Aloe vera leaf powder is an ingredient in over-the-counter laxatives, digestive aid formulas and functional foods and beverages. It is also found in many different personal care products and cosmetics, including soaps, shampoos and hair conditioners, shaving creams, suntan lotions, lipsticks, liquid makeup, and baby lotions and wipes. It is also used in perfumery and in natural cleaning products.
The plant contains at least 75 pharmacologically active constituents that collectively exert laxative, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. For thousands of years, the herb has been used in China, Japan and India for various disorders, particularly those involving the skin. It was known to the ancient Romans and as the “plant of immortality” to the ancient Egyptians . Alexander the Great reputedly dispatched his army to a small island off the coast of Somalia to bring back a supply of fresh aloe vera to Greece, where the herb was considered a universal panacea.
