Can I mix essential oils with aloe vera gel? Find out if it's safe or not.

You know the saying, oil and water don't mix, so can you mix essential oils with aloe vera gel safely? The answer might surprise you.

Do essential oils mix with aloe vera gel?

The best thing to mix essential oils with is a carrier oil. Is aloe vera gel a carrier oil? No. It's a great soothing, cooling and moisturising natural product and you can certainly combine the two together, but if you're using pure gel from the fresh plant, or an aloe gel in a tube that's just pure gel, it's as effective as mixing the essential oils with water. The issue is, they don't stay mixed. They separate again.

What's the best alternative instead of mixing essential oils with aloe vera gel?

You can still get the benefits of essential oils with aloe vera gel by choosing an aloe based product that includes a thickening agent. According to the Tisserand Institute, when you mix essential oils with an aloe vera based jelly with a thickening agent, the essential oils are actually more likely to be drawn to the natural oil within our skin, and as a result, they'll absorb better.

An important note when mixing essential oils with water based ingredients.

If you decide a DIY approach and to make your own jelly with a thickening agent, getting the essential oils to mix well and stay dispersed is not your only issue. Any product that has water in it has the potential to grow harmful bacteria in it, and needs to have a preservative added accordingly if you're going to keep it for any longer than 24 hours.

There's some great safety information on the subject from the Tisserand website.

What's the safest way to mix essential oils for topical application?

The use of a carrier oil is always the best option. One option is to use a fractionated coconut oil, which differs from the coconut oil you eat because it has had the lauric acid removed and it always remains a liquid. Other oils used in skin care can also be used, including jojoba oil, which most closely resembles the lipid profile of our own skin or argan oil.

How do you get aloe vera straight from the plant?

In Australia, aloe vera grows well in the majority of climates and even those who don't have a green thumb can grow it successfully. This succulent can sometimes be mistaken for Yucca or Agave, and they can be toxic if eaten raw and they don't have the health benefits that the aloe vera gel has, so be sure that you know what plant you're working with before you start.

Drain the resin from the aloe vera leaf by letting it stand in a jar until it has all drained out. Grab a vegetable peeler or small knife and peel one side of the leaf, exposing the clear gel inside. Simply scoop it out (leave the skin behind) and apply directly to the skin or blend for a smoother consistency. You will have a runnier gel than you'd expect to get out of a tube. It will spoil so either use it while it's fresh or add a suitable preservative to the gel.

What are the benefits of aloe vera gel without essential oils?

It's a great 'non-greasy' water soluble base that absorbs well in to the skin that has many applications. It's great for soothing sunburn, can help reduce inflammation from skin issues like psoriasis and also calm some of the itching. You can use pure aloe vera like a moisturising face mask. Apply a thick later to the face, leave on for up to 10 minutes and then rinse off.