Aloe Ferox in Skincare

Aloe ferox, also called Cape aloe or bitter aloe, is a succulent indigenous to the Eastern and Western Cape of South Africa. It is a different plant from the far more common Aloe vera, and it is the one Africology formulates with.

How aloe ferox differs from aloe vera

Both plants yield a clear inner-leaf gel used in skincare, but aloe ferox is wild-growing rather than plantation-farmed, and its leaf gel is frequently noted as carrying a higher amino acid content than Aloe vera. The plant also produces a separate bitter yellow sap just under the leaf skin, which has a long traditional use as a laxative and is not what goes into skincare. It is the clear inner gel, rich in polysaccharides, amino acids and minerals, that is used in cosmetic formulation.

What it does for skin

Aloe ferox gel is best understood as a calming and hydrating ingredient rather than an active. It holds water at the skin surface, and it has a long record of use on skin that is irritated, over-exposed or simply reactive. That combination makes it one of the few ingredients that works across almost every skin type, including sensitive and reactive skin, which is unusual.

Wild harvesting

Aloe ferox is largely wild-harvested in the Eastern Cape by tappers who cut outer leaves without killing the plant, so the same plants are harvested again over many years. It is one of South Africas oldest continuously traded natural products.

Africology products with aloe ferox

• Aloe Ferox Serum, the most concentrated use of it in the range
• Body Wash, where it soothes as it cleanses
• Body Lotion

If you are new to Africology and unsure where to start, the Aloe Ferox Serum is the least likely product in the range to disagree with your skin.

Read more about the botanicals Africology formulates with.