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Aloe vera

Supplement botanical gutskin & hair
Aka: Aloe barbadensis, aloe gel, aloe latex
Brands seen in Singapore: NOW Foods, Lily of the Desert, Nature's Way, Dynamic Health, Real Aloe
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Sold for skin and gut · topical burn data is strongest
Take with
Gel, juice or capsules · gel and latex differ
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Clinical research: gel may speed burn healing
  • Oral gel up to 42 days looked safe in studies
  • Two small studies: gel may improve acne
Cons
  • Aloe latex by mouth: cramps, pain, diarrhoea
  • Leaf extracts linked to cases of acute hepatitis
  • Iarc: whole-leaf extract possibly carcinogenic
Sources
  1. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera: Usefulness and Safety (last updated February 2025), promoted uses · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Topical use of aloe is promoted for acne, psoriasis, lichen planus … burns, and skin damage from radiation therapy. Oral use of aloe is promoted for weight loss, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease”
  2. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, parts of the leaf used · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Aloe products can be made from various parts of the aloe leaf, including the gel (from the inner leaf), latex (from the leaf's outer layer), and whole crushed leaf (containing the gel and latex).”
  3. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, what have we learned · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Clinical research suggests topical application of aloe gel may speed burn healing and reduce burn-related pain … Two small studies suggest that topical application of aloe gel, in combination with other forms of treatment, may improve acne.”
  4. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, what do we know about safety · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Research studies suggest that short-term use of oral aloe gel up to 42 days is safe. Oral use of aloe latex can cause abdominal pain, cramps, and diarrhea.”
  5. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, liver injury reports · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Oral consumption of aloe leaf extracts (for as little as 3 weeks and as long as 5 years) has been related to cases of acute hepatitis.”
  6. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, IARC classification of whole leaf extract · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified whole leaf extract of aloe vera as a possible carcinogen in humans. (This form, called non-decolorized, has not undergone activated carbon treatment to remove toxic anthraquinone components.)”
  7. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, 2023 review of drinkable aloe products · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “A 2023 review looked at … commercially available food-grade drinkable products containing no more than 10 parts per million of aloin (a type of anthraquinone). The authors … concluded that the drinkable products were not genotoxic.”
  8. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, 2002 FDA ruling on aloe latex laxatives · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a ruling that required manufacturers to remove aloe latex from over-the-counter laxative products because of a lack of safety data.”
  9. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, interaction with cardiac glycosides · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Overuse of aloe latex may increase the risk of adverse effects from cardiac glycosides, such as digoxin, which are used for some heart problems.”
  10. NIH NCCIH — Aloe Vera, pregnancy and breastfeeding · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Aloe—in gel, latex, or whole leaf extract form—when taken by mouth may be unsafe during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.”
  11. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines (Oct 2025), Annex A (118 rows, Abrus to Zinc) and Annex B (4 rows) — both searched, no row for this ingredient · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  12. HSA Singapore — Health Supplements Guidelines (January 2026), clause 4.8 and Tables 4–5 (vitamins and minerals only) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HS for use by the general adult population should not contain vitamins and minerals exceeding the stipulated limits stated in Tables 4 and 5.”
  13. iHerb Singapore — Supplements > Gut Health > Aloe Vera Juice & Supplements category page, default order (1 - 46 of 46 results); first 5 distinct brands: NOW Foods, Lily of the Desert, Nature's Way, Dynamic Health, Real Aloe · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “NOW Foods, DGL with Aloe Vera, 400 mg … Lily of the Desert, Aloe Vera Juice, Inner Fillet … Nature's Way, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice … Dynamic Health, Aloe Vera Juice … Real Aloe, Aloe Vera Gel”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.