I had a question from a reader regarding Aloe Vera. She wanted to know if there was a big difference between Aloe Vera Gel or Juice and could Gel be used as a replacement to the juice in certain mixes.
My initial response was Gel is just as good as the Juice depending on which brand you purchase.
I decided to dig a little deeper into this and came across this article/blog posted on the Whole Foods site. The article is mainly referencing Aloe Vera in terms of digesting, but it doesn't matter.
This is also speaking about a particular brand of Aloe Vera Juice/Gel, but when looking at different vitamin sites for Aloe Vera Juice and Gel, I noticed the Carrageenan being the main difference in ingredients.
To Juice or Gel, you ask?
Aloe vera gel is actually made from the aloe vera juice by adding a food grade thickening agent called carrageenan, which is a naturally occurring sea kelp/Irish moss. They are almost equally effective because the 365 Everyday Value® Aloe juice products contain 99.7% aloe vera, while the gel products contain 99.5% aloe vera. Juice products are typically made for dietary supplement purposes, while gel products are more commonly used for topical application, though they can be orally ingested and may be soothing to your throat, stomach, and digestive tract.
http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2008/09/drink-your-aloe-vera/
So, basically the Gel isn't that much different than the juice. The main difference is the added carrageenan. See below for an ingredient listings for Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Juice and Gel.
I also, came to the conclusion that I will be switching brands of Aloe Vera. Instead of using Fruit of the Earth, I will now be using Lily of the Desert. Lily of the Desert seems more "organic" and pure to me.
Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gel Ingredients:
Other Ingredients: Certified Organic whole leaf aloe vera leaves, carrageenan (thickening agent), less than 1% of the following: citric acid (oxidation inhibitor), potassium sorbate (mold inhibitor). Contains 99.5% certified organic aloe vera gel
Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Juice Ingredients:
Other Ingredients: Certified Organic aloe vera leaves, less than 1% of the following: citric acid (oxidation inhibitor), potassium sorbate (mold inhibitor). Contains 99.7% certified organic aloe vera juice
Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Juice Ingredients:
Natural Aloe Vera Gel , Citric Acid , Sodium Benzoate
Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel Ingredients:
Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Gel, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Carbomer 940, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea
Lily of the Desert can be found at most vitamin stores such as Whole Foods, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, or online at places like VitaCost.
Follow 6-FOOT-LONG-HAIR on Twitter for all the latest updates on Ms. D and all things hair
Thanks for answering my question, I did make the new growth mix using the aloe vera juice, but it seems runny and I hate things running down my neck but I think I need a diffrent spray bottle because I may be using too much. Next time i'll probably try the gel. I have another question off the subject, I really realllly want a split ender and I seen from ur youtube vid that u didn't care much from it, but my hair is relaxed and almost always very straight so I was thinkin it may work for me. I do a lil dustin myself but I know I don't take off enough and the last time I let a "professional " trim my hair she took off 3inches of hair and although it has grown back in the past yr I still haven't gotten over it, lol so I think the splitender would be perfect for me.
ReplyDeleteYou're Welcome :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, it may be your spray bottle. I tried using a regular one and it was runny, so now I only use one of those small 2 oz or 4oz bottles (which is pictured in my post).
It may be less runny if u add more glycerine or Oil too. U can always modify the mix to your liking.
As for the Split-Ender. Yes, it would most def. be perfect for you. Just make sure ur hair is completely straight(like flat-ironed straight) and tangle free before using it. It's less tedious then the search & destroy method and covers more "areas" then regular dusting.Many people had much success with it.
and I sooo feel your pain about having professionals trimming hair. 3 inches is a cut..not a trim!
I have read that Carrageenan is terrible stuff. It makes the list for hidden sources of MSG because Carrageenan may contain MSG. When my husband tried to give the gel to me, I wanted to see the label (because I couldn't believe it was for consumption). So, he brings the "Lily of the Desert" Aloe Vera Gel bottle to me and there it was, Carrageenan, the second ingredient. I wouldn't take it because I have a terrible reaction to MSG and read that even if some Carrageenan doesn't have it, you won't know, so avoid it. Can you find out more on this????
ReplyDeleteLet me do a little more research on this and I will update my post. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteYes, carrageenan has been shown to cause stomach and intestinal problems in some studies (see http://www.cornucopia.org/carrageenan-2013/ for more info). Aloe extracts have also been linked to intestinal cancer in rats in one study, too (it might/probably has to do with the process the aloe goes through when it is made into an extract).
DeleteMy advice is to just buy an aloe vera plant. They are super easy to grow and maintain, can be indoor or outdoor, cheap (much cheaper than buying bottles of artificial aloe juice), MUCH healthier and cleaner, and really easy. I just put cut off about a 3 inch section for my morning juices (just add to smoothies or water with lemon). Just the gel inner part - not the green skin. I usually rub the leftover gel on my skin. It's one of my favorite plants!
Did you end up using the Lily of the Desert gel or juice? I want to use aloe, but I'm trying to find the best brand to use. So far I'm leaning towards Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Juice No Preservatives Certified Organic.
ReplyDeleteI used the Gel and it was okay. It wasn't like the FOTE gel(which is thicker and can be used like regular gel on hair.) It lasted a while too.
DeleteBut I still use the FOTE juice because of price and convenience.
i know this is old but why not just use the whole foods brand aloe gel that has to be refrigerated and add an essential oil to help preserve it.that other stuff has bad ingredients.i use the whole foods aloe gel.
ReplyDeleteirish moss is natural but i don't see carageenan as natural. it's an extract from irish moss. to my mind, nature didn't intend for elements of a plant to be isolated and extracted, and then processed somehow for use.
ReplyDelete