Teach Soap

I have made a facial mask that I have been really happy with. I have used aloe juice to wet it with a few times and have noticed that I get a burning sensation when I use it ( This is aloe juice purchased from Bulk Apothecary ) I do not experience this when I use plain water. It is nothing unbearable though and when I rinse the mask off my face is red and blotchy. It goes away within an hour and I like the way my skin feels after i use the aloe than the water. Is it supposed to do this because I wouldnt think so. Should I stop using the aloe?

YES! STOP using it! Repeated exposure to something that is an irritant to your skin can increase/grow each time you are exposed. It is quite risky for your health and well being. Furthermore, check the ingredient label and try to figure out what it is that is bothering you.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

If you use the powder it could be the stuff they use to stabilize the crystals when dehydrated. If you use the liquid, it could be the preservative. If it is liquid, there has to be another ingredient, the preservative. At any rate, there is something that is bothering your face and repeated exposure is likely to cause exacerbation of your sensitivity. As for the soap, if it wasn't your soap, you can't truly know what may have been the culprit. But the facial skin is more sensitive than body skin and sometimes it cannot handle what the rest of you can, simple as that. But still, STOP using it on your face. And really, if you can't use it on your face, I would question using it all. You do not want to become sensitized to a particular ingredient because those are life long issues and they do not go away once triggered.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

I agree. It could be the preservative. I would try a Hydrosol instead.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I remember when Susan did a blog post on aloe vera & the mislabeling:
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2 ... think.html

Yeah, there's a lot more in there than what a lot of suppliers are saying.

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Genny

Ok I tried my facial soap that I used today that i subbed all the water in for this aloe juice. Still a burning sensation Sucks since I bought a whole gallon of it! I also have emailed Bulk Apothecary to find out what preservative they have used in it. Like I said I have used a mask with aloe vera leaf powder in it fine with no issues so I dont belive it is the aloe. Would I be better off to just buy the powder and reconstitue it myself as needed?

If the powder doesn't burn, that's what I would use.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

the 100x is dehydrated and needs water to be reconstituted. What you have is the actual aloe, dried and ground. You would need to infuse this (make a tea) in order to make a liquid to use. The dehydrated powder is quite a bit easier to use in most applications, but since you already have the aloe powder you can use that. Just use distilled water to make your tea and remember to strain it through cheesecloth or a coffee filter when you are finished so that you don't get "scratchies" in there.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Funny, this happened to me as well, with the burning sensation. I made what I thought would be a good face cream with oatmeal, chamomile, and aloe juice which I subbed 1/2 the water for. I've used all the ingredients before except the aloe juice, but I have used aloe gel, so I was surprised when I put it on my face and it burned. It doesn't burn on my body, just my face. I have a store bought aloe gel which is fine on my face. Now I'm thinking there must be something in the aloe juice. Or maybe I used too much. I definitely won't use the juice for a face cream again. (I bought mine from a local Nature's Own Store)

I have used a similar gel with Benzoic acid and Dehydroacetic acid as preservatives and had good results. Sodium Benzoate is Benzoic acid after mixing with Sodium Hydroxide, which was also in my gel as a pH adjuster. Also be aware that citric acid may increase your skins sensitivity to sunlight, especially in a leave-on topical lotion or cream. The brand I usually get is "Lily of the Desert". It has a few other additives like vitamins E and A, but since I am only using it for me I don't mind, I love the stuff. They might have one that is pure aloe.

The juice I got that burned was "Georges" which claimed to have no additives or preservatives, it was fractionally distilled.