When Is Aloe Not Really Aloe? Why Suncare Brands Are Under Fire

The global market for aloe vera products is said to have reached $13 billion, according to the International Aloe Science Council. But recent class action lawsuits are calling out certain suncare makers saying that they’re selling snake oil – and profiting from trusting consumers in the process. To explain what’s been going on, let’s take a look at where it all began…

The History

Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s take a look back in time.

In the 1980s, a non-profit organization now known as the International Aloe Science Council (IASC) was formed to help establish quality control standards for aloe vera products. In fact, the company even curates a list of products that are certified as containing “aloe vera of the highest quality and purity.” (You can see whether your favorite aloe product makes the list here.)

So, what makes aloe, well, aloe?

When tested, aloe products must contain the compound Acemannan to be considered true aloe vera, according to the IASC.

The presence of this key compound – or lack thereof – has been what’s prompted the handful of class action lawsuits claiming that some brands’ products shouldn’t bear labels like “100% aloe” or “pure aloe vera” because they contain little to no trace of Acemannan.

The Studies

Unfortunately for consumers, these claims aren’t coming out of left field. In fact, research shows that the lack of Acemannan in aloe products has been an issue for more than a decade.

March 1997: Scientific publication The Journal of AOAC International tests 18 commercial aloe vera products and finds that only half contain quantitative amounts of Acemannan. Seven of the products contain no detectable levels of this compound at all.

2007: Volume 103, Issue 1 of Food Chemistry features a study that tests nine commercial aloe vera gel powders. The results? Only three of the products contain “satisfactory amounts” of Acemannan.

February 2015: ConsumerLab.com posts an alert about aloe products. Today, the alert states that only 50% of aloe pills, gels and liquids pass their quality test.

The Lawsuits

The first suit over the lack of aloe in aloe products was filed in June 2016 against Fruit of the Earth saying that the company’s Aloe 100% Gel contains no actual aloe. Shortly thereafter, Target and CVS were hit with similar suits over their store-brand aloe products.

Will other brands face similar repercussions? Only time will tell. But, with reports like Consumer Lab’s finding that only half of the products it tested contained quantifiable amounts of aloe, it sure seems more likely than not.