloe vera juice can't prevent acne from forming; however, it moisturizes without clogging pores, reduces the inflammation caused by some acne medications, and minimizes scarring.

Choosing Aloe

• Extracted aloe vera gel is retailed at almost every drugstore in the United States. If you're lucky, your local grocery store may sell large aloe leaves in the produce section. Once cut, a leaf will keep for about a week in the refrigerator. The important factor in choosing aloe for acne is purity, so check labels carefully for additives (such as sunburn-specific formulations, which may contain numbing chemicals).

Growing Aloe

• If you want to be assured of the absolute purity of the aloe you use on your skin, grow a plant. Since it's an easy-care, unthirsty succulent, aloe is a breeze to grow (and doesn't even mind being forgotten about on a sunny windowsill for a while). When you're ready to use it on your skin, simply cut a small piece from one of the leaves, and squeeze the gel onto a clean finger or cotton-tipped swab.

  An additional benefit of growing your own aloe plant is purely economic. Packaged acne-specific moisturizers tend to be expensive, whereas growing one's own aloe plant is a startlingly reasonable alternative.

Applying Aloe

• To apply aloe to acne-affected areas, first clean your hands thoroughly (whether or not you intend to use a cotton-tipped swab to apply the gel). You may use the gel as an all-over treatment or only on affected areas.

  Even though pure aloe is very gentle, it only belongs on the skin's surface; avoid contact with your eyes, mouth and the inside of your nose. You can apply aloe throughout the day as needed, but make your applications light (so the gel doesn't build up into sticky deposits and trap unsightly dirt between washings).