Cultures around the world have been embracing the practical uses of Aloe Vera for its numerous health benefits and traditional medicinal uses for centuries. Among treating burns, injuries, aloe vera also boasts anti-aging properties, making it a valued key ingredient (or even standalone product) for a range of industries.
Specifically in more recent times, namely during the COVID lockdown of 2020 which breathed life to a variety of niche hobbies, activities, and perfective shifts, people experienced a wake-up call about many aspects of their lives – especially daily self-care habits like skincare. And with this newfound awareness came the demand for more natural, accessible products that actually have a visibly positive effect on the quality of our skin – and the champion of these?
None other than our good old friend, Aloe Vera.
The Demand for Aloe Vera Products Has Stabilized in Mexico
The above graph, taken from Trajaan, our Search Listening Platform, search trends tool with data from the last 49 months, illustrates a clear and sharp increase in the overall volume of searches relating to Aloe Vera products in March 2020 – just as many countries around the world began to lock down.
‘Aloe Vera Gel’ made up a majority of these product-specific searches, with a total search volume of around 52,600 searches in that month alone. The rest of the search queries were split evenly between ‘Cream’ (shown ‘crema’ in Spanish), ‘Face mask’, ‘Flower’ (‘flor’), ‘Juice’, ‘Oil’, ‘Plant’, ‘Shampoo’, and others.
Drinking aloe vera: a sustaining trend in Mexico
One reason as to why Aloe Vera may have become so popular as an ingredient within beauty products is that it is a natural alternative to many of the harsh chemicals used in traditional formulas. Many people are becoming more conscious of the ingredients they are putting on their skin, and are in-turn seeking out more natural alternatives.
However, this graph also shows a steady decline of overall Aloe Vera search terms since the initiation of global quarantines, which now sits at around just 60% of the volume’s initial all-time-high.
The message from this? That the trend is slowly but surely dying down, and any opportunity by Mexican-based growers or processors (or even international producers/investors) have likely missed the popularity wave, and with it an opportunity to capitalize.
Aloe Vera: When Tradition Meets Digitalization
The increase in overall search volumes in Mexico specifically may well be influenced by cultural factors. For instance, the country has a very rich history, dating back to the cultures of its indigenous population, whereby Aloe Vera was a popular choice to treat various ailments.
It is clear that the online interest for aloe vera products is deep rooted in Central cities – when looking at this map revealing search volume for 100k local population.
As such, as more Mexicans seek to connect with their cultural heritage, and ways of doing things that relate to the modern day, they may be turning online to remedies like Aloe Vera to help maintain these standards of health and wellbeing.
If we also look at the overall search volumes, which are measured by Trajaan.io’s ‘All Queries’ search tool, a clear pattern emerges – each spring time in North America (around March/April) following the pandemic, search terms relating more generally to Aloe Vera start to spike, and slowly fall in the following months.
In terms of searches for what purposes Aloe Vera products were commonly being used for, and how they have changed over time, the above graphic from Trajaan’s ‘Feature’ tab shows that ‘Face Care’ consistently tops the rankings, with a volume of around 50,000 searches per month at its peak. This is followed closely second by the much more general category of ‘Benefits’, with ‘Hair Cair’ behind in third. These compare to the remaining top ten search terms, each of which lies between the 0 – 6,000 searches per month figure.
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Looking at trending online searches over the years makes it clear that interest for aloe vera is still getting bigger – when it comes to specific features or use cases like drinking juice or spot removal.
While search terms for the plant, its products, and its uses may be gradually dying down overall, the future for it looks bright – and it will likely continue to gain popularity and recognition for its various health and beauty benefits, albeit largely watched over by environmental organizations pushing for more sustainable sourcing.
