1. What is the difference between Aloe ferox and Aloe vera?

Aloe ferox is the botanical name of a plant that is indigenous to the South Eastern part of South Africa. Aloe vera is the botanical name of a plant that is cultivated in various areas in the the USA. These two aloes are the two species that have been identified as the best for commercial use in cosmetics and wholesomeness products. The gel of the two aloes have very similar properties and are used for similar purposes. However, Aloe ferox has almost 10 x more bitter sap. This sap has been used traditionally for detoxification and has been found to have anti viral, anti bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Aloe ferox is a robust plant and is harvested in the wild which means that it contains no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers. See free range harvesting

2. What percentage of Aloe is in the products?

One often encounters products with statements on the labels that read “99% Aloe” or “contains 98% Aloe” etc. that leads one to believe that the product consists out of 98% or 99% aloe matter by volume. In other words, it sounds as if the manufacturer is saying that if you were to buy a hand cream that contains 50ml (1.7 Fl oz) of cream, that 49ml (1.63 Fl oz) of the content is pure aloe material produced by, and harvested from the plant. This, of course, is not true and there are a few reasons why it cannot be true. Firstly, a product with such a high percentage of plant material is extremely difficult, if not impossible to preserve to such an extent that it has a viable shelf life and usable life after opening. As with any fruit or vegetable, it would simply go bad after a few days – especially if stored at room temperature. Secondly, a product’s physical characteristics i.e. the viscosity, water solubility etc., is specifically formulated with a specific application in mind. As an example, the viscosity of a hand cream needs to be higher than that of a body cream that requires a lower viscosity for easy application over a larger surface area. Since the aloe does not inherently have these specific physical characteristics it can only be achieved by the addition of standard cosmetic raw materials thereby substantially reducing the percentage by volume of aloe in any final consumer product.

Does this mean that the producer is being deceitful by making such statements as quoted above? In most cases the answer is probably “no”. What these statements mean to communicate is that the aloe raw material that is used in the manufacture of the product is very pure i.e. most of the original elements present in the aloe raw material when harvested from the plant is still present in the raw material added to the product.

This still leaves the question “What %, by product volume, of aloe is present in Aloe Ferox products”. In each of its formulations Aloe Ferox strives to add as much aloe raw material as practical without jeopardizing the stability or physical requirements of the product. Further, all aloe raw material that is used in the production of Aloe Ferox consists of 99% aloe meaning that very little, if any, of the elements originally present in the raw material when harvested from the plant is not present in the raw material added to the product. In fact, because we believe in processing the whole leaf with the outer green portion included, many Aloe Ferox product contain MORE the 100% aloe if measured on a like-for-like basis with most other aloe where only the inner white portion of the aloe leaf is harvested.

3. What are the advantages of using Aloe Products?

When aloe is added to cosmetic products it improves penetration into the deepest layers of the skin. This means that whatever essential oils or other nutritive ingredients you have in the formula of your moisturizer would become more effective. Aloe is also renown for it rejuvenating qualities and helps against aging of the skin.

The bitters of the aloe has been used traditionally for detoxification of the body and has been found to have anti viral, anti bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

For more information and research details please go to pharmacy in a plant. Link?

4. I want to start using various Aloe Ferox products. Where do I get hold of them?

We stock a wide range of the Aloe Ferox products which you will find on our website. If there is a particular product that is not listed on our website please do not hesitate to contact us and we will try to find the product for you.

5. What product do I use for my skin type?

Our product ranges are suitable for people with sensitive skin and are available with perfume or without. We have a range for all skin types.

Oily Skin
FACIAL WASH REGULARBALANCING TONERSUPER ALOE GELMOISTURIZERNIGHT CREAM
Normal Skin
FOAMING CLEANSERBALANCING TONERSUPER ALOE GELMOISTURIZERENRICHED NIGHT CREAM
Dry / Mature Skin
CLEANSING CREAMBALANCING TONERSUPER ALOE GELMOISTURIZING DAY CREAMULTRA RICH NIGHT CREAMMATURE – extremely dry skin
Problem Skin
FACIAL WASH BITTERFACIAL MASKBALANCING TONERBITTER ALOE GELMOISTURIZERRADICAL IMAGE Combination Skin
FOAMING CLEANSERBALANCING TONERSUPER ALOE GELMOISTURIZERMOISTURIZING DAY CREAMENRICHED NIGHT CREAM Sensitive / Allergic SkinAll skincare ranges are available without perfume.
link to skin types?

6. Herbs OR medication?

The human body was designed with all the mechanisms to heal itself. Aloe and many other herbs enhance the body’s own mechanisms for healing!
Herbs prove themselves to be close therapeutic competitors of medication and are almost always safer, gentler and less likely to cause side effects.
Causalities and fatalities researched from literature, government reports and expert databases indicate that approximately zero (0,000%) cases are due to the use of complementary health products, whereas 5,176% are due to properly prescribed and used drugs. It seems that herbs may even be safer than food, because 0,24% deaths are the result of food eaten.

7. Can I use herbal supplements with my medication?

Many herbs enhance the effect of a drug when using it simultaneously, while some may counteract the effect. Consult your doctor (preferably a herbal enlightened doctor) when you want to use herbs along with prescribed drugs. It is possible that your dependence on the pharmaceutical may decrease. You might be able to wean yourself off the drug entirely or get by with smaller dosages. Adjustments to medication should be done under supervision of a doctor.
All medication has harmful side effects. When medication is used in conjunction with herbs, they may help to counteract the side effects.

8. How do I use herbal supplements?

Follow the directions on the label. Start on a low dose and gradually build up to establish the correct dose for your body. Everyone’s different physiologically, and some people are just more sensitive than others. Some people will be able to take larger dosages than others and for some people it will take longer to note a beneficial effect. Give herbs enough time to work – at least 3 months.
Symptoms of a chronic condition may temporarily worsen as part of the detoxifying process of the body. Other detoxification symptoms that may occur are diarrhoea, nausea, flatulence, stomach cramps & headaches. Symptoms are of a passing nature. Give your body time to adjust. Diarrhoea, as part of the detoxification process, is only a problem if it lasts longer than a couple of days. Drink a lot of water and lower the dosage.

9. Are the products safe for animal use?

Various of the products such as Fabulous Fibre Bitter, Bitter crystals, Super Aloe Gel and Bitter Aloe Gel can be used on animals with great success. There is also a range of Aloe Ferox Pets products. Link?

10. What is the difference between Super Aloe Gel, Whole Leaf Gel and Bitter Aloe Gel?

Super Aloe Gel is made from the white inner part of the aloe leaf and is used for a wide variety of uses. It is a rejuvenating gel. It is gentle, colorless and perfume free making it ideal to use as part of your daily skin care routine. It is wonderful for helping your moisturiser and other cosmetics become more effective. It is also gentle enough to use on sunburn, burnwounds, rashes and skin irritations.

Whole Leaf Gel is made from the green and white part of the leaf of the aloe and is used to assist with skin problems of many kinds. Due to the greenish colour and more viscous consistancy it is not generally used as a part of a facial skin care routine, but can be used on damaged skin and for a variety of skin complaints. An application of concentrated aloe gel supports the skins natural self protective process.

Bitter Aloe Gel contains tea tree oil, aloe bitters and a combination of herbs that are known for their beneficial effect on various skin complaints such as acne. According to the research of Barrantes (2003) aloe gel enriched with bitters inhibits collagenase and metalloproteases activity thereby supporting the treatment of chronis ulcers, burns and wounds.

11. What is the tissue oil used for?

It is excellent for very dry skin conditions. Mixed with Super Aloe Gel to aid absorbtion it is also good for scars and stretch marks.

12. What is Vanishing Cream used for?

Vanishing cream is used to absorb excess oil for people with oily skin. It helps give the skin a matt appearance and is best used before applying foundation.

13. Can Aloe Ferox supply us with bulk raw material?

We do not supply bulk raw material, but you are welcome to contact us if you would like us to supply you with bulk quantities of any of our products.

14. How is the raw material produced?

After the leaves have been tapped, the leaf is further processed into a jelly. The fresh green leaves are cleansed of all impurities, thorns, dry material, etc. The cleansed leaf is then cut and the last bitter sap is removed. These leaves are then minced, heated, pulped and made into a jelly. This is done over a moderate temperature not to damage or “burn” the natural ingredients such as vitamins en minerals of the aloe. This is known as the "cool processing" method.

This jelly is used as BASIS MATERIAL in the juice, all creams, gels and “wet” products. Scientific analysis of the jelly has indicated that it contains various minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and other biological active ingredients. Because these properties are inherent to the plant, it is carried over to the creams and health products.

Sometimes, the leaves are also dried instead of jellified for other purposes. As described above, the whole leaf (after the bitter element has been removed) is cleansed, washed and cut into thin slices. These thin slices are then dried on nets in the sun and ground into different textures, to produce products such as the aloe tea and a fine fibre powder which is used as the basis of many of our tablets.

In other cases, just the inside (white inner flesh) of the leaf is used for various products.

Some aloe factories also make an aloe powder from the aloe leaf, where the powder then (instead of an aloe jelly) forms the basis of all products. The powderizing of the aloe leaf is a older method that originated in America. This method of powderizing the leaf constituted high temperatures resulting in wholesome ingredients being destroyed. The powder gained by this method also does not dissolve in water or oils and up to 80% lactic acid has to be added to make it water soluble. Because Aloe Ferox tries to retain as much of the natural goodness of the aloe as possible, we do not use this method.