Medicine
Fact-checked

At TheHealthBoard, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

How Effective Is Aloe Vera for Eczema?

A. Gamm
A. Gamm

Using aloe vera for eczema is considered to be an effective and natural way to relief a person of the dry and itchy symptoms. In fact, many physicians recommend using aloe in small infants due to the low risk for adverse effects. It is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, which helps to significantly reduce the symptoms of eczema. Aloe Vera juice and Aloe Vera lotion or gels are the most frequently used products to help combat eczema. Almost any skin product containing the plant’s gel may be effective though.

Although there are several prescription and over-the-counter solutions for handling eczema, they also hold the possibility of adverse side effects. Aloe Vera, on the other hand, is not typically known for causing any side effects in those who use it for eczema. This is because research shows that people who are allergic to tulips, onions and garlic tend to be the only ones at risk for an allergic reaction. As such, these allergies are not very common. Some pediatricians may recommend using aloe vera for eczema on infants as an alternative to medicated creams, so as to minimize any risks the medications may pose to their delicate skin.

People who are allergic to tulips may also be allergic to Aloe Vera.
People who are allergic to tulips may also be allergic to Aloe Vera.

Aloe Vera has several properties that make it effective in treating eczema. It is anti-inflammatory, which helps to soothe the itching, and sometimes burning sensation, of eczema. The antimicrobial properties help to kill anything on the skin that may exacerbate symptoms and leave the skin cleaner if scratching the affected area left unwanted bacteria on the compromised skin. Aloe Vera contains polysaccharides, also known as complex sugars, that help to hydrate the skin and keep the area moisturized. By using aloe vera for eczema topically, the ingredients can penetrate deep into the dried skin and promote healthier skin production and the production of collagen, which aids in making the patchy, dry skin smoother and more flexible.

People who are allergic to onions may have an increased risk of an Aloe Vera allergy.
People who are allergic to onions may have an increased risk of an Aloe Vera allergy.

There are a couple of ways to use aloe vera for eczema, either by drinking Aloe Vera Juice or by using it topically. While drinking Aloe Vera pulp in a drink may help fight eczema from the inside, it is not recommended for most people. This is because it has a laxative effect and may also cause uterine contractions in pregnant women. Long-term ingestion may lead to dependency and other health risks. Most health care professionals recommend topical use since fresh Aloe Vera gel straight from the plant and natural products that contain a significant amount of Aloe Vera are both suitable for treating eczema.

Discussion Comments

anon989667

There are several kinds of Aloe plants, but only a couple have the medical properties. One plant did nothing for me. (So I threw it out!) My other one? Wow. Brilliant to stop the itch, I also wrap my feet overnight (split the leave in two and place it on the effected area place a cover and tape it all closed and the next morning is such a difference. I never use any over the counter creams anymore. As soon as I get the itch, I put some aloe on it. I now have several plants ( they grow and I replant the shoots). I have even taken a piece to work in a plastic bag and if I get itchy, I just rub the aloe on it and no more itch. I swear, that itch is just hellish!

anon978547

Question for Zipline: What brand of Aloe Vera gel would you recommend? I have eczema and I have tried all sorts of creams but it didn't help. I'm hoping Aloe Vera works for me.

anon969903

I just buy aloe juice at our supermarket for around $8 a gallon! It was over where the vitamins are. It works fine for me. I've never tried the expensive ones or creams. I soak gauze in the aloe and then place the gauze on the palms of my hands and wrap them with an ace bandage. The palms of my hands are where I get eczema.

I just bought two ace bandages and cut them in half so they aren't as long. I wish I had of found out about aloe a long time ago as the bottoms of the palms of my hands are kind of scarred from all the junk I tried on it before that didn't work, and the itching and peeling of skin!

It still will start to flare up every once in a while, and I know it's starting because it starts to itch. I just do the gauze thing overnight and the next day it has stopped! I also bought an aloe plant and every couple of weeks I yank off a piece and apply some like a cream for a few days. Some aloe works on eczema; some it doesn't. Depends on the kind of eczema you have. Mine was little bumps popping up that itched and if I popped them with a pin, there was clear liquid in them.

candyquilt

@turquoise-- I use a whole line of aloe vera products for my eczema. I use the face wash, the cream and the gel. I also drink aloe vera juice.

Aloe vera has definitely reduced my eczema symptoms but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to use it indefinitely. It's kind of expensive and I've noticed that if I stop using the products for a few days, my eczema flares up again. So it's not curing my eczema, it's just keeping it under control.

turquoise

@ZipLine-- Thanks for sharing your experience. Aloe vera was recommended to me by my dermatologist, I'm still trying to figure out which products to use.

Have you ever tried an aloe vera cream? Do you also use an aloe vera cleanser?

ZipLine

Aloe vera gel is very good for eczema, I've been using it for several months and my skin is doing so much better.

I know that fresh aloe vera from the plant is best, and I tried that first but it made my skin itchy. I think my skin is too sensitive and the active ingredients were too many in fresh aloe vera.

Now, I use a 100% aloe vera gel product that I buy from an organic store online. I have not had any bad reactions to it. It soothes my skin, hydrates it, and reduces redness and flaking. It's a miracle product for eczema as far as I'm concerned.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • People who are allergic to tulips may also be allergic to Aloe Vera.
      By: kingan
      People who are allergic to tulips may also be allergic to Aloe Vera.
    • People who are allergic to onions may have an increased risk of an Aloe Vera allergy.
      By: nrazumoff
      People who are allergic to onions may have an increased risk of an Aloe Vera allergy.
    • People who are allergic to garlic may also be allergic to Aloe Vera.
      By: phasinphoto
      People who are allergic to garlic may also be allergic to Aloe Vera.
    • Aloe vera cream.
      By: volff
      Aloe vera cream.
    • Eczema is a condition where skin may be itchy, red, dry, and cracked.
      By: quayside
      Eczema is a condition where skin may be itchy, red, dry, and cracked.
    • Aloe vera can be taken as a supplement in juice form.
      By: joanna wnuk
      Aloe vera can be taken as a supplement in juice form.
    • Aloe vera cream has anti-inflammatory properties that make it particularly effective for treating eczema.
      By: robert mobley
      Aloe vera cream has anti-inflammatory properties that make it particularly effective for treating eczema.