Benefits
Increases skin water content
Soothes and calms the skin
Offers a stable, efficient format
Rich in vitamins and acemannan
Best For
Dehydrated skin
Sensitive or sun-exposed skin
Lightweight, water-based formulas
What Is Aloe Vera?
Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) has been used topically for centuries across many traditions for its soothing, hydrating properties. Nourish London's freeze-dried format concentrates the inner leaf gel through low-temperature dehydration, preserving its key polysaccharides while removing water for a stable, easy-to-formulate powder.
Aloe vera extract is a concentrated liquid or powder derived from the leaves of the aloe vera plant. It contains active bio-compounds such as polysaccharides, vitamins and antioxidants used in skincare for their soothing qualities, and is rich in acemannan, amino acids and trace vitamins.
This freeze-dried format is produced by dehydrating the inner leaf gel at low temperature, concentrating its polysaccharide content into a stable, water-soluble powder that is easy to incorporate into water-based formulas, without the higher preservative load often needed to stabilise fresh liquid aloe gel.
How It Works
Aloe vera's mucopolysaccharides, particularly acemannan, form a light film on the skin's surface that helps attract and retain moisture, contributing to an immediate, quenching hydration feel (Liu et al., 2019).
Its naturally soothing profile helps support the look of comfortable, calm-looking skin, making it a popular choice for after-sun, sensitive and everyday hydrating formulas (Surjushe et al., 2008).
Why Formulation Matters
As it is freeze-dried, this concentrated aloe powder offers greater stability and a longer shelf life than fresh aloe gel, without the need for the higher levels of preservatives often required to stabilise liquid aloe.
Its high concentration means only a small usage level is needed to achieve a meaningful hydrating effect, making it an efficient addition to water-based formulas.
Scientific Notes
In a randomised, controlled clinical study, cosmetic formulations containing 0.10-0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract were applied to the forearms of 20 female subjects over a single application and a two-week repeated-use period. Formulations containing 0.25% and 0.50% aloe extract increased stratum corneum water content after a single application, and all tested concentrations did so after two weeks of daily use, compared with the unsupplemented vehicle, though transepidermal water loss was not significantly affected (Dal'Belo et al., 2006).
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has assessed Aloe barbadensis leaf extract and related ingredients as safe for use in cosmetic formulations at reported concentrations of use (CIR, 2007).
