The world of skin and body care is growing faster than ever. New brands pop up daily. And while you might just be getting to know us, our aloe has been around a bit longer: for over 135 years. Around the end of the 19th century, our aloe heritage began. In the 60’s we started making aloe based skin and body care. Planted, harvested, and processed right here on Aruba – to this very day. The fact that aloe vera is our main ingredient is no coincidence: Aruba grows the finest aloe in the world. It is the true pride of our island. The core of our collection. The heart of everything we do.
Back to where it all began: the year that the aloe vera plant arrived on Aruba
Aruba Aloe’s heritage began in the late 19th century, but the story of aloe vera on our island started even earlier: in 1840. That was the year the plant was first introduced to Aruba. And guess what? Aloe vera flourished here as if it were right at home. The mineral-rich soil, the dryness, the sun. The climate was exactly what the aloe vera was used to back in South Africa.
In fact, the plant seemed to do even better here than in its native habitat. Thanks to the natural dryness of our island, the Aruban plants have a high level of Aloin (the active component in the sap), reaching 22% or more. African aloes usually only contain around 15%.
It didn't take long for Aruban aloe to become a worldwide hit. It grew into our biggest export product, driving our entire economy. But perhaps more importantly, it became a cultural phenomenon. People decorated their homes with its image. Arubans used it for hydration, cooling, and healing their skin. It became indispensable. Eventually, the aloe plant even earned a spot on our national coat of arms, and we came to be known as ‘the Island of Aloes’
From the first field to a pioneer in aloe based skin and body care
Fifty years after the first aloe vera plant arrived, Cornelis Eman started trading aloe products, including ‘Aloe Hard Gum’ (the boiled, hardened resin of the sap). This marked the beginning of Aruba Aloe’s heritage. Overtime, our product evolved: from raw resins to large-scale pharmaceutical Aloin production. By the 1960s, we became a pioneer in aloe-based skin and body care.
Today, we keep growing, yet so much remains exactly the same. Everything happens on-site: from planting and harvesting the aloe to processing and packaging it in the factory. And there’s a good reason for that.
Quality is everything to us – we want the purest and freshest Aruban aloe
As we wrote before: our island is proud of its aloe. It is an important part of who we are. So if there is one thing that comes first for us, it is skin and body care made with the absolute best aloe. A natural wonder, enhanced by modern science.
To make sure our product is what we want it to be, we have always done everything in-house, from the first day.
And by everything, we quite literally mean everything: the planting, the harvesting, the processing. We hand-pick the best leaves, we cut them, and bring them straight to our factory right next to the field. Because everything happens in one place, we don't have to store and preserve the aloe for long periods. We can process and package
it immediately. Within five days, the freshly cut aloe is a finished product. Not only do we handle production here on and around our fields, but research and development happen here too. The scientific side of our work. Because it begins with aloe, but it doesn’t end there. We use science to make the best nature has even better. We add active ingredients to improve performance. We create warm scents, honest formulas, the finest textures. So it’s not only nature, it’s science – just as much.
In short: an Aruban on Aruba planted, harvested, processed, researched, formulated, crafted, and packaged the product you’re holding in your hand. Our sun, soil, and soul is in every bottle that hits the shelf.
