We Tested Dozens of Aloe Vera Gels — These Are the 7 We Recommend

The Rahua Aloe Vera Hair Gel provides light hold and hydration, making it our choice for the best aloe vera product for dry and damaged hair. Rahua uses aloe vera as a refreshing ingredient in the gel. It also contains rahua oil, the signature ingredient in this brand’s products, which is chosen for hair strengthening and promoting scalp health. A sustainably sourced herbal tea called guayusa provides the hair gel with antioxidants.

During testing, Katie Tuttle noted the gel provides a light and flexible hold. She used it regularly to handle the frizziness she experienced during hot and humid weather.

“This was easy to apply to wet hair,” she says. “The hold it provided was quite soft, without the crunchiness one tends to experience with hair gel.”

The Rahua Aloe Vera Hair Gel is a cucumber-scented gel, but our tester found that it had a faint smell that quickly dissipated. It’s also lightweight, which doesn’t create a crunchy effect when it dries, but it might not be the best choice for someone who needs a stronger hold for their hair type. We think it would be great for anyone looking to control frizz while nourishing dry and damaged hair.

We chose the Vacation After Sun Gel as the best fast-absorbing aloe vera gel because it is a smooth and non-sticky aloe that absorbed quickly during testing. This gel helps cool and soothe the skin after sunburn using a blend of aloe vera, cucumber, and green tea. It also has a hydrating effect thanks to hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.

Our tester, Erin Heger, turned to this gel frequently during a week at the lake with her family.

“I love how smoothly this after-sun gel applies to the skin and how hydrating it feels,” she says. “It was very cooling and calming after spending all day in the sun. My skin felt moisturized after my trip.”

The Vacation After Sun Gel could be a great choice for someone with sensitive skin. While it does contain fragrance, it is thoughtfully produced without the use of common irritants. It is free of alcohol, silicone, colorant, and parabens. It is also vegan and cruelty-free, and packaged using recycled materials.

Because Seven Minerals makes its Organic Aloe Vera Gel with organic, freshly cut aloe grown in the United States, we chose it as the best organic aloe vera gel. This is a thinner aloe vera gel, and we found it was easy to apply, absorbed quickly, and didn’t leave a sticky residue behind. In addition to soothing sunburn, this aloe vera gel can also be used after shaving or a bug bite to calm irritated skin.

Heger spent two weeks using this gel. She specifically noted how lightweight and smooth the gel is. It isn’t thick or greasy.

“I love that it is made in the U.S.,” Heger says. “It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and nourished. It…feels refreshing on the skin.”

Seven Minerals prioritizes purity in the making of their Organic Aloe Vera Gel, and it is certified organic. It is also packaged in a bottle made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.

ELEMIS created this misting spray with four benefits in mind: hydration, toning, refreshing, and setting makeup. It can be used before bed as part of your skincare routine, as well as before makeup for priming or afterwards to set everything for the day. Aloe vera, rooibos extract, and kefir extract make up the superfood ingredients of this spray.

I was asked to test this mist daily for two weeks, but have continued using it every night before bed as part of my skincare routine because I love this product so much. I noticed the spray goes on evenly as a light mist, and it has an immediate cooling and soothing effect. It is easy to apply, but takes a minute or two to fully absorb since it is a liquid spray.

The smell is a lovely botanical scent that is light and refreshing. My skin burns easily, and I used this to reduce redness and generally tone my skin. I think my skin looks more awake after using it, and I will keep reaching for it daily to hydrate my skin.

The Aloe Wave Lip Balm is a soothing balm created for recovery from sunburn, and we chose it as the best aloe vera lip balm. This lip balm is a smooth, rub-on balm that goes on easily and provides a cooling effect right away. It contains beeswax, cocoa butter, and shea butter, along with coconut and jojoba oils to hydrate the lips.

During testing, I kept this lip balm in my purse so I could reach for it whenever my lips felt dry. However, I found it did such a great job keeping my lips hydrated that I didn’t reach for it often throughout the day. I applied it once in the morning and again in the afternoon. I appreciated the cooling and soothing effect of this lip balm, which helped calm my irritated lips after a mild sunburn.

The Aloe Wave Lip Balm has Sun Bum's iconic summer scent, and I enjoyed the coconut smell quite a bit. I think this is a great lip balm for year-round use, and I plan to continue to use it to keep my lips moist during the winter.

This aloe vera is a traditional gel, with a thicker texture that provides a nice, soothing barrier to burned skin. Even though it is a slightly sticky gel, it goes on very smoothly and quickly absorbs, so it works well under clothing. Its immediate cooling effect and ease of application make it our top pick for families.

My family tested the Sun Bum Cool Down Aloe Vera Gel for two weeks over summer break. It’s been hot and humid here in the Midwest, and we spent days at the pool trying to keep cool, which resulted in a few sunburns. We noticed this soothed our irritated skin right away. Since it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave behind a sticky residue, we were also able to reapply it regularly if we started to feel uncomfortable again.

During testing, I felt this gel did a good job of hydrating our burns. I think those of us who used it regularly didn’t peel as badly once our sunburns started to heal. One thing worth noting is that this gel does have a strong scent that is provided by the aloe vera and tea tree ingredients, which might be bothersome to those sensitive to scents.

The Fruit of the Earth Moisturizing Gel is a great after-sun aloe with a nice cooling effect and an affordable price tag, so we chose it as the best budget aloe vera gel. A 12-ounce bottle of this aloe vera is typically about five dollars, making it the lowest-cost option on this list. Despite the low price tag, we found this gel to be effective at cooling and soothing sun-stressed skin.

During testing, I used this gel regularly to deal with a sunburn on myself and my kids when we failed to reapply sunscreen as often as we should have on a long trip to the pool. It is a thin aloe vera gel with a slightly sticky texture, and does take a little time to absorb. However, after the gel soaks into the skin, it doesn’t leave a sticky residue behind. It cools irritated skin right away and seems to do a great job of hydrating burnt skin to help with recovery after a burn.

The Fruit of the Earth Gel is a fragrance-free aloe vera gel, and we think it is a great option for sensitive skin. This is a basic, utilitarian aloe vera gel, but sometimes that is all you need, especially when you’re trying to save money.