Aloe vera in the era of cosmeceuticals

Since that time, aloe vera grew as a novelty, but became a commodity when products were subjected to adulteration. As such, aloe vera fell victim to its own success. The enabler for that situation was the lack of understanding, transparency on quality and clinical reports regarding the function. Fortunately, these days, more information is available and needs to be communicated to the public, and although much remains unknown, we now know enough to assess the quality of aloe vera and restore its reputation.

Inside aloe vera

Aloe vera is well known all over the world. Often people think the plant is like a cactus, while actually it belongs to the lily family. The Liliaceae family, which also contains garlic and onion, is known for its medical benefits and, recently, aloe vera was assigned a specific sub-group within Liliaceae, the Aloaceae. The plant is built up from several layers, with the the skin and sap layer forming the outer part of the plant which contains anthraquinones. The mucilage layer and the gel fillet form the inner part of the plant and within these two inner layers the most precious bio-active compounds, nutrients and moisture are stored. Various research indicates that aloe vera holds over 200 active compounds. The plant contains high amounts of amino acids, enzymes, mono- and polysaccharides, minerals, salicylic acid, saponins, sterols and vitamins. Impressively, the plant also contains eight essential amino acids which cannot be produced by the human body. In addition, aloe vera contains many vitamins, A,B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and E from which the body can benefit, both on the outside and within. To know what is inside aloe vera helps us to understand why it has such a positive effect on the human body.