Drug & supplement interaction

Aloe + Finasteride

Finasteride brand names: Propecia, Proscar.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Aloe and Finasteride in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Aloe and Finasteride

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Finasteride and Aloe in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Aloe safety at a glance

Aloe overall Use caution Topical gel is generally well tolerated, but oral aloe latex can cause serious side effects.

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally. Anthraquinones present in aloe latex and aloe whole leaf extracts have irritant, cathartic, and possible mutagenic effects. There are also ane... Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Possibly Unsafe When aloe preparations are used orally. Cathartic and mutagenic anthraquinones present in aloe latex and aloe whole leaf extracts might pass into milk; avoid us... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Finasteride and Aloe? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Finasteride

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Finasteride is filed under 3 classifications — including cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates, oral drugs. Aloe has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — the most serious being digoxin (lanoxin) (major), anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) and antidiabetes drugs (moderate) — and none of Finasteride’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Aloe Does Interact With Other Medications

Aloe has 1 major, 304 moderate, 156 minor known drug interactions in our database — Finasteride isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 1 Moderate 304 Minor 156 No known interaction 2,369 (incl. Finasteride)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Aloe

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Aloe. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Aloe and Finasteride May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. 2 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

Hives Worth acting on Additional detail
Aloe
“Topically, aloe gel has occasionally been associated with burning, itching, eczema, erythema, contact dermatitis, popular eruption, and urticaria. Also, a case of generalized nummular and popular dermatitis attributed to hypersensitivity has been reported for a 47-year-old male who used aloe leaf gel, both topically and orally, for 4 years.”

Aloe · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.
6 sources cited

12164. Vogler BK, Ernst E. Aloe vera: a systematic review of its clinical effectiveness. Br J Gen Pract 1999;49:823-8.

19741. Choonhakarn C, Busaracome P, Sripanidkulchai B, et al. A prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing topical aloe vera with 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide in mild to moderate plaque psoriasis. J.Eur.Acad.Dermatol.Venereol. 2010;24:168-72. PubMed

30697. Choonhakarn, C., Busaracome, P., Sripanidkulchai, B., and Sarakarn, P. The efficacy of aloe vera gel in the treatment of oral lichen planus: a randomized controlled trial. Br J Dermatol 2008;158(3):573-577. PubMed

30706. Hunter, D. and Frumkin, A. Adverse reactions to vitamin E and aloe vera preparations after dermabrasion and chemical peel. Cutis 1991;47(3):193-196.

90122. Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Final report on the safety assessment of AloeAndongensis Extract, Aloe Andongensis Leaf Juice,aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Juice, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Protoplasts, Aloe Barbadensis Flower E

19748. Paulsen E, Korsholm L, Brandrup F. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a commercial Aloe vera gel in the treatment of slight to moderate psoriasis vulgaris. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2005;19:326-31.
Finasteride

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Finasteride. Read the label on DailyMed ›
An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

Aloe

“Orally and topically, aloe products are generally well tolerated when used in typical doses. However, oral aloe latex is associated with a greater risk of adverse effects, especially when used in high doses or long-term.

Most Common Adverse Effects:

Orally: Aloe latex may cause abdominal pain, cramps, and diarrhea.

Topically: Burning, erythema, and itching.”

Aloe · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

Finasteride

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Finasteride. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Itching / A skin rash Additional detail

Aloe

Recorded for Aloe in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under An allergic reaction above.

Finasteride

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Finasteride. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Aloe but not commonly for Finasteride: muscle weakness, stomach pain, kidney problems and low potassium.

Effects for Finasteride come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Aloe come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Aloe in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. Anthraquinones present in aloe latex and aloe whole leaf extracts have irritant, cathartic, and possible mutagenic effects. There are also anecdotal reports and evidence from animal research that anthraquinones or aloe whole leaf extracts might induce abortion and stimulate menstruation; avoid using.

Lactation Possibly Unsafe

When aloe preparations are used orally. Cathartic and mutagenic anthraquinones present in aloe latex and aloe whole leaf extracts might pass into milk; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Aloe or Finasteride

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Aloe or Finasteride, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Finasteride

This page covers Aloe only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Finasteride page lists 138 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 94 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Finasteride page

“The supplement list for finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) is one I would read carefully rather than skim, because three of its 138 entries are rated major. Almost everything here works through the same liver enzyme, CYP3A4, that clears finasteride.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Finasteride interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Aloe as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,978 real supplement products containing Aloe, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Aloe. Even though Aloe itself has no known interaction with Finasteride, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Aloe and Finasteride Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Aloe

Top 10%

#86 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Medication Finasteride

Top 5%

#63 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?

Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Aloe reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Aloe and Finasteride records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.

Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Aloe

What is Aloe?

Minor burns and skin irritation
Wound healing
Constipation
Skin hydration and moisturizing
Digestive complaints
Hair and scalp care

Aloe vera gel is widely used on the skin for minor burns and irritation, and some research suggests it may help. Aloe latex (the yellow part) is a strong laxative that can cause cramping and is not considered safe for regular use. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking aloe by mouth, and avoid oral aloe during pregnancy.

Aloe vera · Asphodelaceae · Leaves (gel from the inner leaf and latex from just under the skin) · Topical gels and creams, juice, capsules, tablets, and as an ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Aloe is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Aloe record says about it on its own.

Aloe: dosing

There is no single standard dose of aloe. The right amount depends on the product, the form, and how it is used.For skin products, follow the directions on the label and apply to clean skin.

From our Aloe monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Aloe monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Finasteride

What Is Finasteride Used For?

Brand names: Propecia, Proscar

Finasteride tablets (including the brand Proscar) are used in men with an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH) to improve urinary symptoms, lower the risk of acute urinary retention (a sudden inability to urinate), and reduce the need for prostate surgery. Finasteride tablets may also be used alongside the alpha-blocker doxazosin to slow the progression of BPH symptoms.

Propecia (and finasteride 1 mg coated tablets) is indicated for the treatment of male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in men only. Propecia is not approved for use in women, and its effectiveness for hair loss at the temples has not been established. Finasteride is not approved for the prevention of prostate cancer.

See full Finasteride drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Aloe

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Aloe — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

1Major

304Moderate

156Minor

2,368No known interaction

1 Major 304 Moderate 156 Minor 2,368 No interaction

Major

1 interaction

Digoxin ›

Moderate

304 interactions

Showing 60 of 304 moderate interactions — see all 304 on the Aloe page.

Minor

156 interactions

Showing 60 of 156 minor interactions — see all 156 on the Aloe page.

No interaction 2,368 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Aloe against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,368 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Aloe list.

See the full Aloe interactions page

See every supplement checked against Finasteride, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Aloe References

The 41 references that drive our Aloe monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.
Wichtl MW. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Ed. N.M. Bisset. Stuttgart: Medpharm GmbH Scientific Publishers, 1994.
Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
Nusko G, Schneider B, Schneider I, et al. Anthranoid laxative use is not a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia: results of a prospective case control study. Gut 2000;46:651-5. PubMed
Luyckx VA, Ballantine R, Claeys M, et al. Herbal remedy-associated acute renal failure secondary to Cape aloes. Am J Kidney Dis 2002;39:E13. PubMed
Rajasekaran S, Sivagnanam K, Ravi K, Subramanian S. Hypoglycemic effect of Aloe vera gel on streptozotocin-induced diabetes in experimental rats. J Med Food 2004;7:61-6.
Williams MS, Burk M, Loprinzi CL, et al. Phase III double-blind evaluation of an aloe vera gel as a prophylactic agent for radiation-induced skin toxicity. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1996;36:345-9. PubMed
Vogler BK, Ernst E. Aloe vera: a systematic review of its clinical effectiveness. Br J Gen Pract 1999;49:823-8.
Bottenberg MM, Wall GC, Harvey RL, Habib S. Oral aloe vera-induced hepatitis. Ann Pharmacother 2007;41:1740-3. PubMed
Rabe C, Musch A, Schirmacher P, et al. Acute hepatitis induced by an Aloe vera preparation: a case report. World J Gastroenterol 2005;11:303-4. PubMed
Kanat O, Ozet A, Ataergin S. Aloe vera-induced acute toxic hepatitis in a healthy young man. Eur J Int Med 2006;17:589. PubMed
Mueller SO, Stopper H. Characterization of the genotoxicity of anthraquinones in mammalian cells. Biochim Biophys Acta 1999;1428:406-14. PubMed
Schorkhuber M, Richter M, Dutter A, et al. Effect of anthraquinone laxatives on the proliferation and urokinase secretion of normal, premalignant and malignant colonic epithelial cells. Eur J Cancer 1998;34:1091-8. PubMed
Yang HN, Kim DJ, Kim YM, et al. Aloe-induced toxic hepatitis. J Korean Med Sci 2010;25:492-5. PubMed
Choonhakarn C, Busaracome P, Sripanidkulchai B, et al. A prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing topical aloe vera with 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide in mild to moderate plaque psoriasis. J.Eur.Acad.Dermatol.Venereol. 2010;24:168-72. PubMed
Ishii Y, Tanizawa H, Takino Y. Studies of aloe. IV. Mechanism of cathartic effect. (3). Biol Pharm Bull. 1994;17:495-7. PubMed
Ishii Y, Tanizawa H, Takino Y. Studies of aloe. V. Mechanism of cathartic effect. (4). Biol Pharm Bull. 1994;17:651-3. PubMed
Nelemans FA. Clinical and toxicological aspects of anthraquinone laxatives. Pharmacology. 1976;14 Suppl 1:73-7. PubMed
Paulsen E, Korsholm L, Brandrup F. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a commercial Aloe vera gel in the treatment of slight to moderate psoriasis vulgaris. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2005;19:326-31.
Huseini HF, Kianbakht S, Hajiaghaee R, et al. Anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hypercholesterolemic effects of Aloe vera leaf gel in hyperlipidemic type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Planta Med. 2012;78:311-6
Ferreira, M., Teixeira, M., Silva, E., and Selores, M. Allergic contact dermatitis to Aloe vera. Contact Dermatitis 2007;57(4):278-279.
Choonhakarn, C., Busaracome, P., Sripanidkulchai, B., and Sarakarn, P. The efficacy of aloe vera gel in the treatment of oral lichen planus: a randomized controlled trial. Br J Dermatol 2008;158(3):573-577. PubMed
Baretta, Z., Ghiotto, C., Marino, D., and Jirillo, A. Aloe-induced hypokalemia in a patient with breast cancer during chemotherapy. Ann.Oncol. 2009;20(8):1445-1446. PubMed
Hunter, D. and Frumkin, A. Adverse reactions to vitamin E and aloe vera preparations after dermabrasion and chemical peel. Cutis 1991;47(3):193-196.
Alvarez-Perea, A., Garcia, A. P., Hernandez, A. L., de, Barrio M., and Baeza, M. L. Urticaria due to aloe vera: a new sensitizer? Ann.Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2010;105(5):404-405. PubMed
Hogan, D. J. Widespread dermatitis after topical treatment of chronic leg ulcers and stasis dermatitis. CMAJ. 2-15-1988;138(4):336-338.
Savchak VI. Acute bullous allergic dermatitis due to local application of aloe leaves. Vestnik Dermatologii i Venerologii 1977;12:44-45.
Nakamura, T. and Kotajima, S. Contact dermatitis from aloe arborescens. Contact Dermatitis 1984;11(1):51. PubMed
Shoji, A. Contact dermatitis to Aloe arborescens. Contact Dermatitis 1982;8(3):164-167. PubMed
Morrow, D. M., Rapaport, M. J., and Strick, R. A. Hypersensitivity to aloe. Arch Dermatol. 1980;116(9):1064-1065. DOI
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Final report on the safety assessment of AloeAndongensis Extract, Aloe Andongensis Leaf Juice,aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Juice, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Protoplasts, Aloe Barbadensis Flower E
Bhalang K, Thunyakitpisal P, Rungsirisatean N. Acemannan, a polysaccharide extracted from Aloe vera, is effective in the treatment of oral aphthous ulceration. J Altern Complement Med 2013;19(5):429-34.
Hajheydari Z, Saeedi M, Morteza-Semnani K, Soltani A. Effect of Aloe vera topical gel combined with tretinoin in treatment of mild and moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind, prospective trial. J Dermatolog Treat 2014;25(2):123-9.
Jiménez-Encarnación E, Ríos G, Muñoz-Mirabal A, Vilá LM. Euforia-induced acute hepatitis in a patient with scleroderma. BMJ Case Rep 2012;2012. PubMed
Lee J, Lee MS, Nam KW. Acute toxic hepatitis caused by an aloe vera preparation in a young patient: a case report with a literature review. Korean J Gastroenterol 2014;64(1):54-8. PubMed
Guo X, Mei N. Aloe Vera - A Review of Toxicity and Adverse Clinical Effects. J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev 2016;34(2):77-96.
Hoogenboom TCH, Patel N, Cook NA, Williams R, Taylor-Robinson SD, Lim AKP. The effect of Aloe vera juice on liver enzymes and hepatic structure in a healthy population. Integr Med (Encinitas) 2020;19(3):30-4.
Mushtaq S, Mushtaq Z, Sarfraz J, et al. Comparison of effect of aloe vera gel with aspirin and celecoxib on platelet aggregation. Professional Med J. 2020; 27(5):973-978. DOI
Haron MH, Dale O, Martin K, et al. Evaluation of the Herb-Drug Interaction Potential of Commonly Used Botanicals on the US Market with Regard to PXR- and AhR-Mediated Influences on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2. J Diet Suppl 2022. PubMed
Sabbaghzadegan S, Soltani MH, Kamalinejad M, Bahrami M, Kabir A, Dadmehr M. The effect of a standardized capsule of Aloe vera gel on the quality of life in patients with systolic heart failure: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Lewis ED, Crowley DC, Guthrie N, Evans M. Healthy adults supplemented with a nutraceutical formulation containing Aloe vera gel, rosemary and Poria cocos enhances the effect of influenza vaccination in a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Aloe and Finasteride Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Aloe with Finasteride?

We do not list a known interaction between Aloe and Finasteride. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.

Do Aloe and Finasteride have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.

How was the Aloe and Finasteride combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Finasteride is filed under 3 classifications, and Aloe has documented interactions with 7 drug classes — none of Finasteride's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.

Does Aloe interact with any other medications?

Yes. Aloe has 461 documented drug interactions in our database — Finasteride is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

Does Finasteride interact with any supplements?

Yes. Finasteride has documented interactions with 138 supplements in our database — Aloe is not one of them. The Finasteride interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Aloe monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Finasteride drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Finasteride supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Finasteride, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 41 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Finasteride and Aloe?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.