Bitter aloe is a potential treatment for acne

Bitter aloe (Aloe ferox) can potentially be used as a natural treatment for acne, according to a study published in the Journal of Herbal Medicine. Researchers of the study aimed to determine whether bitter aloe possesses components that may have anti-acne and anti-inflammatory properties that may be used in for acne treatment.

• Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) commonly causes inflammation which results in acne, a chronic skin disease.
• Researchers from Kyung Hee University Medical Center in Seoul, Republic of Korea prepared different extracts of bitter aloe: aqueous, 50 percent ethanol, and 95 percent ethanol.
• Then, they tested the anti-inflammatory effects of bitter aloe in cells co-cultured with P. acnes.
• Results revealed that the bitter aloe extracts prevented the proliferation of P. acnes.
• All the bitter aloe extracts also significantly reduced the elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines caused by P. acnes.
• The researchers suggested that bitter aloe could be further studied as a potential treatment for acne.

Overall, the findings of the study suggested that the extracts of bitter aloe possess anti-P. acnes and anti-inflammatory effects, which could potentially be used as an agent for treating acne.

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Journal Reference:

Jeong WY, Kim K. ANTI-PROPIONIBACTERIUM ACNES AND THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECT OF ALOE FEROX MILLER COMPONENTS. Journal of Herbal Medicine. September 2017; 9: 53-59. DOI: 10.1016/j.hermed.2017.03.009