Since 1971, Lily of the Desert has lead the charge in top quality Aloe vera products. Now, we’re celebrating 50 incredible years of innovation and good health benefits that have made us who we are today!
Want to help us commemorate this special event? Swing by our guestbook to say “aloe” and learn a little more about Lily!
50 Years of Firsts
What began as a grassroots startup quickly grew into much more for Lily of the Desert’s owner, Don Lovelace, whose active pursuit of science and natural products permanently reshaped the way we view aloe vera today.
In 1977, Don opened his first aloe farm in Mercedes, TX and implemented a meticulous field-to-bottle policy for maximum quality assurance. “I became determined to build a business bringing the benefits of aloe to American consumers,” Don told Whole Foods Magazine. “By taking advantage of our vertical integration from growing, processing, and marketing, we can control the quality of our products at every step.”
In the following years, Don became a founding member of the International Aloe Science Council and acted as its first president, often visiting Washington D.C. on the behalf of aloe’s interests. From there, Don built a reputation for innovation in the aloe category, working to better understand the non-topical benefits of aloe, HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), and the presence of aloe anthraquinones (aloin).
Lily of the Desert was among the first brands to filter and decolorize the aloin content in its products, and pioneered the first USDA organic Preservative-Free Aloe Vera Juice for internal consumption.
“Everyone that has ever tasted aloe knew it had a bitterness to it, mainly because of the preservatives used in all aloe,” said Don. “We developed a Preservative Free product that met USDA certified organic guidelines. We were the first to do so, and it is now our best-selling sku and has provided consumers an all organic product that has none of the bitterness.”
Lily was also the first to have our products and manufacturing processes reviewed and verified safe to use daily by an expert panel in response to an FDA report on the harmful effects of raw, unfiltered aloe. Now, all of our products contain less than 1 parts per million of aloin and can be used daily.
“It’s the little things that make a big difference for our customers. Utilizing scientific evidence to support benefits and product claims has always been important to our company, and something that we have put much effort into through the years,” Don stated. “If it was developing USDA organic product, studying how the polysaccharide works and its positive effects when utilized correctly, or having our products G.R.A.S. certified (generally recognized as safe) and putting our facilities and processes through rigorous tests, it was all to give our customers a superior product to use in their daily lives.”
Our History In Aloe Innovation
Don’s passion for health and wellness has helped make advanced strides in our understanding of Aloe vera within the scientific community, and even offer new ways to provide amplified health benefits naturally derived from aloe itself.
After the University of Mississippi published a study in 2006 about commercial aloe products proving that higher molecular weight polysaccharides help support whole body health benefits, Don participated in the developing an exclusive proprietary process called Aloesorb™.
Further studies revealed that the extracted high molecular weight polysaccharides found in Aloesorb™ dramatically improved aloe’s natural benefits, specifically in nutrient absorption, immune health, detoxification, and enhanced antioxidant support.
With results like that, it’s no wonder we’ve infused Aloesorb™ into each of our aloe products!
Natural Products You Can Trust
As the largest organic grower and processor of aloe vera, we’re continuously raising the bar in authentic quality assurance. As such, Lily of the Desert is the only brand to utilize independent Gold Standard Clinical Studies in order to test the efficacy of each of our products and back up our claims.
In 2014, we opened our state-of-the-art contract manufacturing facility in Lewisville, TX that offers turn-key solutions to our world-wide partners. Our flexible manufacturing systems are able to produce and package a variety of powder, liquid, and oil formats; all under one roof. That same year, we ushered in a new era of wellness with Lily’s own Nutraceuticals Division. In fact, our dedication to health and hydration has put a spotlight on EcoDrink Naturals: the shake-and-mix multivitamin drink that delivers 28 essential nutrients and electrolytes while you hydrate.
We also utilize our Lewisville, TX location to produce our new aloe-infused Hand Sanitizer, which is made with our own organically-grown aloe to help keep hands soft and powerful U.S.-sourced ethyl alcohol to eliminate 99.99% of bad germs without leaving your hands feeling dry or sticky.
From juices, gels and stomach formulas, to our new moisturizing hand sanitizer and health-driven products, we’re excited to bring on the next chapter in our wellness journey.
Happy Aloe-Versary!
You can find all of our Lily of the Desert products at retail stores around the nation. Visit our Store Locator on our website to go in person, or order online on our official Amazon store to make your purchase.
Then, before you go, check out our 50 Years timeline and guestbook to see how we’ve grown into an internally-recognized brand. We’d love to hear from you on our official Facebook or Instagram page with any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.
Here’s to the next 50 years of Lily!
