Aloe Vera has been generally deemed as safe in supplements and skincare products, so long as they have been ‘decolorized’. This plant continues to be a key ingredient in countless product offerings all over the world, going far beyond skincare.
EWG: 1-3 (Low to Moderate Hazard, Depending on Processing)
With over 350 different products listed by EWG, and an immensely larger number available out in the general public, products with Aloe Vera is not at all uncommon. With EWG alone, over 100 different products have been noted as some form of moisturizer for the skin.
Aloe Vera is relatively unique in that despite the range in potential scoring, many of the skincare products available score a 1 or 2, lowest hazard range, upon review. In general, in order for products to obtain a low hazard score for this ingredient, the Aloe Vera must be processed in a particular way to remove certain ingredients (aloin), in a process known as decolorization.
You can view EWG’s Aloe Vera entry here.
US FDA: Reviewed and approved as a food additive. The NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has also noted that Aloe Vera, used topically (on skin), is likely to be safe, in addition to a degree of evidence which supports assistance and treatment of certain conditions such as psoriasis and rashes.
Read more at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Website.
Author’s Note: The majority of literature that denotes Aloe Vera risk is specific to non-decolorized Aloe Vera; for products that follow this processing, the risks are considered minimal in most regards. To support this statement, California’s Proposition 65, a very strict state-operated standard designed to protect its citizens from potential cancer-causing substances, specifically noted only the non-decolorized version/form of Aloe Vera.
Read Allure’s article “Why Aloe Vera is Controversial Right Now, According to Experts”
Visit the California Office of Environmental Health Assessment (OEHHA) Website