Aloe Vera - Clinical Research
Aloe Vera: The Science Behind Absorption
Best known for its soothing and skin-healing properties, Aloe vera also plays a remarkable role beneath the surface — helping active ingredients penetrate through the skin. Rich in natural polysaccharides, enzymes, and saponins, Aloe vera gently softens the skin barrier and increases the transdermal delivery of key active ingredients, improving bioavailability and efficacy in topical formulations.
Clinical & Mechanistic Evidence
Skin Permeation Enhancement Effects of Aloe Species in Human Skin
Fox LT, Gerber M, du Preez JL, du Plessis J, Hamman JH. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2014;66(3):376–385.
Investigation of Aloe vera Juice as a Skin Penetration Enhancer and Its Mechanism of Action
Cole L, Heard CM. Int J Pharm. 2007;333(1–2):1–7.
Demonstrated significant increases in in-vitro skin permeation with Aloe vera juice and proposed a “size-exclusion” mechanism that facilitates hydrophilic molecule transport through the epidermis.
Comparative Study of Aloe vera and DMSO as Transdermal Penetration Enhancers for Lidocaine
Bhinge SD, Bhutkar MA, Randive DS, Nayakal O, Patil P. Ars Pharm. 2019;60(2):77–85.
Found that Aloe vera gel (3%) increased lidocaine skin penetration by ~79%, closely approaching the effect of DMSO (84.5%), positioning it as a safe, plant-based alternative to synthetic enhancers.
Aloe-Based Emulgel Enhances Skin Deposition of Active Compounds
Sainy J, Sharma A, et al. Pharmaceutics. 2021;13(12):2047.
Aloe-vera-enriched emulgels significantly improved dermal deposition of actives in a psoriasis model, confirming its formulation-level penetration-enhancing effect and synergy with other topical agents.
Aloe vera as a Natural Chemical Penetration Enhancer: A Comprehensive Review
Sugumar V, et al. Biomedicines. 2023;11(5):1410.
Review of controlled data showing Aloe vera (3%) boosts lidocaine penetration by ~79% and enhances dermal delivery of diverse actives, with an excellent safety profile for topical and transdermal formulations.