Customer Reviews

Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera 100% Gel, 24 oz (680 g)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

It's 100% gel but not necessarily 100% Aloe Vera... obviously. I like the fact they use Tocopherol Acetate, which is Vitamin E, it is probably added as an antioxidant and preservative. Unfortunately they also feel it is necessary to add Carbomer 940, a synthetic thickener, to change the consistency. This is supposedly non-toxic but like many chemicals used in cosmetics, it's not clinically tested and who really knows. The Triethanolamine is used to solubilize and reduce the acidity of the Carbomer but should be nontoxic. EDTA is a chelator; it is not really a problem either as such.

Of more concern is the addition of the perservatives/antimicrobials DMDM Hydantoin and Diazolidinyl Urea; these chemicals work by releasing Formaldehyde into the product, which kills any microbes and is great for the product but not so great for you, because Formaldehyde is a potent carcinogen as well as an irritant that can cause allergic reactions.

Although this product is only applied topically, and the concentration of Formaldehyde is hopefully too low to cause irritation and cancer, that is not known. I would be interested to know the exact concentrations of each ingredient in the final product.

Good things: this is otherwise a decent product that dries very quickly, and makes a non-greasy Hair gel and skin moisturizer. I have mixed fine loose glitter into it to make cheap glitter gel, that would actually stay on my skin and hair instead of the glitter falling right off, like when you mix glitter with regular lotion.

Bad things: the formaldehyde-producing preservatives; you would think a company by the name of Fruit of the Earth should actually use some earth-friendly preservatives. As an alternative I suggest exploring your local health food or supplement store and searching for an aloe vera gel that does not contain any strange unpronouncable/chemical/synthetic ingredients. Even in small quantities these things can cause allergies or other health problems, and it only takes one mutation to start a cancer. Or pick up your own Aloe Vera plant; they are surprisingly tough and prolific.

This is an excellent product that I use often and love!!! :)

Let me first start off by saying that I do agree with the other reviewers of this product who point out that Fruit of the Earth's label is (perhaps) a bit misleading. The advertising may lead some folks to believe the product is 100% pure aloe vera gel... Well, close, but not quite... 100% "gel" indeed it is, but there are other additives in the mix.

Pure aloe vera gel usually has some light natural coloration (a yellowish tint) and a light, distinct, scent... and if it is of the pure organic nature, the color (and smell) may vary a little from batch to batch. My first indication that Fruit of the Earth's product was not actually "pure" was its perfectly clear color.

As for the concerns over chemical agents contained in this product, I personally think there might be a little bit of over-reaction in that regard. This is a fine product in my honest opinion. Reviewer "Torben's" comments, I think, are excellent (with reference to the additives used in this product). If you have convictions that prohibit you from using products with any un-natural chemical ingredients, that is understandable and there are other excellent alternatives (such as Lily of the Desert, which is 99% pure and organic, but also much more expensive).

While I prefer using organic products as well, I confess that - sometimes - I settle for the cheap stuff too and this really deserves a good review because it's a GREAT product. I use it often on my face and scalp and as a hair gel (it doesn't flake off or leave hair feeling greasy). I also use it as a shaving gel sometimes. It has improved the quality and appearance of my skin and reduced my psoriasis problems on the scalp considerably! Whoever said this product is a skin irritant obviously has never used it. I also use it on my hands (which have severe dryness and cracking problems) and it works healing wonders. It has a wonderful cooling sensation, is not sticky, hydrates the skin beautifully and reduces redness, scars, and works near miracles on cuts and scrapes. Granted it's not quite as good as right off the leaf, but it's sooooo much better than using lotions, which (even the good ones, many times) have far more dangerous chemicals (and in greater quantity) than this product. If you're one that is used to grabbing a tube of cheap Vaseline lotion or something like that for general hand lotion, get this instead! It's much healthier and won't plug up the pores. It will heal and restore rather than just smooth away the dryness.

I don't know about "significant" cancer dangers, but I doubt the other reviewers who worriedly shout "AVOID!" are scientists on the subject either. ;) But I digress. This is still a great aloe vera product despite very minor potential concerns about minuscule quantities of chemical agents that are (presumably) added for thickening and preservative purposes only. There is no coloring or fragrance chemicals added and that is a big plus for health-conscious users (and shows the manufacturer's desire to appeal to health concerns of their buyers). It also has no funny smell, no stickiness (only a light residue - typical when using aloe vera - that fades away as it is absorbed in the skin).

Unless you are flat out paranoid of preservatives, stop worrying (maybe even trust God a little), save a little money, and buy this cool product that does what it should and does it very well! I thought about giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the - arguably - slightly misleading label, but the fact is the label is honest and all ingredients are clearly listed on the back for anyone with a brain to check out so I won't count that against it. Thanks to the folks at Fruit of the Earth for a very good product (in my opinion).

This product is a necessity in my home. There are so many uses for this product that it hard to know where to begin. I "discovered" this a few years ago when I burned myself badly frying something. My mother-in-law asked if I tried aloe on the burn to cool the fire. I didn't expect the aloe to work since the burn was almost 4 hours old before I put aloe on it. Was I wrong! Almost immediately the aloe cooled the fire of the burn and remarkably the blister even began to decrease in size.

I have subsequently discovered many additional uses for this product. It is excellent for poison ivy, scratches, insect bites, sunburn and just about any other skin irritation or inflammation. It also appears to reduce the dark spots that appear on the face and hands as we age.

The ingredients in this product as follows:
Aloe Vera Gel
Triethanolamine
Tocopheryl Acetate
Carbomer 940
Tetrasodium EDTA
DMDM Hydantoin
Diazolidinyl Urea

I would have this product in my home if only for the remarkable way that it heals burns. If you haven't tried aloe for skin irritation in the past, I would highly recommend that you give this product a try. I was initally a skeptic, but it really does work.

I was definitely skeptical when I saw a tube of this stuff on the shelf at my local drugstore boldly proclaiming "100% Gel"----OF COURSE it's 100% GEL----it's NOT 100% Aloe Vera though, obviously!! Secondly, I strongly suggest that anyone considering this product should Google ALL of the other ingredients. You'll probably wonder, as I did, if this stuff will CAUSE more problems than it CURES! I pitched my tube out immediately after reading what this other stuff is. One of the ingredients, Diazolidinyl urea, for example, is a KNOWN CARCINOGEN and has been banned in Europe! Also, although the label boldly proclaims "NO ALCOHOL", you will find that one of the ingredients is INDEED a "tri-alcohol"!! You simply cannot trust advertising and I will be more wary before buying similar products in the future and will NOT do business with a company like Fruit of the Earth who tries to be so sneaky and borders on dishonesty.

This is hands down the best hair gel I have ever used. I have naturally curly hair, and have tried most mousses, gels, and curl creams there are out on the market. Nothing compares to 100% Aloe Vera gel! It activates my curl without leaving my hair greasy or crunchy. I get compliments weekly on my hair and I really owe a large part to this product. For ppl with curly hair, try scrunching your hair with the gel after you get out of the shower and diffusing it. You won't believe the results. It's also great for touch ups throughout the day.

The reason why this is the best hair gel is simple: It will keep your hair in place, but will never be hard and painful. and if you accidently rub it off or sleep with it on, it will not flake and leave white stuff in your hair. You need this stuff.

Although not technically a lie, putting 100% in the label is grossly misleading considering all the additives in this product. Personally, I consider it criminally misleading. Although I have bought a lot of this product in the past when it was less adulterated, I'll never buy any Fruit of the Earth Product again.

I recommend "Aloe Vera Gelly" produced by "Lily of the Desert".

Thanks to the reviewers below who described the chemicals.

I LOVE this aloe vera gel. I used it moisturize my natural African-American hair. I mix it with shea butter. I like it because it doesn't leave a sticky film in my hair as other aloe vera gels I've tried seem to do.

This product is very hard to find in stores, so I have to order it online.

The only thing is that I wish it had even less ingredients in it besides the true aloe vera gel.

Having done a little research, I believe that the whole tetrasodium EDTA scare is a bit of an overreaction. Tetrasodium EDTA is a common salt of EDTA, or EthyleneDiamineTetraacetic Acid, and is used in many products (including soaps and cosmetics) as a chelating agent.

Its effect is to make sodium, calcium and magnesium salts, as found in hard water, water-soluble. As you know, prolonged exposure to water makes your skin absorb water and swell (that's why it wrinkles). Since chelating agents decrease the surface tension of water, they will accelerate this process. In theory, it is possible that some carcinogens may become water soluble and hence be more easily absorbed by your skin as well. This perceived danger is the same, however, if you stay in the bathtub for too long.

In this product, Tetrasodium EDTA is used to keep it nice and smooth and help its not-so-water-soluble components (such as preservatives) dissolve in the gel.

EDTA itself will actively bind with metal ions. Medically, it has found use in treating acute hypercalcemia, mercury poisoning and lead poisoning. This is also why you shouldn't ingest it: since it is a decalcifying agent, it is not good for your bones in the long run. It shouldn't be necessary to say this, but just in case: do not use this product to treat any of the above medical conditions. It is for external use only.

I hope this information will set a few minds at ease.

Before I forget: this is a great product for treating dry skin, and has a nice cooling effect on minor sunburns. I even use it as a hair styling gel, as it doesn't remain greasy or sticky, like other styling gels tend to.

I ordered this thinking by the name and the label it was pure Aloe Vera gel. I plan to return it. Fruit of the Earth ruined a perfectly good product,it is not 100% aloe vera gel. It has Tetrasodium EDTA, an ingredient Ralph Nader once said he wouldn't even touch with gloved hands. It is a penetration enhancer that increases the absorption rate of carcinogens, and can be a skin irritant. There is a reason the bottle says not to ingest it and keep out of the reach of children. Leave mother nature alone Fruit of the Earth. Just put a natural preservative in the Aloe gel, that's all you need. I'm going to go back to Aubrey Organics.

Google "tetrasodium edta" and harmful