I was in the drugstore today looking for aloe vera gel and I had some trouble figuring out which was the best to get. They have Aloe Vera gel, but it sure isn’t 100%; there seems to be all sorts of additives in it, and I’m not sure which of them would cause problems. It also seemed to be made primarily for sunburns. I also went to a natural pharmacy and saw some lotions that were 98% or 84% aloe vera (the brand is “Jason”), but they also had additives of sorts. My question is what sort of additives, cooling agents, etc. should I avoid when choosing an aloe vera lotion? I just need to know for when I check the ingredients. Of course, I’d love to go with 100% aloe gel, but I can’t seem to find it, even in that natural pharmacy. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Be sure not to use aloe lotions-- use gels only.
The main thing to avoid are “cooling agents,” like menthol, camphor, tea tree oil, etc.
Colorings, dyes, preservatives are fine.
Some brands to consider:
Jason 98% Aloe Vera Super Gel
Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel
Rite Aid Pure Aloe Gel
South Beach Sun Aloe Gel
Some consumers like Jason Witch Vera, which contains witch hazel, but I don’t recommend this unless you have tried witch hazel and found it soothing.
Some are for sunburns and contain lidocaine, which is a mild anethetic. If you have used lidocaine prodcuts like Solarcaine sunburn spray before and did not have a reaction, you may find this to be soothing.
These products can be harder to find in the northern US after Labor Day as sunburn products get shelved for the season. They are always available online at retailers like drugstore.com:
drugstore.com: after sun products
[ September 04, 2002, 10:20 PM: Message edited by: Andrea ]
Would alcohol be a problem?
There’s some aloe gel in a drugstore where I live that seems to be geared towards sunburns. But it contains SD Alcohol 40, which I’m not sure about because alcohol is supposed to dry your skin. Is it common for aloe gels to contain alcohol? Should I be concerned about this? I’m sure the content isn’t enough to be concerned, but it just doesn’t make much sense unless the alcohol is a preservative… 
Add-on:
After doing some research I found that SD Alcohol 40 should be avoided, as it strips water from the skin, causing it to become dry. The aloe gel I mentioned above is an inexpensive no-name brand, so I think in this case it’s best to go with something a little more expensive, like the ones Andrea mentions above.
[ September 08, 2002, 10:27 AM: Message edited by: Colin ]