The product I’ll be reviewing today has a multitude of uses. Right in its most natural form, broken from the plant and applied onto the skin, to more slickly packaged avatars, the humble aloe vera gel has seen a resurgence from the days it was used by housewives and grandmoms as a home remedy to becoming a content of an urban handbag.

And why wouldn’t it? There are very few things which are as versatile as it. According to www.beauty.com these are some of the many benefits of aloe vera:

7 Ways to Use Aloe Vera Gel Beyond Soothing a Sunburn

1. Aloe vera can help clear up breakouts.
2. It moisturizes dry skin.
3. It can soothe irritated skin.
4. Apply it to minor burns and wounds.
5. Treat a cold sore.
6. Use it as a shaving cream.
7. Or a natural makeup remover.

With my oily-dry-oily skin, I find that aloe vera moisturises, soothes and adds a layer of freshness that gets me through those times when I need to be more face to face with people and haven’t had time to do anything much to my face.

This offering of Lakme’s is very light on the skin and gets absorbed quite quickly and may not seem like anything’s been applied at all. And unlike the plain aloe vera gel, this doesn’t pull at your skin even a little bit when it dries out. Retailing at Rs.160 on the Lake website, this product from their 9-5 range, tends to carry a decent bit of discount with all major online retailers

The second product in this line-up is not a terribly well-known brand and neither is it glamorous. I usually find it in medical stores and carry it with me on summer breaks when sunburns and heat boils are very common with my family.

An offering from Brihans Naturals, this gel has come to my aid so many times I can’t begin to list them all. It is available on all major e-commerce sites and in the Apollo, Medplus-type pharmacies as well. It’s priced at double the cost of Lakme’s mainly to amount of gel being double as well.

I’ve had it used during facials, massages and on blemishes and acne as well. Just pop it in the fridge and apply the cold gel over the affected area (not necessarily the face) and it is oh so soothing.

So which one would I choose? well, for daily use and when I step out and need to look “nice”, I would go with Lakme and for any other restorative, curative or even just to Zen out, Green Leaf’s a pretty good buy also.

Check it out and discover the power of aloe vera for yourself.