Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

About Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Aloe barbadensis leaf juice is the liquid from the inner gel of the aloe vera plant, usually filtered and preserved. Many textured-hair brands use it as the first ingredient in place of water in leave-ins, curl creams, gels and sprays.

Aloe juice is mostly water, with small amounts of polysaccharides (complex sugars), minerals and organic acids. The polysaccharides give it a light humectant, film-forming quality, so it helps hair attract and hold moisture and gives a little slip and hold. Its naturally slightly acidic pH sits close to the pH of hair, which is one reason people like it for smoothing the cuticle and boosting curl definition.

Aloe juice is light and doesn't coat the hair the way butters and heavy oils do, so it suits low porosity hair and fine curls well. People with high porosity hair often layer an oil or cream over it to keep the moisture in. It is approved for the Curly Girl Method and is not a protein, despite sometimes being mistaken for one.

It's sometimes promoted for scalp soothing and growth. Evidence for hair-growth effects is weak, so treat it as a moisturizing base rather than a treatment. Rarely, people are allergic to aloe; patch-test if you have sensitive skin. Pure aloe products spoil quickly, so commercial ones always include a preservative.