WHEN you skimp on the sunscreen (unintentionally, of course) and end up with a monster sunburn, chances are you turn to aloe vera gel to soothe your scorched skin. Because it brings so much relief during the healing process — almost like a gooey superhero — you’ve probably wondered what else aloe vera gel is capable of.

“Aloe vera is a cactus-like plant known for its healing and medicinal properties,” says Joel Schlessinger, Omaha-based board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon. “Its stems store water, creating a clear, gel-like substance in the leaves, which contains vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and amino acids.” The gel from aloe has been used throughout history to treat a variety of skin conditions, such as burns, frostbite, psoriasis, and cold sores, research shows.

Each triangular leaf of the aloe vera plant is composed of three layers, with the innermost layer containing a clear gel that’s made up of 99 percent water and roughly 75 potentially active ingredients, according to a review published in the International Journal of Research and Medical Sciences. The inner leaf juice is removed from the rind, either by machine or hand, and is cold-pressed to keep the active ingredients active.

Keep these tips from dermatologists in mind before you commit to a bottle of aloe.

The higher the percentage, the better.

“Purest aloe is always best, without anything added, such as other ingredients to supposedly make it ‘better,’” says New York-based board-certified dermatologist Gary Goldenberg.

If the percentage of aloe vera is low, that means it contains many other additives, such as thickeners, preservatives, colors and fragrance. These additional ingredients may make the aloe vera less effective. Although some preservation is necessary — hence why there’s no such thing as 100 percent aloe vera gel — try to find one that has the least number of ingredients, and the highest percentage of aloe vera.

To be sold in many outlets, often there must be some type of preservative to extend shelf-life and protect from microbes, but aloe vera gels that are labeled as having a shorter shelf-life might mean a cleaner product.

You’d better avoid aloe vera gels that contain alcohol, fragrance, and color. Alcohol denat and cetyl alcohol, for example, can be irritating to the skin. The same goes for fragrance, even those from essential or natural oils, which are often a culprit of contact dermatitis. Finally, aloe vera should be clear — there’s no reason for it to be green.(SD-Agencies)