3 replies to this topic

[Clearwaters]

Yes, I know, another aloe vera thread. But wait, these questions are different...or maybe not..sorry if they arent.

Ok, firstly, the preservatives in my aloe vera gel are hydroxybenzoate and diazolidinylurea. Sound a bit scary to me but I know of other ingredients with chemical names that turn out to be benign. So does anyone know of the origin and safety of these two ingredients?

Also, I cannot for the life of me find pure 100% aloe vera gel short of taking it from a plant, of which I don't have. Is aloe vera juice ( the sort that you drink) the same as aloe vera gel, for skincare purposes? Or is it from another part of the plant?

Lastly, has anyone used this as a sole or main ingredient for a homemade cleanser? And if so, how did it perform in this role?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help clear this up.

[gingergirl22]

Yes, I know, another aloe vera thread. But wait, these questions are different...or maybe not..sorry if they arent.

Ok, firstly, the preservatives in my aloe vera gel are hydroxybenzoate and diazolidinylurea. Sound a bit scary to me but I know of other ingredients with chemical names that turn out to be benign. So does anyone know of the origin and safety of these two ingredients?

Also, I cannot for the life of me find pure 100% aloe vera gel short of taking it from a plant, of which I don't have. Is aloe vera juice ( the sort that you drink) the same as aloe vera gel, for skincare purposes? Or is it from another part of the plant?

Lastly, has anyone used this as a sole or main ingredient for a homemade cleanser? And if so, how did it perform in this role?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help clear this up.

Check out this link to the International Aloe Science Council for answers to your questions. You can even email or call them. http://www.iasc.org/contact.html

Also, here is a place that sells aloe plant leaves if you want to go that route: http://www.aloebarn.com/

After quite a bit of research I bought Lily of the Desert Whole Plant Juice with a preservative in it which lasts 3 months in the refrigerator. They also sell a version without preservatives but it has a short shelf life. I just purchased it last week so I haven't used it long enough to comment on it.

Sorry I can't shed any light on the preservatives in your product, but check the list of certified aloe products and see if it is listed.

[Clearwaters]

Thanks for your response - great links!

[gingergirl22]

I accidentally provided a link to the Contact page at the Aloe Council Site. The information for consumers is on the home page and within the slide show at the top there are informative links on slide 2 (For Consumers - find answers to your questions about Aloe Vera products), 3 (Aloe Scientific Primer), and 5 (Aloe Vera FAQ). http://www.iasc.org/index.html

It's nearly impossible to just head off to the store and know what you are buying because the terminology is misused on many product labels. Juice, gel, inner leaf, whole leaf, 100% Aloe...you really need to understand the true meaning of all this if you want to end up with a product that has the benefits of the aloe plant in it. Also, if you live in the USA and want to buy from a grower in the the USA who grows organically and is certified, you're pretty limited. Many of the manufacturs of Aloe products import Aloe from around the world. Anyway, I was amazed at all there was to learn about aloe. The cosmetics and health food industry benefit from consumers not knowing so they can use the ingredient "aloe" to entice consumers to purchase products.

Edited by gingergirl22, 04 August 2012 - 10:35 AM.