The Benefits of Aloe Vera for Hair, and How to Use It

  • 7 months ago
aloe vera
Aloe vera is the well-known super-hydrator you've likely slathered on your face and body to help soothe sun-scorched skin—but did you know its healing benefits don't stop at sunburns and skincare? Most recently, the cooling, moisturizing plant has wowed the internet with its shine-enhancing and hair repair benefits.

YouTubers and TikTok-ers recently put the succulent in the spotlight with incredibly simple DIY aloe vera hair mask videos that revealed head-turning results. One look at the salon-level glossiness (with just one application!) is enough to make us want to scoop out its jelly guts and slather from roots to ends.

To dive deeper, we looked beyond the public praise, trending #aloe hashtags, and millions of video views, and turned to actual experts to see what they think about rubbing raw aloe vera on hair.

"Aloe has long been a remedy for sunburnt skin because of its cooling and hydrating properties, and we have definitely been seeing amazing benefits to using it on your hair and scalp," says Kerrie Urban, an L.A.-based celebrity hairstylist. "The hype is true—aloe contains vitamins, antioxidants, and amino and fatty acids that moisturize your hair and scalp and reduce breakage. It's also chock-full of minerals like copper and zinc that have been proven to promote healthy hair growth."1

There is a laundry list of reasons and uses that justify bringing an aloe plant into your life—including the simple fact that it's super low maintenance, requiring watering only once every three weeks. (Even those with a black thumb can keep an aloe plant thriving!) Here's everything you need to know about the green goodness—and how it can help you achieve healthier, shinier, and more beautiful hair.

Aloe Vera Benefits for Hair
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Aloe promotes scalp health
Aloe is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps to soothe and nourish the scalp in the same way it does the skin on your face. "It's a great natural conditioner that can penetrate into the hair and scalp to hydrate strands and moisturize the scalp, helping to alleviate inflammation, itching, or irritation," says celebrity hair stylist Sally Hershberger. It's no wonder you'll find it in popular drugstore shampoos like Herbal Essences Bio:renew Scalp Balance. Aloe's powerful wound-healing properties also help treat and improve any irritations, itchiness, or dry patches that may appear on the scalp, helping to maintain a healthy foundation that promotes healthy hair growth.2 That doesn't mean it will cure your hair loss, but when applied directly to the scalp, it can serve as an effective scalp treatment and pampering conditioner that improves overall hair health.

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