As the saying goes, you are what you eat — however, TikTok creators are trying to prove that you actually are what you drink. Many have taken to the app to sing their praises for aloe vera juice, an elixir that users claim clears up skin and promotes optimal gut health. In fact, videos featuring the concoction have collected approximately 1.7 billion views as of this writing.
TikTok content creator Bria Lemirande‘s March 14 aloe vera juice testimony is one of several aloe vera juice reviews that have gained traction with TikTok users. In the video, Bria says her “week-and-a-half” experience of drinking a one-ounce shot of the liquid tonic twice a day resulted in her skin “clearing up a ton.” She adds that her gut health has “never been better,” thanks to routinely drinking aloe vera juice.
Bria said drinking aloe juice has “felt like it made [her] skin very dewy, glowy, and the texture improved. As far as gut health goes, I felt much less bloated after eating.”
Meet the experts:
- Nikhil Dhingra, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City.
- Barry Goldman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City.
- Nooshin Hosseini, MD, is dual board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and a clinical assistant professor in NYU’s department of gastroenterology.
But scientifically speaking, can drinking aloe vera juice actually pave the way for clear skin and a more content gut? According to Nikhil Dhingra, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, some studies have shown that consuming aloe vera could help alleviate acne, but he says “these aren’t particularly exhaustive studies and so their interpretation can’t be taken as definitive proof.”
Still, Dr. Dhingra said that there are benefits from topical use of the plant. “Aloe vera has been known to have anti-inflammatory and healing properties when used externally, something we commonly know through its use of treatment for mild sunburns,” he explains.
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Another board-certified dermatologist, Barry Goldman, MD, isn’t too sure that drinking aloe juice will help placate acne. Dr. Goldman explains that he isn’t aware of any studies that explore the relationship between aloe vera juice and the skin, but he does think that “aloe vera juice may contain antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory [properties].”
“There is no evidence that aloe vera juice benefits your skin more than drinking or eating other unsweetened unprocessed juices, fruits, and vegetables,” he adds. “Most of the evidence is anecdotal, meaning that one or two people had a great experience or believe in it.”
When it comes to aloe vera juice’s benefits for your insides, the research also remains limited. Nooshin Hosseini, MD, a New York City-based board-certified internist and gastroenterologist, says the studies’ findings have reported “ingesting aloe vera orally may be useful for treating various gastrointestinal symptoms in the short term.”