Many times, I have been asked how to make a product easily by just mixing ingredients together. There are not so many, easy cosmetic recipes existing. Natural aloe vera gel is one of the easiest. However, there are some tricks in making aloe vera gel to get it work well.
Aloe vera gel is one of the most popular cosmetic products
Aloe vera gel is a moisturizing product that is suitable for all skin types and ages. I would not use aloe vera on infant’s skin, but it is suitable for 3-year-old and older children.
Aloe vera moisturizes and soothes the skin. You can apply aloe vera gel directly to dry skin. You will immediately get relief from dryness and tightness of the skin. Aloe vera gel should not be used as a toner under makeup. It can cause makeup to roll.
Aloe vera gel treats irritated skin. It is the most famous after-sun product. The active ingredients of aloe vera have been known for their healing effects for thousands of years.
Aloe vera gel is also recommended for some skin problems such as acne and rosacea. Aloe vera gel can sometimes be suitable for eczema skin. It is important to remember that atopic eczema is not the same as dry skin. Atopy is an allergy-based disease. In this case, each product must be tested separately. Aloe vera contains many different plant chemicals. Atopic skin may react very violently to some of them or…not. It is worth testing aloe vera on a limited, unseen area of the skin first.
Why is it worth making your own aloe vera gel?
Aloe vera gel is very easy and inexpensive to make yourself. It is one of the simplest cosmetic products.
Aloe vera gel is available in many different qualities. Most aloe vera gels are made from synthetic ingredients. They use strong preservatives, synthetic colours, and fragrances, and even plastic. Usually, there is not much aloe vera in the product itself, sometimes none.
When making your own aloe vera gel, you can only use ingredients of which you have reliable safety information. Leave out unnecessary chemicals, dyes and fragrances. Make a product that is right for your own skin, containing plenty of real aloe vera.
You need only a few ingredients
You don’t necessarily need many ingredients for aloe vera gel. Of course, you can increase the number of ingredients yourself if you want. My version only has the most essential ingredients.
Aloe Vera gel is a completely water-based product. It does not contain any fats or oils. Therefore, you cannot use essential oils or other oil-based ingredients in this product. If you want to scent the product, replace some of the water or aloe vera juice with hydrolate.
Aloe vera juice
The most important ingredient in aloe vera gel is aloe vera juice. Aloe vera juice can be purchased at health food stores. It is quite expensive and is sold in one litre bottles. If you have no other use for aloe vera juice, buying juice is not the best option.
Dried aloe vera powder is convenient to use. It is freeze-dried aloe vera juice. Just add water to the powder and you have aloe vera juice. To get 100 grams of aloe vera juice, you need 1 gram of aloe vera powder and 99 grams of filtered/distilled water. You can replace some of the water with hydrolate to give the product a pleasant scent. Aloe vera powder will be preserved for a long time, so you can always get fresh aloe vera gel. I made my own gel from the powder.
Aloe vera juice can also be made from the plant. If you have your own aloe vera plant, you can use the gelatinous part inside the leaf to make the juice. First, cut off all the green parts of the leaf, rinse the inside and grind it finely. Then filter the remaining pulp so that all the cell walls are removed. What remains is a clear, viscous liquid. The liquid is very viscous. I recommend diluting it with aloe vera juice.
Clear xanthan gum
This product specifically requires clear xanthan gum. Unfortunately, regular xanthan gum is not suitable for making a gel. Regular xanthan gum becomes a cloudy gel with clear clumps. Clear xanthan gum forms a smooth, clear gel that is pleasant to apply to the skin. So, take a little effort and look for clear xanthan gum.
Glycerol
Glycerol is a sugar alcohol. It is found in all oils and fats along with fatty acids.
Glycerol is first and foremost a moisturizing ingredient. It moisturizes the skin effectively, but not too effectively like hyaluronic acid. Glycerol is also included in this product because it makes it easier to use xanthan gum. Mix the xanthan gum first with glycerol and then with aloe juice so that it does not clump.
Glycerol is very well tolerated. Most glycerol in cosmetics is plant-based glycerol.
Preservative
This product is completely water-based. That is why it needs a proper preservative to preserve it.
Many online stores selling cosmetic raw materials offer preservatives that contain phenoxyethanol. It is not a preservative that meets the requirements of natural cosmetics and therefore I do not recommend it either.
I recommend everyone to use Geogard 221 (Dehydroacetic Acid (and) Benzyl Alcohol) preservative or a product with a similar INCI. Geogard 221 is quite suitable for this product, as it is water-soluble.
Making aloe vera gel
I made 100 grams of aloe vera gel. You can easily double the dose if you want. When making a product for the very first time, start with a small amount.
- 1 gr Xanthan gum, must be the clear version
- 3 gr vegetable glycerol
Mix these ingredients together thoroughly and set aside to wait
- 95 grams of aloe vera juice (buy ready-made or make it yourself from powder). If you are making aloe vera juice from powder, mix 100 gr of distilled water and 1 gr of aloe vera powder.
Then mix the xanthan gum-glycerol mixture into the aloe vera juice and mix thoroughly. Xanthan gum forms a gel. It takes about 15 minutes to form a gel. Therefore, mix the mixture calmly for about 15 minutes to get a smooth mixture.
Now add the preservative to the mixture and mix thoroughly again for a while.
Cover the mixture with plastic wrap or aluminium foil and leave it to set for about two hours. The mixture should now be clear and smooth.
Pack the aloe vera gel in a pump bottle or jar and label it. Aloe vera gel will be preserved for about 3–4 months at room temperature. I personally store the gel in the refrigerator. When cold, the gel soothes the skin effectively.
How to use aloe vera gel?
Aloe vera gel is applied directly to cleansed skin. The gel is very moist and takes a while to be fully absorbed. You can use the gel on your face and entire body. It is suitable for all skin types to moisturize and soothe the skin.
After the aloe vera gel has dried on the skin, apply a moisturizer. If your skin is naturally oily, you may not even need any lotions. Aloe vera gel is enough to keep your skin pleasantly soft.
Store aloe vera gel either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Keep aloe vera gel out of direct sunlight and close the package carefully after each use. It is best to dispense aloe vera gel from a pump bottle. If you have packaged the gel in a jar, always use a spatula or clean spoon to dispense.