Aloe Vera For Lips: Benefits And Uses

A guide to how this herb can keep your pout smooth, soft, and healthy.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Ipshita Johri, MBBS, DDV Dr. Ipshita Johri Dr. Ipshita JohriMBBS, DDV facebook_iconyoutube_iconinsta_icon
Written by , BA (Literature & Psychology), PG Diploma Arshiya Syeda BA (Literature & Psychology), PG Diploma Experience: 7 years
Edited by , MA (English Literature) Ramona Sinha MA (English Literature) Experience: 11 years
Fact-checked by , MA (Journalism & Mass Communication) Monomita Chakraborty MA (Journalism & Mass Communication) Experience: 4 years
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Aloe vera gel is widely used for its skin care benefits. It contains anti-inflammatory, skin healing, and soothing properties that help manage several skin issues (1). You can use aloe vera for lips that are dry, cracked, and itchy. Aloe vera gel is lightweight, and its watery consistency makes it easy to apply to your lips. Aloe vera gel acts as a natural moisturizer, making it perfect for lip care. You can use it daily instead of your lip balm to improve the texture and smoothness of your lips.

While the number of studies on the efficacy of aloe vera for chapped lips and cracked lips is limited, several reasons make aloe vera gel an excellent option for dry lips. This article explains why you should consider using aloe vera gel on your lips. Keep reading.

Can Aloe Vera Soothe Chapped Lips?

Woman holding an aloe vera leaf as a moustache
Image: Shutterstock

Aloe vera gel is a holy grail ingredient in the skincare and beauty industry. Since it has several healing properties, there may be some merit in using it on dry and chapped lips as well.

Aloe vera gel has healing, moisturizing, and antiseptic effects upon topical application (2). Although no clinical research exists on the use of aloe vera gel on the lips to treat dry lips, it may be tried as a conventional treatment for chapped lips.

Aloe vera is a storehouse of various constituents, including vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, fatty acids, hormones, and amino acids (2). Therefore, it may be the answer to your dry and chapped lips. But, how effective it may turn out for you remains to be seen when you use it.

protip_icon Quick Tip
The amino acids and mucopolysaccharides in aloe vera gel are responsible for its hydrating effects. They can soften dry and hard skin cells (2).

Moving on, let us discover some of the benefits of using aloe vera gel on the lips in the next section.

Benefits Of Using Aloe Vera On The Lips

The use of aloe vera for the lips may yield some of the following benefits:

1. Adds Moisture

Woman with moisturized lips
Image: Shutterstock

Aloe vera adds moisture to the skin, which can make your lips feel less dry (2). Your lips can feel dry and cracked due to a lack of lubrication. Using an aloe vera lip balm can soothe such drying lips by providing hydration to your lips and reducing any kind of irritation.

2. Fights Infections

The anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera may help fight irritation or infection on the lips (2). This may be helpful in case your lips are extremely chapped, cracked, and bleeding.

3. Keeps Lips Looking Young

The antioxidants found in aloe vera may help fight the signs of skin damage and wrinkles on the lips as well as offer sunburn relief. When properly moisturized, your lips appear plump and radiant (2).

With these benefits, the use of aloe vera on the lips looks like a fruitful solution. For this purpose, you can either get an aloe vera lip balm or make one at home with an aloe vera lip balm recipe.

In the next section, we will learn more about using an aloe vera lip balm on the lips.

How To Use Aloe Vera On The Lips

There are two significant ways to use aloe vera on your lips:

1. Direct Application On The Lips

Woman directly applying aloe vera to her lips
Image: Shutterstock

To use aloe gel enriched with vitamins and minerals on lips, you can extract fresh aloe vera gel from a plant and apply it to your lips. It is easy to extract the gel from the plant. Just slice open an aloe leaf and scoop out the gel with your fingers or a spoon. The natural gel of an aloe vera leaf may feel a little slimy on your lips. However, note that using this organic, plant-based moisturizer directly on your skin or lips may cause some side effects as well, such as redness, burning, or a stinging sensation, if you are allergic to it (2).

2. Use An Aloe Vera Lip Balm

Woman using an aloe vera lip balm
Image: Shutterstock

The alternative to this is using an aloe vera lip balm. This will be useful if you are unsure if you can put aloe vera gel directly on your lips. You will be able to avoid the harmful effects that could be caused due to the natural chemical composition of aloe vera. Simply dab a lip balm containing this ingredient on your lips as and when you feel the need to moisturize them.

Making your very own aloe vera chapstick is not difficult. In the next section, we will share a simple DIY recipe to make your very own aloe lip balm.

How To Make An Aloe Vera Lip Balm At Home

Making your very own aloe chapstick has many benefits. The most important is that you are fully aware of the ingredients being used, unlike the chapsticks available in the market.

To make your own lip balm with aloe vera, you can follow the recipe listed below.

Ingredients

Coconuts and aloe vera needed to make a DIY lip balm
Image: Shutterstock
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon of shea butter
  • 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel
  • A few drops of almond oil or jojoba oil

Method

  1. Heat up the coconut oil and shea butter to melt them together in a bowl.
  2. Stir the two ingredients well to ensure that they blend well with each other. Once the mixture is blended and melted, transfer the contents to another bowl.
  3. Add aloe vera gel to the mixture and stir it in thoroughly.
  4. To make a lump-free paste, add a few drops of almond oil or jojoba oil.

Coconut oil provides anti-inflammatory and skin-repairing benefits to the lips, while shea butter acts as a rich emollient that helps moisturize them (3), (4). Similarly, almond oil is an emollient as well, which helps improve skin tone on the lips (5). These ingredients mix with aloe vera to deliver wholesome goodness to the skin on your lips.

But are there any side effects associated with the use of aloe vera on the lips? Let us find out in the next section.

Side Effects Of Using Aloe Vera On The Lips

The topical application of aloe vera on the lips may cause some side effects. The unique aloe vera chemical formula may cause redness, burning, or a stinging sensation upon topical application. The anthraquinones found in aloe vera, namely aloin and barbaloin, may also cause an allergic reaction (2).

protip_icon Quick Tip
Aloe vera can interact with drugs and lower potassium levels in the body. Applying aloe vera while taking Furosemide may increase the risk of potassium depletion (2).

For this reason, you must always conduct a patch test before applying pure aloe vera gel to your face or lips. However, most lip balms with aloe vera available commercially use purified aloe vera gel, which is free of such harmful constituents. That is why the cosmetics industry finds a wide range of uses for aloe vera in its products.

Infographic: Aloe Vera On The Lips: Benefits And How To Apply

Tired of dry, cracked, and chapped lips? Try using aloe vera. Its anti-inflammatory, skin-healing, and soothing properties can make your lips look healthy and hydrated. In the following infographic, we have discussed how aloe vera can benefit your lips and how you can apply it. Take a look.

aloe vera on the lips benefits and how to apply (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Aloe vera has a hydrating and calming impact on the skin. Therefore, it can be used on dry, chapped lips. It is light and watery, making it simple to apply to your lips. You can use aloe vera gel straight off the leaf or mix it with other ingredients to make your own lip balm. If you have sensitive skin, especially sensitized to aloe vera, it might cause skin reactions such as redness, swelling, and inflammation. As a result, always do a patch test before using it on your lips and consult a doctor if you notice any adverse reaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can aloe clear dark lips?

Yes. Aloesin, an aloe vera derivative, inhibits melanin production and reduces pigmentation (6). Therefore, it can suppress pigmentation and may help brighten dark lips.

What do healthy lips look like?

Healthy lips are soft and smooth. The color may range from reddish-pink to light brown depending on skin tone.

Why are my lips dark?

Your lips can turn dark due to the adverse effects of certain lipsticks and toothpaste. Additionally, lack of proper hydration, sun damage, pollution, and smoking are other factors that can lead to dark lips.

Key Takeaways

  • Aloe vera gel is lightweight and nutrient-rich, making it a great choice for moisturizing the lips.
  • It moisturizes the lips, fights infections, and keeps them looking young.
  • Make your own lip balm with aloe vera gel, some plant oils, and shea butter or use commercial products.
Aloe Vera For Lips

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Learn how to get soft pink lips naturally with aloe vera gel. Follow some simple steps to get the perfect pout. Check the video to learn how!

References

Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.

  1. The therapeutic properties and applications of Aloe vera: A review:
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322376384_The_therapeutic_properties_and_applications_of_Aloe_vera_A_review
  2. ALOE VERA: A SHORT REVIEW:
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763764/
  3. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils:
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/
  4. The Use of Shea Butter as an Emollient for Eczema:
    https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2808%2903527-6/fulltext
  5. The uses and properties of almond oil:
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20129403/
  6. Are Natural Ingredients Effective in the Management of Hyperpigmentation? A Systematic Review
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5843359/
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