Investigation finds no Aloe in Aloe Vera products sold at retail stores – IOTW Report

Investigation finds no Aloe in Aloe Vera products sold at retail stores

Wednesday, 23 November 2016, 20:45 MJA Uncategorized 21

Bloomberg: The aloe vera gel many Americans buy to soothe damaged skin contains no evidence of aloe vera at all.

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Samples of store-brand aloe gel purchased at national retailers Wal-Mart, Target and CVS showed no indication of the plant in various lab tests. The products all listed aloe barbadensis leaf juice — another name for aloe vera — as either the No. 1 ingredient or No. 2 after water.

There’s no watchdog assuring that aloe products are what they say they are. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t approve cosmetics before they’re sold and has never levied a fine for selling fake aloe. That means suppliers are on an honor system, even as the total U.S. market for aloe products, including drinks and vitamins, has grown 11 percent in the past year to $146 million, according to Chicago-based market researcher SPINS LLC.

“You have to be very careful when you select and use aloe products,” said Tod Cooperman, president of White Plains, New York-based ConsumerLab.com, which has done aloe testing.

Aloe’s three chemical markers — acemannan, malic acid and glucose — were absent in the tests for Wal-Mart, Target and CVS products conducted by a lab hired by Bloomberg News. The three samples contained a cheaper element called maltodextrin, a sugar sometimes used to imitate aloe. The gel that’s sold at another retailer, Walgreens, contained one marker, malic acid, but not the other two. That means the presence of aloe can’t be confirmed or ruled out, said Ken Jones, an independent industry consultant based in Chapala, Mexico.

23,000 Stores

Target Corp. declined to comment. Spokesmen for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. said their suppliers confirmed to them that their products were authentic. The four retailers have 23,000 outlets between them.  more

SNIP: Does this mean baby oil is actually made from babies???

21 Comments on Investigation finds no Aloe in Aloe Vera products sold at retail stores

  4. Years ago, sperm whale oil was used as one of the best gear lubricants available. Since whaling was banned in the US, along with whale products a synthetic alternative was developed. You used to be able to buy bottles of sperm whale oil to add to car differentials to help reduce clutch chatter. The crazy redneck mechanics I knew thought it was actually whale sperm.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_oil
    .

  5. @Jethro … & that’s another reason why Japanese car’s dashboards didn’t crack under the constant sunlight, like American cars did in the 70’s to the 90’s …. Whale oil coatings
    …now we have synthetics

  6. I drink about 8oz of this stuff every day to prevent acid in the esophagus:

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fruit-Of-The-Earth-Aloe-Vera-Juice-With-99.8-Aloe-1-gal/10314798

    It says 99.8% pure right on the jug, and it does work for heartburn – it will put the fire right out.

    This is made by the same company mentioned in the article. All I can say is it works, and if it’s not as pure as advertised on the bottle, i will sue the shit right off of them.

    🙂

  9. @Unruly:
    This is made by the same company mentioned in the article. All I can say is it works, and if it’s not as pure as advertised on the bottle, i will sue the shit right off of them.

    And they say it’s only 300 calories too. Better check it!

  10. Jethro, as far as I know, whale oil is still used in all high end gyro compasses. Aparently there is no synthetic substitute. It may have changed recently, my info is from 6-7 years ago.
    If baby oil had babies on the list of ingredients then, yes, I would expect there to be babies in it.

  14. MJA “Buy an Aloe Vera plant and make your own stuff.
    Whale oil is gonna be a little tougher to get on your own, though.”

    Was just about to post that. I was stationed on Okinawa and noticed all the old guys eating the heck out of it after a night of drinking. Just nibbling on a piece of aloe helps an upset tummy. I tried it and it works.

  15. Perspective – I have tried the bottled, gelled, shampoo/ conditioner aloe vera because I kept reading ITS SO GOOD FOR YEEEEEW. People nag!!!! Anyway, I can’t deal with it. Dries me out inside out, rashy skin, same goes with my hair. Now I’m wondering if all that shit I tried was all fake and I haven’t given Aloe Vera a real try. So I’m gonna take your advice and go buy a plant and see if that helps my stomach after a night of drinking milk and praying. lol.

  18. If you’re going to consume aloe straight from the plant, make sure you don’t eat the yellow stuff near the outer skin. Check the videos on youtube about how to prepare it.

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