Is it possible to be allergic to aloe vera? Yes. Read my allergic reaction to aloe vera and how I overcame it. For some people aloe vera can have side effects if not prepared properly. So learn how to make aloe vera gel properly to avoid irritation.
Does Aloe Vera Allergy Exist?
They say it’s next to impossible to be allergic to aloe vera, since aloe vera itself has potent anti-allergen effects!
But for me, a fateful few minutes with aloe vera on my skin led to a crazy battle with full body itchiness that lasted well over 3 months. It’s a lesson I’ll never forget.
I had taken a long while without pampering myself and my significant other was coming to town so I decided to give myself a ‘luxurious’ full body aloe vera treatment.
I harvested freshly cut blades of organic aloe vera from my tiny balcony garden, washed them and tossed them into the blender. The resulting gooey mixture held promises of silky smooth skin. The weather was also hot as heck so I couldn’t wait for the cooling effects of the aloe to kick in.
In the bathroom, I covered my entire body, including my face, in my aloe vera mixture. I waited for 10 minutes. Then started getting weird sensations on my skin. I took that as a sign that the aloe vera had done its job and I couldn’t wait to see the results!
I had my bath as usual and within minutes of getting dressed and ready for the day, my entire body was filled with terrifyingly intense itching, which completely shocked me.
NO! it couldn’t be the aloe vera! Aloe vera is a soothing, calming plant with amazing beauty benefits for the skin! Nay, the severe itching continued and I couldn’t focus on anything! All I could think about was the itching and I was going crazy!
Between morning to night that day, I had tried all remedies under the sun including applying powder all over my skin, oatmeal scrubs and soaks, essential oil rubs and others. The itching only got worse. I can’t imagine a worse form of torture.
The thing is, this wasn’t a one day trip. The whole ordeal lasted for a good 3 to 4 months. I had severe itching, dry skin, redness and swelling from all the scratching and discomfort and irritation. So basically I had hives, that lasted weeks and months.
My Allergic Reaction to Aloe Vera Explained
Now, I’ve used aloe vera before. I never had any reactions! I used it for burns, dandruff, skin tightening and more.
So why then, did I react negatively this time round? Aloe vera contains a yellow sap called aloin. When aloin comes in to contact with skin, it causes allergic reactions like irritation, itching, redness, contact dermatitis and hives. This irritant substances is only found in the thorns and skin of the aloe vera leaf.
How to Make Aloe Vera Gel Properly
- Wear gloves when handling fresh aloe vera leaf.
- Cut the leaf about 1 inch from the base.
- Slice off the thorns on the side.
- Place the leaf upright in a glass of water for 2 hours or overnight. This will allow the yellow sap to drain off into the water.
- Now wash the leaf and chop into big chunks then peel off all the green skin.
- You now have clean aloe vera chunks. You can rinse the chunks in water one final time.
- Grind the aloe chunks in a mixer jar and strain.
- This fresh aloe vera gel lasts 2 weeks in the refrigerator and can be used for hair masks, face masks, body scrubs and more!
Always Do a Patch Test!
If I could leave you with one bit of advice, it’s this: Please always do a patch test of any product or ingredient that you are going to apply on your skin! Especially if you are applying it for the first time.
And just because something is deemed as ‘safe’, doesn’t mean you can’t be allergic to it. Oh, and also, natural remedies aren’t always free of side effects, so always exercise caution. Remember, prevention is better than cure. Have a good day!
Did you face any negative side effects from aloe vera? Share your experience below!
Priyanka says
Hi there! I couldn’t find a date to this post, so I don’t know how late this comment is. I stumbled upon your piece after going through the same thing… horrible itching as if ants have been stuffed in my skin. And then I found out in a video on YouTube that one can be allergic to the sap the plant secretes, not the actual gel. So if you drain the sap and wash the gelatinous substance with water, you should be good to go. I tried that trick and it worked for me. So I thought about sharing that with you… maybe you too could go back to benefiting from all the aloe goodness just by doing that 🙂 … Here’s the link of the video that educated me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GdkDhzLegQ&list=LLqnU_jqs3Fr67uJOGOpVC5A&index=1
Hope this works for you too. Thanks for sharing awesome stuff 🙂 Take care.
K says
I tried to watch this but it is set to private
Brittany says
I think my skin on my face has been reacting negatively to the citric acid in the aloe Vera gel I got from the vitamin shoppe. I’ve been researching and just found out that the blades themselves contain aloin which is akin to latex. Is it possible you have a latex allergy and since you blended the whole blade, it caused your ordeal? I would hope that is the case so that you don’t have to stay away from aloe forever! And I hope it’s the critic acid in my case. I’m going to buy one of those huge leaves and scrape the gel out and see how my face reacts to that.
Ttelracs says
Hi
I bought Aloe Vera body wash including Aloe Vera dry hair shampoo in December 2017 and my head became became incredibly itchy for over a week, whilst my skin developed very itchy red wheals. Unfortunately my sister offered a tube of Aloe Vera gel that she said she always used to sooth sunburn. Initially soothing I discovered that the wheals moved around my body particularly at night. My doctor diagnosed hives (Urticaria) and prescribed a course of 10mg anti histamine tablets. This has had little effect since I continued to use Aloe Vera gel certain that I must have developed an allergy to fish sauce. I still have itchy hives after two months, however after reading your article will not use Aloe Vera products in the hope that the hives disappear before the warm weather comes.
penny13 says
Stop the aloe, and also try extra vitamin C. Adding in increments of 1,000mg. You can take up to 10,000mg safely, but if your body is not used to it, adding too fast can give you diarrhea. Vitamin C can help you fight allergies. And regular over the counter allergy medicines can help, along with “jock itch” creams. Those creams kill yeast, which can be caused by allergies. But make sure whatever you buy doesn’t have aloe in it.
penny13 says
Aloe has natural latex. I am allergic to aloe and latex and rubber and Dimethicone. I have to read everything! Because most products, makeup, hair, face, lotion now have one or all of these products, I have read that many are developing allergies to these things, and the medical community have not caught up yet. Many products that state they are silicone free, are not, as they list dimethicone, or trimethicone, which is just another form of silicone. My symptoms for aloe, and dimethicone and rubber are all the same, red rash, made up of little blisters that take a month to heal. My allergy to latex on the other hand depends. Latex is not a stable chemical, and can attach itself to other things or break off into the air. If I breath in say, cornstarch from latex gloves, or latex paint, my throat closes up and I can’t breath.
Eileesh says
Oh dear, I’m so glad I found out my allergy to Aloe Vera relatively painlessly. It was in a soap and we had a couple of different soaps from the same range but I only had a reaction to the one with Aloe. My mum still remains sceptical 20 years on but anytime I used anything with Aloe my skin would immediately react. The one time my beautician forgot the allergy and applied Aloe after a waxing I immediately developed an enormous welt. If I got spray tanned too often I developed hives, I then discovered Aloe was buried in the ingredient list. Try finding an after sun product without Aloe, not easy and getting worse. As for ladies razors or shaving gel.. if it’s not in one it’s in the other. Gotta love the stores that stick the price tag or security sticker right over the ingredient list on razors. On a visit to Australia my cousin’s father in law said it’s a known allergy there amongst pharmacists. The rest of the world is still denying the possibility.
Renee Connolly says
When I was 19 I got into some lotion that didn’t have the ingredients listed. My Mom was in her 30s rushed to the hospital with a life threatening allergy to aloe Vera. Almost lost her that day.
I was taken to the doctors office. When the doctor said Jesus under his breath. Get to the pharmacy for pills. Your heart is getting ready to stop. You have an aloe allergy and can never touch in again!
I had hives all over my body, swelling and trouble breathing. I took 75 small pills over a week. I can’t remember what they were.
I have to keep soap and water in a bottle in my purse. As well as benadryl.
I’ve had 6 allergic reactions since. One I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.
In my family it’s a genetic link. My mom’s allergic, I am as well as 2 of my sons.
It’s terrifying! I don’t shake hands with people or hug people. It makes me socially awkward. I want to stay alive!
Modern Mom Philippines says
I’m giving my baby aloe vera gel orally in the hopes of relieving his eczema caused by allergies. We’re on his 3rd day and he’s scratching like crazy! Could it be an allergic reaction? Or is it because the aloe vera is flushing away toxins from his body in the form of rashes/itchy skin?
Anonymous says
Some people have told me you can’t be allergic to Aloe, but using it on a sunburn made me break out in hives. Even using lotions that contain it make me itch.
Annika says
I just got an aloe vera gel and cleanser. Normally I never had any problems with aloe vera, and also I have no problems with the face cleanser. At first I tried the gel on my arm to see how I reacted since I have an nuts/peanuts allergy and milk allergy. I didn’t hot any redness and my skin felt good soto I tried it on my face. The first time it worked good, but when I used it a second time, my face turned red and it kinda felt like my face stretched out and like it burned a bit. I used the gel again today and the same thing happened. Also after I get the gel of, my face turns normal again in about 2 hours. I don’t know if this is normal with using aloe vera, but I really wanna know if it is bada if I use the gel
Vocman says
this Aloe Vera is Big boys business control lands in Africa – and then some low educated boys and girls for a small money give approval doesn’t Have allergy Or itself is anti allergy!
Which creates a false image and I have seen so many people allergic to it and still putting it on and make things worse.. I was one of these victim of Aloe Vera advertising
(which will make shit beautiful for you)
my face showed the similar reaction to Aloe Vera face washed that was left from my Airbnb guest ! And the beautiful picture and advertising attracted need to use it on my face
In the Morning my face was exactly like yours And my right eye was a bit swollen. So I recall all my memory what was the nearest thing are used or eaten And here I remembered that the last thing I had was last night – that i use That Bloody Aloe vera face wash
So soon I washed my body With normal shampoo. And this is the second day waiting for the body to recover !
Yes I took one Allergy tablet too
Now it’s half recovered .. it’s second day – I’m sure it will recover fully in two more days
S says
This is likely because of an allergy to latex. The plant has latex in the tissue closest to the skin. I am allergic to latex but can technically use the juice. But after having the same thing happen to me as you describe I stay away from the whole plant! Side note: watch out for other signs of latex allergy – it’s in a lot of things and can sometimes irritate internally if latex gloves are used in food prep.
Chloe Hughes says
I’ve used aloe Vera baby wipes, aloe Vera tissue, aloe Vera soap, aloe Vera shampoo and many other aloe Vera products, and I’ve always had the same reaction; itchy, red skin that swells up in no time and extreme discomfort. One time in particular baffled me. I used some baby wipes to cool down the skin on my face and neck, as I was full of that Australian flu that attacked Britain. I didn’t realise they were aloe Vera wipes as the front of the packet didn’t say ‘aloe Vera’ like most aloe vera products do, and I have difficulty with reading small writing on the back of packets. I decided to risk it and used them. BIG MISTAKE! My face and neck swelled up and went bright pink, I was having difficulty breathing and I was itchy all over. I went to the local chemist and I was told that “You can’t be allergic to aloe Vera. Aloe Vera helps allergies, it doesn’t cause them!” so I listened because, well, they went to university and they have a PHD and everything.
However, the symptoms continued every time I used any product that had aloe Vera in it. (Even the ones that were like 1% aloe Vera) I was lied to by a chemist.
After reading this, I am so glad that I am not the only one going through this.
Janet Ward says
That egotistical chemist really didn’t know what s/he was talking about!
Thilaga says
If the chemist have an allergic on aloe vera…then the chemist knows how we suffering with this kind of allergies. The chemist just saying the fact of aloe vera but he/she dosen’t know wht does the aloe vera did to our skin…
Impy says
That chemist is an idiot. You can be allergic to almost anything, especially things derived from plants because of the proteins.
Have had similar experiences with aloe and lanolin allergies. It’s so far outside of the expected a lot of people just don’t believe it, but it’s a thing. Finding beauty products without aloe is not fun, either. And if it doesn’t have aloe it often has lanolin.
Janet Ward says
About 25 years ago I discovered that I am most definitely allergic to aloe vera. First, my mother persuaded me to try drinking aloe vera juice for occasional mild stomach discomfort. I drank it only a few times and ended up with much worse stomach/gastrointestinal problems, but I didn’t make the connection yet. Soon after that I developed a blistering, itchy rash and cracked skin on my scalp from using hair conditioner with just a small amount of aloe vera. I had to identify the offending substance by trial and error, occasionally using other skin products with a small amount of aloe, but I’m stubborn. A few years later I thought it might be okay for me to put pure aloe vera gel on my son’s sunburn if I immediately washed my hands afterward. (I had no disposable gloves on hand.) So wrong! My hands developed a bad case of dermatitis, of course, that took forever to heal with OTC hydrocortisone cream. About 20 years later I had to see a doctor to get prescription strength cortisone cream or ointment for the painful burn caused by personal cleansing wipes. I had been using that brand of wipes for years but had failed to notice when aloe barbadensis leaf (another name for aloe vera) was added to the ingredients. By the way, it’s not easy to find baby wipes/personal wipes without aloe. Now I’m finding it even much harder to find cortisone cream with no aloe. Very, very annoying and unfair to those of us allergic to aloe vera.
DiegoHenry says
My wife was a nurse and is highly allergic to latex.
Yesterday she put some 1% hydrocortisone ointment on her lady parts, and the minor irritation she was trying to treat became very sore.
The ointment was a 2 oz. tube of Target’s Up and Up store brand labeled “helps seal in healing.” I looked at the label to see what the inactive ingredients were, but they weren’t listed. So I went on Target’s website. There I could not find a listing for the ointment but I did see two similar looking Up and Up 1% creams presented side by side; the first one was prominently labeled “with soothing aloe” while the other just said “intensive healing formula” and did not mention aloe. Here is where it gets tricky. When I clicked to get more info about the second one – the one I assumed would not contain aloe – the fine print on the web page said “nourishes and hydrates with antioxidants, chamomile and aloe.”
I learned three lessons here.
1. People can be allergic to aloe and it might be associated with latex rubber allergy.
2. “Aloe” not being mentioned on the front of the product packaging is no assurance that it’s not there. One needs to read the list of inactive ingredients.
3. Complain loudly to the store if a personal product doesn’t list its inactive ingredients.
And one more thing.
If you are female, hospitalized and non-ambulatory, the staff may offer to outfit you with a device that rests next to your lady parts and suctions away your urine. It’s called a PureWick. It’s a wonderful idea – saves staff time, keeps you dry – except that up to now they have been making them with natural rubber. Supposedly they are coming out soon with a non-natural rubber version, but for the time being – if you have latex allergy – it would be wise to be careful.
Coco Jean says
Wtf
Debbi says
I am also allergic to aloe vera in every form. I first found out from using the plant. But if it’s in a cream it will make me itch. Once I ingested the plant and it made my throat swell up. I was drinking a Sobe drink one time and my throat was irritated after drinking it. I looked at the ingredients and yes it had aloe vera in it.
I’m not allergic to latex so go figure.
Tiana says
Hello, thanks for sharing your experience. I am typing this from Nigeria after a very scary looking reaction to something. I am a huge fan of organic anything and I don’t use make up but my skin isn’t the best looking one so I was trying out things I could use. Thing is I am very lazy when it comes to taking care of my face but then I decided I wanted a smooth, acne-free face which will be all organic. So I started using the gel from the aloe plant in my house and it’s been like 8 days now. When I started using it, I felt some itchy-burning sensation but felt it was the aloe doing its work – no pain, no gain. And yesterday, I used it last night but after exfoliating with a slice of lemon. Meanwhile, I leave it on overnight. This afternoon at work, I thought to myself that my skin would soon feel like a baby’s and decided to speed up the process by pinching out the old sebum. I did this on different parts of my face and seconds later I see this red, swollen patches where I had pinched them out. I was scared shitless. Can’t say for sure that it’s the aloe but I have also never used it on my face more than a day. Damage control was a bottle of ice cold water and it’s gone down now. Steering clear of oil for a while though.
brianna harper says
Just had to go to the ER for this. I have latex allergy and after searching online I found information stating that the layer right under the aloe’s skin produces latex, that yellow stuff you see dripping. My skin is on fire despite prednisolone and benadryl, I have welts and bumps EVERYWHERE smh, why isn’t that info out there as common knowledge? I look like I have #greyscale #gameofthrones !! One https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/24b72800c50ee50bba6c735bd5593b815ce9a94961839d421ef920abce7500a4.jpg One of my arms but I have it from the face down to knee caps.
Jordan Reese says
I’m sitting here in tears right now because my face is completely destroyed. I just had a stillbirth 5 weeks ago and it had taken a huge toll on my relationship I decided to plan a weekend and fix myself up a bit. My sister uses fresh aloe for everything so I decided to use it my self I put a thin letter on my face and completely coated my scalp and hair looking forward to a deep conditioning and shine thereafter. 1 hour later I had a full face rash. Before going to the mirror I started to scratch once I saw my face I completely panicked I immediately to a Benadryl and then notice the blaze forming on my scalp all in all thousands of puss filled bumps all over my face neck and every inch of my scalp. I’m not sure what to do this is the second day and I still have thousands of puss bumps it’s seems to me more than pores I have. I NEED HELP!
Sabrina Corera says
Yes..i immediately get rashes once i apply any kind of aloe vera..be it fresh or any aloe included cream , gel, oil anything…. When all say aloe is good remedy for rashes and any kind of skin allergy i wonder why on earth my skin is allergic to aloe vera…. As you say its better to do a patch test begore trying anything new for our skin…. Happy to know im not alone😂😂😀😀
kaijah says
I used aloe vera for my dandruff and my scalp became way drier, flaky and itchy. Also, I used the small “soothing” aloe vera strips that they put on shaving blades to shave my legs and around my vulva, and it made those areas dry and itchy. I soon had a bartholin cyst emerge near my vagina, which I dont know if its related to my aloe vera dryness and itchiness
KL says
I am very allergic to aloe, and I am not allergic to latex. When I was growing up I would always break out and itch whenever we were on vacation or had days at the pool or lake and I always assumed it was something in the sunscreen. Turns out it was the aloe that was used after a day in the sun. When I was in my 30’s, was when aloe was suddenly in EVERYTHING, including toilet paper. I broke out in a rash so bad, all over my body. It looked like poison ivy rash and itched bone deep. Thinking it was a new lotion I had used, I stopped it and used pure aloe because it was good for your skin. I was so broke out, it didn’t look worse, but it wasn’t getting better. My allergist gave me a steroid cream and a histamine to clear it up while we tried to figure out what broke me out. It took about 4 months to clear up and we still didn’t know what broke me out. While on vacation, after the first day on the beach I put aloe on and within a couple of hours I was itching. My husband is the one who figured it out. I have to read every label carefully. It doesn’t matter what form the aloe is in or what product it is in, or how much it is, it breaks me out and I itch so bad. After my discovery, my aunt discovered that her breakouts where also caused by aloe, so we are both allergic.