Aloe vera is a cool, clear gel from the leaves of a succulent plant, with almost no scent of its own. We use it as a hydrating, calming base in many of our formulas.

What is aloe vera?

Aloe vera is a succulent native to the Arabian Peninsula and now grown in warm climates around the world. Its thick leaves store a water-rich gel that has been used to soothe skin for thousands of years. In skin care, it’s most often used as aloe vera juice, the liquid form of the inner leaf gel.

Aloe vera benefits for skin

Aloe vera is mostly water, along with naturally occurring sugars, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Together, these components help attract and hold moisture, leaving skin feeling soft, cool and comfortable. It’s also well known for its soothing qualities, helping to calm the appearance of redness and dryness.

Its light, water-based texture makes aloe vera especially useful in products for skin that feels dehydrated, including sensitive and oilier skin types.

How to use aloe vera

Because it’s water-based, aloe vera works best as part of a formula, such as a cream, mist or cleanser, rather than as a moisturizer on its own. Aloe-based products can be used after cleansing, followed by an oil or cream to help replenish and retain moisture.

Aloe vera in Twigroot skin care

We use organic aloe vera in place of plain water in many of our formulas. It gives our products a hydrating base while adding the soothing qualities we look for in everyday skin care.

It’s the calming, hydrating base of our Light Facial Cream and Nourish Facial Cream, and helps keep our Borage Eye Cream light and soothing around the eyes.

Our Lavande Hydrating Mist and Florae Hydrating Mist pair aloe with botanical hydrosols for a quick drink of moisture, while it softens the gentle lather of our Clarity Facial Cleanser and helps provide hydration in our Vitality Plumping Elixir.

For the body, aloe vera helps lighten the richer texture of our Blossom Body Cream and Summer Nights Body Cream, adding lightweight hydration.

We use organic aloe vera sourced from a trusted supplier rather than growing it ourselves, as aloe requires a warmer climate than ours on Cortes Island. As with our other ingredients, we look for high-quality materials from responsible suppliers and choose ingredients with care for both their quality and their role in the finished formula.