The 10 Best Pure Aloe Vera Gels for Skincare

You may think that you cannot go wrong with any aloe vera gel on the market because aloe vera is a healthy and natural substance. Yes, aloe is a super powerful plant that is fantastic for skincare especially using after being in the sun.

However, not all aloe vera gels are created equal. Unfortunately, many of the aloe gels on the market and filled with tons of toxic and chemical ingredients. Many companies take away all of the amazing health benefits of aloe vera gel and negate those benefits with nasty additives.

These additives can irritate your skin, cause redness, burning, and itching. They can also cause people to break out in rashes and pimples that are unsightly and painful. If you want to avoid any side effects or possible skin irritation, you will want to opt for a natural and organic aloe vera gel that contains minimal ingredients and ingredients that are non-irritating to the skin.

The 10 Best Natural and Organic Aloe Vera Gels for Skincare:

Now that you have an idea of what to look for and what to avoid, let’s look at the 10 best natural and organic aloe vera gels for skincare!

1. Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel

This is a special aloe vera gel because its product is made from USA-grown organic aloe vera plant. They have one of the purest formulas on the market. For their thickener, they use natural seaweed extract instead of the most common thicken for natural aloe vera gels, xanthan. Xanthan can still be irritating to those who have sensitive skin, so this is a perfect and soothing alternative for xanthan.

Certified Organic Aloe Vera, Seaweed extract (natural thickener), Citric acid (to stabilize pH), Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Potassium sorbate (to prevent mold). Does NOT contain CARRAGEENAN.

2. Amara Organics Aloe Vera Gel

Just like with our other aloe vera gels, this is a 100% natural and 99.75% organic aloe vera gel. There are no added colors, fragrances, or alcohols. This product is great for soothing and hydrating dry, itchy, and irritated skin, especially due to bug bites, sunburns, rashes, razor burns, and so much more.

This gel will absorb quickly and there is never any sticky residue. It will only leave your skin smooth and silky after use. What is also special about this option is that there is a 100% money-back guarantee so if you wind up not liking the product you do not have to be stuck with it. The ingredients in the aloe vera gel include the following few ingredients:

Organic Aloe Vera (99.75%), Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid, and Xanthan

3. Earth’s Daughter Organic Aloe Vera Gel 

This is a 100% natural and organic aloe vera gel that is made from 99.75% organic aloe vera. That is a very high percentage of aloe vera used to make this product, which means you will get the full and best benefits aloe vera has to offer your skin. This product never has any fragrance, color, water, alcohol, parabens, petrochemicals, or water.

The purity of this gel means your skin will be silky smooth and hydrated. It will absorb into your skin quickly and will never leave that sticky or tacky texture on your skin like most conventional aloe vera gels do. The texture of this gel is quite thin, which is what you should look for because they don’t add a ton of thickeners to their product. This will also help the aloe penetrate your skin deeper so it can truly help heal and benefit your skin. Their ingredient list includes:

“Aloe Barbadensis, Citric Acid (preservative), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C as a preservative), Potassium Sorbate (as a preservative to guard against bacteria), Xanthan (to help coat your skin a little better).”

4. Green Leaf Naturals Aloe Vera Gel

This aloe vera gel also contains 99.75% pure organic aloe vera. Their aloe vera is cold-pressed from certifies organic aloe vera plants, so you can count on its purity. Their formula creates a thin gel due to the lack of too many or synthetic thickeners. It can easily penetrate the skin and there is no stickiness left on the top of your skin after you apply it.

You can use this product on a daily basis for your skin, hair, face or use it after being in the sun for long periods of time. You can also use it to soothe the skin after shaving. It works great for both men and women. This product is free of parabens, petrochemicals, dyes, and alcohol. It is also cruelty-free, kid and pet safe, and is made in the USA.

Cold-Pressed Organic Aloe Vera (99.75%), Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan.

5. ArtNaturals Organic Aloe Vera Gel 

ArtNaturals organic aloe vera gel is of artisanal quality and or organic and cold-pressed. It will absorb quickly to easy of use and there is absolutely no fragrance, which is great for those who are sensitive to fragrances, even fragrance from natural sources. Their aloe vera gel is paraben and cruelty-free as well. The ingredients in this aloe vera gel are as follows:

“Organic, cold-pressed aloe Barbadensis, citric acid (preservative), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C, preservative), potassium sorbate (preservative to guard against bacteria), xanthan (to help better coat skin)”.

6. Aromatics International Aloe Vera Gel

This organically crafted natural aloe vera gel is produced by cold pressing fresh organic aloe vera leaves that are whole and mature.  These plants have been naturally ripened in the sun and not grown in a lab or under artificial light.

All of the aloes is grown in the USA and you can even see exactly when the leaves were extracted, so you know you are getting one of the freshest aloe vera gels on the market. It is very hard to find brands and products that actually tell you when ingredients that go into their products were sourced. Therefore, this brand goes above and beyond the industry standards to make its customers feel extra confident in its products.

They have a purity promise on all of their products as well, giving you further peace of mind, you are getting exactly what you pay for without any hidden chemicals or icky ingredients that are bad for your skin and body.

7. Lily of the Desert 99% Aloe Vera Gelly

This aloe vera gel is the closest thing we have on this to that traditional thicker and gooier aloe vera gel that most people are probably familiar with. This aloe gel is made with organic aloe vera leaf juice and organic aloe vera gel concentrate.

Keep in mind that with this option they do put in some other ingredients to make it have a more traditional thick consistency, so there are some thickeners and other additives. However, it is still a 99% natural product. Their aloe vera gel is also vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, BPA-free, and made in the United States.

This is a good aloe vera product if you want to switch to something much more natural, but not stray too far from the jelly-like consistency of conventional aloe vera gel. A big bonus is this option does not contain any fragrance or artificial green dyes.

8. Aubrey Organics Pure Aloe Vera Gel

This is an organic pure aloe vera gel that is free of parabens, SLS, phthalates, and it is vegan, organic, and cruelty-free. It is hard to get any more pure and natural than this product because there are only two ingredients in it, which are aloe leaf juice and radish root. If you have super sensitive skin or want to avoid any fillers or extra ingredients this is going to be the ideal aloe vera for you.

Just keep in mind that since it is just aloe vera juice and radish root the consistency is going to be much runnier and watery than a typical gel would be. You cannot expect this product to act as a thick gel when there are no ingredients to thicken up the product.

But since it is more watery it also does not leave your skin feeling sticky, heavy, or greasy and it is able to absorb into your skin better than many of the thick gels can. It is perfect for use as a face mask, on cuts, burns, or as a body moisturizer.

9. iQ Natural Organic Aloe Vera Gel

A highly rated aloe vera gel, iQ Natural is made from cold-pressed aloe vera leaves and is certified organic. The aloe is grown in the United States, so you can rest assured that the quality is up to par. Since there is never any chemicals used the gel absorbs very quickly into the skin and does not feel sticky or heavy ever. It is super hydrating and can smooth dry and rough skin better than many lotions can.

There is a natural thicken in the aloe vera gel, so it will be a bit less watery than a pure aloe gel that does not have any thickeners at all. If you want something a bit thicker, but still want something natural, organic, and safe to use on your body, then this is a good option to go with.

It is great for use on dry skin, on your hair for extra hydration, for acne, or for treating sunburns and other minor burns that are irritated and red. There are no fragrances or dyes, so it will never burn your skin or leave your skin feeling painful or like it is burning.

10. Sky Organics, Organic Aloe Vera Gel

Again, this aloe vera gel is certified organic and non-GMO. There are absolutely no additives, it is cold-pressed, cruelty-free, BPA-free, hypoallergenic, and completely eco-friendly as well. There are only a handful of other ingredients and there are no dyes or fragrances that tend to irritate the skin, especially those with sensitive skin. This gel is thicker than some of the other natural and organic aloe vera gels on the market and it great for adults, kids, and even your pets!

The Problem with Most Aloe Vera Gels

If you want your aloe vera gel to have just a few simple ingredients, you know, like aloe vera, most convention gels are not going to give you that! In fact, there can be a dozen different additives and chemicals lurking in that bottle of aloe vera gel in your local drugstore. Ingredients such as fragrance, artificial green dyes, parabens, other chemical preservatives, and chemical fillers are just a few things you may find when reading the ingredient list.

Let’s take a look at some of the other ingredients many companies who make aloe vera gel sneak in those bottles.

Water

Many of the gels on the market have the first ingredient listed on the bottle like water. Although water is natural and has no adverse effects on the bottle, this means most of the product is made of water.

If you are buying aloe vera gel for its amazing skincare benefits, water is not going to provide you with those benefits. Essentially, you are buying a bottle of water with a hint of aloe vera. That is not what you want.

Triethanolamine

Sounds like a chemical formula, right? That’s because it basically is. This is a very common ingredient used in skincare products. It can cause serious allergic reactions, skin irritation, irritation of the eyes, and dry hair and skin.

These are not effects you want to experience from your aloe vera gel. Aloe is supposed to hydrate the skin, not dry it out. This ingredient is also believed to cause severe skin damage after extended periods of use. Furthermore, small amounts of Triethanolamine can be absorbed into the body and after long-term use, this becomes large doses absorbed into the body. It can lead to liver damage and bladder and testicular cancers.

Fragrance

Most of our articles talk about the dangers of fragrance and why there are so many issues with it being on the ingredient list of most beauty products. You can read more about fragrance here and here article.

The fragrance is one of the biggest issues we see in beauty products, skin care products, and even regular household products. If the fragrance is not coming from natural essential oils and natural extracts, you can pretty much guarantee it is coming from a synthetic source that can do a lot of damage to your body.

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

This is a toxic preservative that is known to cause a host of allergic reactions in many people. It is actually toxic when inhaled, which is a big issue when it comes to products that you apply to your body. At some point, you are going to inhale the product when applying it to your skin. There is some evidence that suggests it can cause gastrointestinal and liver toxicity.

How to Buy the Best Natural and Organic Aloe Vera Gel

Luckily, there are some great aloe vera gels on the market that are natural and/or organic and don’t have a ton of unnecessary and toxic ingredients.

When looking for an aloe vera gel, don’t trust products that claim they are natural or “uses natural ingredients.” This phrasing doesn’t mean they are actually natural – it could still be loaded with chemicals and toxic ingredients that you would never want to put on your skin or body.

The cosmetic industry is not required to be fully regulated, so companies are not required to fully disclose what is in their product. That’s what if you see fragrance on the ingredient list, put the product down, and look for something else.

When in doubt about an ingredient, use the EWG Skin Deep database to check the ingredient’s toxicity level. This is a great resource to help you navigate the complicated and complex world of chemical and toxic ingredients in beauty and skincare products.

You should also see aloe vera as one of the first ingredients on the back of the bottle. This will mean the product has mostly aloe vera as the main ingredient. You want nothing less than 95% of the product to be made from actual aloe vera.

Avoid an aloe vera gel that is colored, like green, blue, etc. This is not natural color and completely unnecessary.

If you can find it, aloe vera gel should be a thin consistency, not super thick, and too jelly-like – this means there are added thickeners, many of which are synthetic. If you can’t get one without a thickener, look for natural thickeners used like seaweed or xanthan.