Aloe vera has been used for medicinal purposes in several cultures for millennia, and is a popular modern ingredient in many topical skin care products for its moisturizing and wound healing abilities.¹ Believed to possess anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, aloe is believed to act as a natural antiseptic as well, possessing the ability to penetrate deep into all three layers of the skin to promote healing.²

All of these properties suggest that aloe may also be an effective treatment for acne, but clinical test results are mixed. One study found that up to 90% of skin breakouts could be healed within five days when using a topical application of the gel—twice as effective as standard acne ointments.² There have also been some in vitro and animal studies that corroborate aloe’s anti-inflammatory reputation, and one of aloe’s bioactive constituents is known to have immuno-modulatory properties.³ Aloe gel was shown to inhibit expression of inflammatory proteins induced by human immune cells exposed to bacteria.³

However, in an experiment to test the inhibitory effects of different anti-inflammatory substances against Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), aloe exhibited negligible to no activity. Evidence shows that P. acnes plays a role in the development of acne by promoting the production of both free radicals and pro-inflammatory proteins. Aloe had no impact on the production of free radicals, and showed insignificant suppression of inflammatory factors.⁴

It may be that aloe’s role in acne therapy is as a companion to other therapies. Evidence supports its wound-healing abilities, and an older clinical study demonstrated that aloe accelerated healing in patients who had full-face dermabrasion to treat severe acne.⁵

More recently results from a clinical trial involving 94 college students with acne demonstrated that aloe significantly improves the acne-healing benefits of 2% Ocimum oil. While employing aloe alone produced no benefit, the Ocimum oil and undiluted or 50% aloe combination proved more effective than antibiotic treatment with 1% Clindamycin in reducing the number of inflammatory acne lesions.⁶

Some holistic medical centers use aloe’s anti-inflammatory properties to treat skin conditions. Dr. Deepak Chopra recommends two ounces of aloe juice with four ounces of carrot juice for teens with acne, and a topical aloe gel to help heal acne lesions.⁷ Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine recommend massaging slices of fresh aloe vera leaves onto acne lesions, but caution to stop using if an allergic skin reaction develops.⁸

In Ayurveda medicine, aloe is believed to exert cooling and detoxifying effects. Aloe is typically used to treat excessive Pitta, but balances all three doshas.⁷