What are the benefits of aloe vera for hair?

Natural and versatile, theAloe Vera it is often acclaimed in the recipes of home care products for the skin of the face and body, but also for the hair and scalp. It is so popular that in 2021 it was number 1 in google searches for cosmetic ingredients! A beautiful journey for this plant cultivated since ancient times for its multiple health and beauty virtues.

What are the benefits of aloe vera for hair?

In addition to having many virtues for the skin (it is moisturizing, soothing, repairing, tightening and anti-inflammatory), aloe vera is not without interest for hair and scalp care. In reverse!

Tonya Lane, cosmetic formulator, explains to the magazine Byrdie :

Naturally, aloe vera has the ability to retain moisture, especially in drier climates where water is in short supply. This amazing property makes it the perfect candidate to get and hold moisture in our hair.

The vegetable gel also contains amino acids, minerals, vitamin E and vitamin C which together help protect the lengths from free radicals, and therefore prevent sagging and breakage.

And it’s not just the ends that benefit from it: thanks to its freshness and soothing power, it it is also very good for sensitive, itchy and/or dandruff scalps

What type of hair should aloe vera be used on?

Thanks to its many qualities, aloe vera can be suitable for all hair types, but its benefits will be particularly appreciated by lengths lacking in hydration, scalps suffering from excess sebum and textured hair.

Aloe vera for dry hair

Aloe vera juice contains many beneficial constituents for the hair, including polysaccharides, sugars that help reduce transepidermal water loss and maintain a good level of hydration. A godsend for dry hair!

Aloe vera for oily hair and dandruff

Thanks to its antibacterial, antiseptic and cleansing properties, aloe vera purifies the scalp and regulates the production of sebum responsible for the famous oily roots, while soothing and hydrating the skin.

Aloe vera for curly, frizzy and frizzy hair

Naturally dry, textured hair can greatly benefit from the moisturizing properties of aloe vera. Applied neat on the lengths, the gel also has interesting styling properties for modeling curls and giving them tone.

Emilie Jolibois, head of ingredient research and development at Aroma-Zone, explains a Lose :

“ In addition to hydrating the lengths, aloe vera gel has a slight styling effect which helps shape curls and control frizz, especially in humid conditions. Obviously it doesn’t have the properties of a real fixing gel, but it gives a little hold to the hairstyle “.

How to use aloe vera for hair?

Aloe vera gel as a leave-in treatment

Aloe vera gel can be used on lengths and ends as a leave-in treatment, to hydrate and protect the fiber from external aggressions. Just take a small amount of product and apply it to dry or slightly damp hair.

Aloe vera gel as a length mask

To provide a bath of hydration to your hair, aloe vera gel is an excellent natural mask to leave on between fifteen minutes and an hour on the lengths before shampooing.

Aloe vera gel as a scalp mask

If you suffer from itching, dandruff and/or excess oil on the scalp, an aloe vera gel mask can provide immediate relief, as well as help regulate the activity of the sebaceous glands. Simply apply it to your roots, section by section, and leave it on for half an hour before rinsing off.

Aloe vera as a cosmetic ingredient

If you don’t feel like a little chemist, many cosmetic products (shampoos, masks, scalp scrubs, etc.) have aloe vera among their key ingredients.

In the INCI lists it is found under the name “Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice”, even if the term “juice” can be misleading! Details of Emilie Jolibois:

” Can be freeze-dried or atomized native aloe vera juice powder depending on the quality of the good. The first technique is the only interesting one because it is the one that allows you to preserve the properties of the gel as much as possible.

Unfortunately for consumers, the method used is never specified on the label. »

Last tip: beware of products that promise a high percentage of aloe vera but contain no juice, just crushed leaves (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder), with uninteresting virtues.

Buy aloe vera for hair

Front page photo credit: Lina Kuvaka on Pixels and Getty Images on Canva.