Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel: Never Again!

16Aug
by Cherryl

A lot has been written about aloe vera, lots of wonderful things like:

  • it has a wide range of medicinal uses
  • it also has a wide range of skin care benefits

I’d never really tried any aloe vera products before, only aloe vera scented things.

Aloe Vera Review Alternative Health Dr Organic Natural Beauty

Aloe Vera Plant

http://photopin.com/

If you do your research, you’ll also find much has been written about aloe vera’s potentially toxic effects on your skin and body in the form of allergic reactions.

It was interesting to lear later that Aloe Vera is a hybrid plant (not a naturally occurring plant), it is unnatural. Hybrid plants can be unhelpful to human health.

I had one heck of an allergic reaction  to Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel after approximately three days of light use.

The first strange (seemingly unrelated) thing that happened 2/3 days into using it, was that after a very good night’s sleep, I woke up the next morning with swollen puffy eyes and had to sit with frozen peas over them for about an hour to help the swelling go down, it gradually improved further throughout the day. Very strange indeed, I thought.

A couple of days later, everything was fine, no swollen eyes – nothing to report. I washed my face as usual that evening then applied a little aloe vera to my face neck, shoulders, and wiped the excess off my hands onto my waist and bottom.

Well. 😱 😨 😰

Literally, within about a minute of  Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel going onto my skin (remember this was not the first time I’d used it) my face felt a bit funny and I felt a rash building up as I touched my skin. My skin then started to feel really hot.

I  race back to the sink and wash my face again to get it off (not really thinking to wash  it off my body as I thought it was just my facial skin that didn’t like it). Of course, the problem is, this stuff doesn’t sit on the surface of the skin, it sinks deep into your skin, especially when applied to freshly scrubbed clean skin, leaving it impossible to remove it all completely.

Great.

Aloe Vera Review Dr Organic

http://photopin.com/

From this point onwards, I suffered for just over a week, nonstop, itching like crazy and the more you scratch the more it itches. A raised, visibly bumpy red rash covered all over the areas touched by the  Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel, nowhere else, so it was definitely the gel.

Thankfully I had only applied  Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel sparingly to my face.

Imagine rolling around in a bed of stinging nettles, this is probably what it would feel like.

I changed the bedding, washed my hair and anything I thought might still have remnants of the aloe vera gel left on it. Still the torture continued.

After continuously flushing out my system by drinking lots of water, green tea, and smothering my skin with Savlon, TCP, coconut oil and taking Dettol baths, things slowly started to improve after around ten days, yes it took that long.

I will never underestimate the power of an allergic reaction again.

Be careful when trying new products, even if they’re supposed to be organic. Granted, this particular product has a few other ingredients in it which may have had something to do with it. One of the assistants in Holland & Barrett suggested I try using pure aloe vera (with nothing added), which they had in stock.

I declined.

I really wasn’t willing to risk more of the same, or worse, in the name of experimentation.

I know when to call is quits.

When your body speaks, listen. A severe reaction is often your body’s way of letting you know it is in distress and that a substance is in some way toxic/poisonous to your system.

Obviously, everyone is going to react differently to things, but this is the most extreme and shocking reaction I have had to any product in my entire life. It definitely frightened me.

Thankfully Holland & Barrett were very understanding and offered a full refund on both the opened and unopened bottles of  Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel I purchased (with receipts, I hadn’t thrown them away).

Screen Shot 2016-08-13 at 15.30.06

Website screenshot, this is the product I purchased and used.

A woman in the queue next to me said aloe vera had done her skin the world of good, and uses it often. How differently two people can react to the same thing – though she said she uses it in its purest form, not a manufactured product.

I have decided to steer well clear.

Quite frankly, I don’t have any significant need for it, I just thought it would be a good soother to try after being out in the hot sun each day on holiday (thankfully trying and testing it months before I was due to go away). This would have been a complete disaster if it had happened whilst on holiday. There are plenty of other good products that can sooth the skin just as well.

Interestingly, all the product reviews for  Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel seem to be very positive on the Holland & Barrett website, whilst they’re all negative on Amazon ( after checking again today). Don’t rely on reviews from just one website for anything, always research more widely for more balanced feedback.

A week on, my skin was almost back to normal, the affected areas only itched a little bit now. I’m so grateful I didn’t have a more severe reaction. Thank God. Some people’s throat passages swell up, restricting their breathing – which can be fatal.

Aloe vera, thanks but no thanks.

Moving swiftly back to my long standing, tried and tested shea butter and organic coconut oil.

GE1EMYEURI
Image: https://stocksnap.io

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46 thoughts on “Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel: Never Again!”

  1. Ellie www.newcreationsministries.wordpress.com/

    What an experience! I’m grateful, Cherryl, that it wasn’t worse. You are so right! Everyone has a different chemical makeup. As a nutritionist working for doctors, I tried every herb for my patients before recommending them. That’s how I discovered I was deathly allergic to echinacea. (Even though I’m retired, I’m still careful with new products.)

    You have a wonderful blog. I am so grateful you have found and are following mine. I look forward to doing the same. Blessings back my new friend, 🙂

    Reply

    1. Cherryl

      Thank you for visiting my blog Ellie 💐
      Echinacea, wow – not something I’ve heard anyone being allergic to before, and what you experienced sounds very scary, thankfully that wasn’t worse. 🙏

      Maybe a lot of people don’t realise they are allergic to certain things unless the reaction is extreme – or we’re very in-tune with our body and overall health. I know someone who is becoming allergic to more and more foods/ingredients and drinks and it’s causing them a lot of distress.

      Praying you don’t have any more allergic reactions, keep well 🙏✨

      Reply

  4. Alice

    Thanks for writing about this. I had a reaction to aloe gel today, as I used it with my microcurrent device. Oops. My whole face looked as though I had really bad sunburn and was, indeed, absolutely burning up. After about an hour it subsided. Very lucky! I just tried it on the back of my hand (minus the microcurrent) and, same reaction. I’m now going to check all the products I use, as I’ve been getting some strange rashes lately. We live and learn!

    Reply

    1. Cherryl

      Sorry to hear this Alice, Aloes on it’s own in its pure form is meant to be very good for skin and many people I know who have used it confirm this to be true. I know of someone who was badly burned and now their burned skin is pretty much perfectly smooth and clear again…..good stuff!! Aloe Vera on the other hand, is completely different and often mixed with other chemicals so it’s a gamble to try it I guess.
      Thanks for reading, and keep well.

      Reply

    2. Cherryl

      Yes we definitely live and learn Alice, couldn’t agree more. This is the only time in my life I’ve had a reaction like this, so it was pretty significant. I think the more pure and natural the products we use on our skin the better. Anything manufactured tends to have some sort of added chemicals, but sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what’s causing these reactions. Thanks for reading 😊🌱

      Reply

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  15. Hana

    hi! I know im late to this, but I just had the same reaction. Yesterday night, and tonight, because I introduced two new products into my skincare routine at the same time. When i yesterday saw how my face turned completly red, and started burning, I thought, there is no way, that the aloe vera gel is the problem, but tonight, it finally turned out, that in fact that was it. And i used dr.organic as well. Beforehand i read a few reviews, and most of them said it was good, but then there was, which said, that their face turned red from it. I wanted to believe, that most people were right, even tho they wrote that they used this product for mosquito bites, and other bodyparts than the face. Now I did a better research, and just as you wrote, on the first google result, the reviews gave a really high score to this, but on the other pages the reviews were different. And many of them say, that this dr.organic product is not even close to a pure aloe vera gel, and its more of a chemical and a natural extract. And that dr.organic aloe vera is not pure, and can cause more harm than good. I feel like this is right, because from the smell and ingredient list of the product, im not really convinced about it being natural.. Also, i have an aloe vera balm, which doesnt give me any reaction at all. So i wouldnt immediately decline the idea of using aloe vera, just a better product for it. Its such a pity because i spent too much money for a product like this, and i find it ironic, that the brand name is ‘dr.organic’, meanwhile its not too organic.. Anyways, this is just a warning if anyone with sensitive skin wants to use this product! I would still give aloe a try, just not from this brand!

    Reply

    1. Cherryl

      Yes – the irony of the brand naming itself “Dr Organic” – I won’t buy anything from this brand again. Thanks for sharing this – people need to be aware of the negative reactions people are having with products like this, sorry to hear you had a bad faction too. I have read that aloe vera is not a natural plant – it is a hybrid plant and that “aloes” is an entirely different thing to ‘aloe vera’. Aloes is the more highly recommended product – I know someone who used it on severe burns to their body and now they have no scars or trace of the burns – the ‘aloes’ worked it’s miracle in a matter of days!!

      Reply

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  21. Mrs Strawberry Blonde

    I’m sorry you suffered this terrible reaction.

    I agree, everyone should be careful with new products – especially with products containing natural ingredients. I think it’s possible that one of the other ingredients (or a combination of ingredients) was to blame for your reaction, so I would recommend you compare the ingredients of this aloe gel with the ingredients of products your skin tolerates well.

    You might also want to consider allergy testing. I know most people wouldn’t have it done, but the reaction you suffered when you used the product for the second time was quite severe, and if you’re exposed to the allergen again, it might get worse. A lot worse. It might be life-threatening. I’m saying this as someone who’s been to the A+E quite a few times for (new and unexpected) allergies!

    I’d definitely recommend you speak to your GP about this – just to be on the safe side. Your GP can also advise you on the available treatments (steroids, antihistamines, etc) and they would probably advise you to see a doctor right away in case your eyes swell up again. (And in addition, swelling around the eyes isn’t great for your skin, and it can cause lines and wrinkles to form.) I know what it’s like, I used to battle angioedemas and I’d be on steroids on and off for months whilst no one could figure out what was wrong with me. (I’ve been fine for almost two years, so fingers crossed!)

    So yeah, please be careful and see your GP. The severity of the reaction you suffered shows that you really shouldn’t be exposed to the allergen again. Stay safe!! xx

    Reply

    1. Cherryl

      Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate you taking the time and the advice you gave. At the time I did consider going to see my doctor, but once things started to improve I felt less anxious. It is true that it could have been far more severe, as I have read in the case of other people’s reactions. I’m generally very reluctant to take any kind of medications (unless absolutely necessary) as pharmaceuticals can do a lot of harm in the name of ‘good’ (though this isn’t publicised and made common knowledge), so I don’t like the sound of steroids etc…But you are absolutely right to suggest getting an allergy test, just for my own peace of mind and to avoid the allergen in future. Interestingly, I’ve read that you can be using a product for months/years before an allergy kicks in – all the more reason to get tested. Thanks again x

      Reply

      2. Roshan

        I feel your pain about the severity of your reaction. I am also allergic to aloe and I have eczema. Some doctors describe it as having an allergic profile, if you have one allergy, others seem to follow. I am an otherwise healthy person, fit with minimal issues with ingestants, but my skin is plagued. I’ve know since I was a child and a life time of taking care of my skin leaves little evidence of the severity of the problem, but a flare up leaves me looking like a beast! My best option has always been prevention because as you discovered, calming a reaction is much more time consuming and sometimes painful than staying away from what you are allergic to in the first place. I have developed a life style that is supportive of my sensitive immune system and life goes on. I’m allergic to grasses, tree and flower pollen (pretty much anything green), and I have a sun sensitivity, but I love the outdoors! It doesn’t stop me I just modify how I do cetain things. My biggest challenge is remarks and question from other people who don’t understand why I don’t do things the way they do. I do not explain for fear of the she’s extra commentary. Back to aloe… while it seems to be the antient secret cure all clearly others have had this reaction issue. About 10 years ago aloe because popular ingredient added to almost everything! I will admit before the itching started, I was really impressed with how well it detainged, softened and hydrated my super thick and thirsty hair. Have you found a suitable alternative with similar results and no reaction?

        Reply

        1. Cherryl

          Hi there
          My aloe vera experience was a very unfortunate one off. I tried this particular product because I thought it might be a healthier and more soothing in the hot sun whilst on holiday, and it was also on offer in the shop so it got my attention. Before trying this particular product I’d never had any skin problems to speak of and haven’t had any since, thankfully. Aloe vera is very commonly known to trigger bad reactions in some people – strange! Maybe it was the combination of other ingredients in the product, but I’m not willing to risk finding out!! I just stay away from new products and stick to what I know – like I said, good old healthy Shea butter works fine, and I also like the smell of Dove body lotions. I’m sorry to hear how much you have suffered with your skin and being so sensitive to green plants must be difficult – I wonder if there is any way this can be reversed – I know people with eczema who say it disappears when they’re on holiday abroad, somewhere hot by the sea and that sea water also helps; the eczema returns as soon as they get back to the UK. A move abroad might be a drastic solution, but I really hope you find some relief; we’re immersed in so many unnatural things these days (mobile phones, UV rays, chemicals in our food, environment and everything we consume/inhale), it’s hard to narrow the body’s reactions down to one thing.
          Thanks for reading my post and sharing your experience 😊

          Reply

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