Is Aloe Vera Good for Wrinkles and Fine Lines?
Aloe vera is widely used for the treatment of sunburns and numerous products, and with aloe being its main component, it is praised as a miraculous skin-care ointment. Besides purely cosmetic reasons, there are many other, stronger causes for us to take good care of our skin. This protective layer is not only our largest organ in the body but a vital shield against the outside effects.
Factors such as aging, damage, and exposure to sun rays all lead to the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Aloe vera has been glorified as an excellent source of nutrients that could reverse the process and help our skin remain healthy and beautiful.
What Are Wrinkles and What Causes Them?
Wrinkles are the commonly used term to describe physical changes on the skin such as:
- Fine lines
- Sagging skin with folds
- Skin ridges and creases
Regardless of the cause and wrinkle type, the result is the weathered appearance of your body and face. As age collagen production decreases and elasticity naturally drops, the changes on our skin can show drastically. Maintaining these levels can help keep your skin strong and healthy.
Chiefly, these are the main reasons leading to wrinkly skin:
- Sunburn (UVA rays are responsible for skin aging)
- Dehydration (Collagen is mainly water and overall dehydration leads to dry and brittle skin)
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Facial expressions
While some of the risk factors are quite logical causes of wrinkles, such as everyday expressions we make, laughing and frowning also gradually lead to the development of wrinkled skin.
Protecting your body from the sun is a must, especially for people of light skin pigmentation. Consequences are not just limited to wrinkles, but there is a significantly increased risk of skin cancer development. People whose professions are such that they spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun, typically show a lot of wrinkles and skin dryness, even at a younger age.
Smoking and alcohol are traditional risk factors for numerous ailments, and such is the case with skin aging. Cigarettes produce immediate negative effects and alcohol dehydrates our body, while containing a lot of calories and sugar. This is generally not a great combo and certainly not for your skin health.
Is Aloe Vera Good for Wrinkles?
To understand if there are grounds to use aloe vera for wrinkles, let’s start from the very beginning. Topical use of this plant is a part of ayurvedic medicine for ages, and while circumstantial evidence strongly suggested that the usage of aloe preparations reaps benefits for the skin, it is not until 2009 that these claims were backed.
The study published in the Annals of Dermatology journal measured the skin elasticity and wrinkles in a group of 30 healthy females above the age of 45. Half of the women received a low dose of aloe vera supplements (1,200 mg daily), and the other half got the high dose (3,600 mg daily). The doses were randomly distributed among the participants to ensure the best results.
At the end of the month and a half long study, the scientists found that there were noticeable results within both groups of test subjects. Wrinkles, elasticity, and collagen production were all improved.
What conclusions can we draw from this study? Aloe vera does not necessarily eliminate wrinkles but it feeds the skin with nutrients and drastically slows the aging and deterioration.
If we analyze and dissect these findings, it’s aloe vera’s sterol molecules that improve the skin condition. These molecules are responsible for boosting the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid which lead to well-hydrated skin. So aloe vera does not eliminate the wrinkles, it promotes overall hydration and makes skin healthier while improving the physical appearance (wrinkles become less noticeable).
Aloe Vera Nutrients
Besides the previously described effects of using aloe vera gel for wrinkles, it’s vital to understand which nutrients in this plant powerhouse can also aid your attempt to improve your skin condition.
- Vitamin E
Most commonly linked with benefits to skin condition and thus found in numerous skin care ointments, vitamin E increases collagen production and is a powerful anti-oxidant. In previous articles, we discussed and determined that anti-oxidants are helping our body get rid of damage-causing free radicals, and this also helps with skin health.
- Vitamin A
Much like vitamin E, vitamin A is added to many topical preparations in cosmetics. By increasing the blood flow to the skin it enables better fluctuation of nutrients that ultimately feed the damaged skin. Vitamin A is often used for acne treatment as it can decrease sebum production, and additionally regenerates skin cells damaged by the environment.
- Vitamin B12
B12 vitamin generally increases the production of red blood cells and helps with nutrient transportation in your body. Through overall positive impact on numerous metabolic processes, it can help with the quality and nutrition of the skin.
- Choline
Choline’s main quality that’s related to skin health, is its effect on the liver. People with chronic liver conditions and illnesses that attack the organ are extremely likely to notice dramatic negative changes in their skin. This is because the liver processes toxins and Choline helps with liver detox.
- Zinc
In topical use, zinc helps by destroying bacteria. With the oral intake of zinc-rich food and zinc supplements, you ensure that your immune system operates normally. Not only that, but zinc also feeds your skin, hair, and nails, affecting their regrowth once they are damaged.
- Copper
Copper is an extremely important mineral for your skin. Through synchronized effects with vitamins, it improves skin strength as well as collagen production. Most importantly, it helps your skin retain moisture and thus keeps it hydrated.
- Iron
Iron deficiency is the first thing to check with many conditions as it seriously impairs your immune system and the way your body functions. This crucial mineral boosts red blood cell production, and as they carry hemoglobin, it ultimately allows oxygen to get to your skin cells.
Along with many other nutrients found in aloe vera, including the AMP molecule, it feeds our body and immune system helping with skin health maintenance and improvement of all bodily functions and processes.
How to Use Aloe Vera for Skin Tightening?
Its nominal use is yet to confirm its full effect through studies. Consumers have reported significant improvements in their appearance and wrinkle shrinkage, most probably due to the plant’s hydration effect and the fact that the skin can also absorb nutrients through direct application.
Whether you are extracting the aloe vera gel from a fresh plant or use a finished product, follow these steps:
- Wash your face with water
- Dry it thoroughly by tapping your face gently with a towel
- Apply a thin layer of gel on your face with clean fingers
- Leave the gel on the skin for about 5 to 10 minutes
- Rinse and dry your skin again
Repeat this process once per day, and for the maximum effect consider aloe vera supplements which will deliver all of the nutrients to your skin rapidly. Browse our webshop and discover what our capsules and aloe vera powder solution can do for you.