...
No wonder my friend thought it was essential!
It should be pointed out at this stage that the research mentioned above was not done in complete accordance to the product from Banana Boat on which this review is based. Therefore I would suggest consulting a doctor for any initial complaints ... Read review
A review by supersexycoolchick on Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel August 31st, 2004
Author's product rating:
Does it smell good?
Not very much
How easily is it absorbed?
Fast absorbed
Cooling & refreshing power
Excellent
Value for money
Excellent
Advantages:
versatile, cooling, soothing, great colour
Disadvantages:
smell
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I first bought this as a friend recommended keeping some in the house – ‘it’s like vaseline’ she said, ‘vital.’ It didn’t take too much to convince me, I’ve heard that it has a variety of uses and decided to give it a go.
I bought my bottle from Boots - £5.99 for 450ml may sound like a bit more costly than necessary but a little does go a long way and I’ve had my bottle for quite a while and still not really made a big dent on the contents.
The bottle itself is tall and clear so you can see the bright green gel inside which is full of little air bubbles. The colour itself reminds me of swarfega or luminescent pine bath foam! The only slight complaint I have about the design, is that whilst the top is a pump action dispenser and this works very well – it’s easy to use and you can control the amount you dispense easily – the top cannot be turned or adjusted in any way to stop it being able to be dispensed and therefore the bottle itself is not good for transporting.
I have managed to get round this little problem though – I have an old shampoo sample bottle which I fill when I want to take some anywhere with me – job done!
Quite a bit of info can be found out about the gel just from reading the bottle. It claims to be able to help soothe and soften sunburned and irritated skin and be the same as having an aloe leaf in a bottle. This product is recommended for all skin types and can be used all year round to help relieve all sorts of things, including – sunburned/windburned skin, dry, rough or weathered skin, skin irritation and sensitive skin problems.
I personally have also used it on insect bites, burns and heat rashes and have seen people slather it on after spending too long in the sun and burning with great results as it seems to settle the condition and whilst being soothing and cooling it helps to stop peeling and redness.
The gel itself has a surprisingly thin consistency with lots of little air bubbles locked into it and the gel naturally feels cooling on application to the skin (guaranteed to help soothe straight away). A little of this stuff goes a long way and it spreads well.
It does smell slightly ‘medical’ though, a bit like germoline. It rubs into the skin quite well but I tend to leave a thin layer on top of the skin and allow it to finish absorbing naturally to help cool and soothe.
Apply applying in this manner, the skin is left with a slight shine and is very slightly sticky to touch. The smell does linger quite noticeably for about 5 minutes but fades almost completely after 10 so you’re not left smelling like the walking wounded either and it could be applied before going out after showering as once its fully absorbed the shine and the stickiness are both gone too.
This product is also the winner of the 2001 and 2002 Boots Health and Beauty Award in the aftersun category for calming and soothing.
The directions for use on the bottle suggest applying daily and at bedtime to the face, throat and body and reapplying as required. I just generally use it as and when, but it does make a great aftersun product.
It’s also pretty much just aloe vera gel in a bottle, apart from the necessary stabilisers and required preservatives – that’s all there is to it. The best before date is over 15 years away so there’s no chance that I won’t get round to finishing the bottle before it spoils either!
I thought that I would have a nosey to check out any other uses for aloe vera to get the most out of my bottle and found that is really is versatile and has quite a history.
The aloe vera gel comes from the plant of the same name (picture below), which is made up from huge slightly spikey looking leaves. There are no stalks or woody parts to this plant and it is apparently kept upright by the water pressure of the gel. When a leaf is slashed across with a sharp knife the gel can be found within, The plant itself will film over the wound and coat itself to avoid losing moisture before healing itself completely.
It is thought that aloe vera has been used for its medicinal values for over 3,500 years! The earliest documented use was by King Solomon and the ancient Egyptians who grew and valued it highly. Apparently even Alexander the Great conquered the island of Socotra in order to have aloe for his army. Marco Polo was also a fan of this stuff as well as the Aztecs – surely so many people can’t be wrong?
But enough of the history lesson, aloe vera has been used in many forms for many different things over the years, including pain relief for haemorrhoids, controlling female yeast infections and reducing scarring. It is also said to aid new tissue growth and alleviate the advance of skin cancer and help treat ringworm, boils, inflamed joints, scalds, itchy allergic reactions, insect stings and bites.
No wonder my friend thought it was essential!
It should be pointed out at this stage that the research mentioned above was not done in complete accordance to the product from Banana Boat on which this review is based. Therefore I would suggest consulting a doctor for any initial complaints you may have and not using this gel in those circumstances which could be deemed serious unless advised to by your GP.
Advantages: Great for sunburn, reasonably priced if you shop around, leaves skin feeling soft and smooth, feels cool to the touch, spreads easily, lasts forever! Disadvantages: Can be expensive if you do not shop around, the kids keep pinching it!
...container there is the title Banana Boat, which is in white writing on a yellow background and then Aloe Vera Gel, which is also in white writing.
On the back of the container there are directions of use, the ingredients list and a brief description of what this product can be used for.
The pump action dipenser is the easiest I have ever used. There is nothing complicated about it. With some these days you have to turn them and then press but with ... ...except Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel, from now on. In fact, I already have a bottle packed in the suitcase ready for the honeymoon in St Lucia next year!
I wholeheartadly recommend this product to anyone who wants a reliable aftersun. I have no complaints about it at all. ...
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Advantages: Very cooling and soothing. Multi-purpose! Disadvantages: Can be a bit pricey and may be hard to find.
...my sunburn. That product is Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel.
THE COMPANY:
The company that makes Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel is called Sun Pharmaceuticals, which is an American company, the Banana Boat brand being distributed in the UK by Playtex Products Inc, according to the little label I found on the back of my bottle. You can find the Sun Pharmaceutical website at http://www.sunpharma.com/ . Sun Pharmaceuticals formulate, manufacture and distribute ... ...seem to stock the full Banana Boat range, so you may need to shop around to find the exact product you’re looking for. PACKAGING:
This product comes in a clear plastic bottle with yellow and blue writing on the front and white writing on the back. My bottle has a bright yellow screw-cap lid with a little flip up squirty spout, though I do believe that some bottles have white pump dispensers on them. I’m not sure if it’s because ...
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...long way.
The Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel comes in two size bottles one is a hefty 500ml pump action bottle for around the £5.99 mark and the other is a short and dumpy 230ml bottle for around the £4.99 mark, but at the moment they have an offer on buy the dumpy bottle and get either the Dark Tanning Oil Factor 2 200ml or the spray oil factor 4 200ml for a cool price of just £6.99 (TESCO & SUPERDRUG)
So having some still left in my large bottle thought ... ...with the factor 2, as I already have the factor 4. To my husbands disgust I am very fortunate to only have to show my skin to the sun and turn brown with out the disadvantages of having to burn to acheive that all over golden glow. I still get the occasional bouts of prickly heat, but this product helps no end to remove the sting.
This gel is thick and green in colour and smells very clean and fresh, exactly like you have just split open an Aloe ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Lasts forever, soothes effectively Disadvantages: Expensive in most places
We managed to pick some of this up cheap from the £ shop and this product has not only saved us pounds but also our tans.
*Positives*
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+ The pump action tub is easy to use and very well sized. One bottle lasted the entire family of 4 a two week holiday with some left over.
+ The soothing effect that this product has is amazing. After storing in the fridge it soaks very easily into the skin. It's also long lasting and ... ...those with sensitive skin this product is a must. Unlike most after sun lotions and gels this product does not leave any sweat rashes of any sort on your skin.
+The price was great also, for us that is.
*Negatives*
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- However in most places this product is very expensive. We saw it at the airport for about £8 a bottle which in my view is still worth it but is still a high price to pay for an aftersun
- Also this ...
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Advantages: Cooling, soothing, natural and easily absorbed Disadvantages: None!
...for the big massive size Banana Boat one, daftly cos I liked the name and the whole greeness of it! It is 453ml in size and cost £5.99 and comes with a pump dispenser and is a bright green gel, I am actually on my 3rd bottle now and it often comes up on offer so look out for it. I started using it straight away after my post run shower and the second I applied it it starting to cool my chapped skin and it sunk into the area immediately - allowing ... ...my parched skin. The effect it has had on my skin has been amazing - the redness disappears about twice as fast as when I was using normal cream, and the skin softens and is calmed far far quicker now then ever before. Wether it has a cumulative effect on the skin I don't know but I can honestly say I will always use Aloe Vera Gel for chapped skin.
It has changed the way I look at my body skin care routine as I now use it all year round as my general ...
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Advantages: A great smoothing and firming product that actually works Disadvantages: A bit of a bind having to apply it daily at first
...(which ust doesn't work at all!). If I had to compare it to something to match the feel on application I'd go for a good quality pure aloeveragel (but not a cheap one like BananaBoat).
The scent of the gel lingers slightly but doesn't get in the way of other fragrances. I can't really detect the kiwi or apple essences but the grapefruit is detectable (and possibly explains some of the cooling feeling).
SO, HOW QUICK IS IT?
Well, I didn't notice much of a difference in the first couple of days, save that my skin felt more hydrated. However, after 3 days I really could see a bit of a difference on my thighs. My skin looked smoother and felt so much better.
At this stage I decided to try a little of the cream on my tummy area which, post-birth doesn't have quite the same tonal qualities as it used to (although it's not so bad...
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