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Botanical illustration of Aloe
MedicinalSourced entry

Aloe

Aloe vera

A succulent whose leaf gel is used on burns and skin conditions. Gel on the skin may speed burn healing; aloe taken by mouth carries real risks.

Safety at a glance

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

Aloe may interact with some medicines. If you take any medicine, read Interactions with medicines below and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using it.

What is Aloe?

Plant family
Asphodelaceae, the aloe family
Parts used
The leaf: the clear inner gel, the yellow latex under the skin, or the whole crushed leaf
Where it grows
Grown in hot, dry, subtropical regions worldwide, including the southern border areas of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California
Genus
Aloe
Species
vera

Also called

Aloe Vera

Older scientific names

Aloe barbadensis

Traditionally used for

  • Burns
  • Skin conditions
  • Blood sugar

Traditionally described as

    Health topics

    Where Aloe appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

    • Acne

      Aloe gel is promoted for acne. Two small studies suggest it may help when used on the skin along with other acne treatments.

    • Cuts, Wounds, Burns and Skin Ulcers

      Aloe gel on the skin may speed burn healing and reduce burn pain.

    • Dry Skin

      Aloe gel hydrated the skin after one use but dried it out with repeated use in one study, so it may not help ongoing dry skin.

    • Eczema

      There isn't enough reliable information to say whether aloe helps eczema, and aloe gel has occasionally caused eczema-like rashes.

    • Hair Loss

      Traditionally used to soothe the scalp. No trials of aloe on its own for hair loss were found.

    • High Blood Sugar

      A small amount of research suggests aloe by mouth may lower blood sugar in diabetes.

    • Liver Safety Warnings

      Aloe leaf extracts taken by mouth have been linked to cases of acute hepatitis.

    • Skin Irritation, Rashes and Itching

      A small amount of research suggests aloe gel may help psoriasis, lichen planus and radiation skin damage.

    How it's prepared

    Common ways Aloe is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.

    • Extract

      This covers the dried juice (latex) of the leaf, not aloe gel. A standardized water extract of the dried juice is taken by mouth as a laxative in tablets, capsules or liquids.[1]Health agency

    Safety

    Interactions with medicines

    • Overusing aloe latex may increase the risk of side effects from heart medicines called cardiac glycosides, such as digoxin. If you take any medicine, talk with your health care provider before using aloe.[2]Health agency

    Side effects

    • Aloe gel on the skin is generally well tolerated, though burning, itching, rash and eczema have occasionally been reported. Aloe gel by mouth for up to 42 days appears safe. Aloe latex by mouth can cause belly pain, cramps and diarrhea.[2]Health agency

    Pregnancy

    • Aloe gel, latex or whole-leaf extract taken by mouth may be unsafe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.[2]Health agency

    Toxicity testing

    • Taking aloe leaf extracts by mouth, for as little as 3 weeks or as long as 5 years, has been linked to cases of sudden liver inflammation (acute hepatitis). The International Agency for Research on Cancer classes whole-leaf aloe vera extract that hasn't had its harsh compounds removed (non-decolorized) as a possible cause of cancer in humans, based on gut cancers in rats and mice.[2]Health agency

    Depends on how it's prepared

    • In 2002, the US Food and Drug Administration required aloe latex to be removed from over-the-counter laxatives because of a lack of safety data. Products differ a lot: the inner gel, the latex and the whole crushed leaf have different effects and risks.[2]Health agency

    What does the research say?

    Traditional use

    These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

    • Aloe was used in ancient Greece, Rome, Babylonia and China, mainly for skin conditions and to help wounds heal, and was thought to prevent early graying of hair. Today the gel is promoted for use on the skin for acne, psoriasis, burns and skin damage from radiation, and aloe taken by mouth is promoted for weight loss, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.[2]Health agency

    • Aloe has long been used on the scalp, by the ancient Egyptians as a scalp soother and by Native Americans for scalp hydration and healing.[3]Review or trial

    Laboratory & animal research

    Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

    • In a 2023 lab study, acemannan (a sugar compound from aloe gel) helped rat, mouse and human cells grow and move in ways linked to wound healing. It also helped mouse cells recover from damage caused by hydrogen peroxide. It hasn't been tested as a wound treatment in people.[4]Study

      Technical detail: methacrylated acemannan; DPPH radical clearance 45%; peak proliferation at 2000 µg/mL and peak 3T3-L1 migration at 5 µg/mL after 3 h; RGM1, L929 and CG1639 cells.

    • In mice exposed to a chemical that causes skin tumors, acemannan given by mouth for 14 weeks reduced the number and size of tumors. It also lowered markers of inflammation and cell damage. This hasn't been tested in people.[5]Study

      Technical detail: DMBA-induced skin carcinogenesis; 25 and 50 mg/kg orally; 6 mice per group.

    • In a 1991 study, mice were implanted with a fast-growing cancer that killed all untreated mice. About 40% of mice given acemannan injections into the abdomen at the time of implanting survived. The tumors in treated mice showed signs of attack by immune cells.[6]Study

      Technical detail: Norman murine sarcoma; intraperitoneal acemannan (Carrisyn) from Aloe barbadensis; macrophage release of interleukin-1 and TNF.

    • In a 1991 veterinary study, 43 pet dogs and cats with cancer were given acemannan injections. Tumors in 26 showed signs of attack by immune cells, and 12 animals clearly improved, with tumor shrinkage or longer survival. These included 5 of 7 animals with a soft-tissue cancer called fibrosarcoma. There was no comparison group.[7]Study

      Technical detail: intraperitoneal and intralesional administration.

    • In 13 pet dogs and cats with fibrosarcoma, 4 to 7 weekly acemannan treatments before surgery shrank the tumor by more than half in 2 of 12 animals that could be measured. All then had surgery and radiation, with monthly acemannan for a year. Seven of the 13 were alive and tumor-free after more than a year. There was no comparison group.[8]Study

      Technical detail: median survival 372 days.

    Research in people

    • Research in people suggests:

      • Burns: aloe gel on the skin may speed healing and reduce pain
      • Acne: two small studies suggest aloe gel, used with other treatments, may help
      • A small amount of research suggests it may help genital herpes, lichen planus (an itchy rash), psoriasis, skin damage from radiation, and mouth sores
      • Diabetes: a small amount of research suggests aloe by mouth may lower blood sugar and HbA1c
      • Weight: in one small study, an aloe gel product taken for 8 weeks slightly reduced weight and body fat in adults with overweight and diabetes or prediabetes

      There isn't enough reliable information on eczema, diabetic foot ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis.[2]Health agency

    • In a study in women volunteers, a single application of aloe vera gel hydrated the skin, but repeated applications dried it out. Over 6 days, aloe vera reduced redness on irritated skin about as well as hydrocortisone gel.[9]Study

    In short

    Aloe latex and leaf extracts by mouth can cause diarrhea and have been linked to liver injury. Avoid by mouth in pregnancy.

    Sources

    1. [1] European Union herbal monograph on Aloe barbadensis Mill. and on Aloe (various species, mainly Aloe ferox Mill. and its hybrids), folii succus siccatus — European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC)Government health agency
    2. [2] Aloe Vera: Usefulness and Safety — National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH)Government health agency
    3. [3] Pathophysiology, conventional treatments, and evidence-based herbal remedies of hair loss with a systematic review of controlled clinical trials · DOI: 10.1007/s00210-025-04286-6Review or clinical trial
    4. [4] Potential of methacrylated acemannan for exerting antioxidant-, cell proliferation-, and cell migration-inducing activities in vitro · DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04022-8Peer-reviewed study
    5. [5] Preventive effect of acemannan on DMBA-induced mouse skin tumorigenesis by modulating inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis pathways · DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.143836Peer-reviewed study
    6. [6] Decreased mortality of Norman murine sarcoma in mice treated with the immunomodulator, AcemannanPeer-reviewed study
    7. [7] Efficacy of acemannan in treatment of canine and feline spontaneous neoplasmsPeer-reviewed study
    8. [8] The effect of Acemannan Immunostimulant in combination with surgery and radiation therapy on spontaneous canine and feline fibrosarcomas · DOI: 10.5326/15473317-31-5-439Peer-reviewed study
    9. [9] In Vivo skin hydration and anti-erythema effects of Aloe vera, Aloe ferox and Aloe marlothii gel materials after single and multiple applications · DOI: 10.4103/0973-1296.133291Peer-reviewed study

    This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.