Aloe

Aloe vera

Asphodelaceae

A windowsill succulent: clear inner gel for burns — yellow latex is a harsh purgative.

Inner gel is a cosmetic/food. Latex (aloin) is a stimulant laxative, restricted in some OTC markets.

Parts used: Inner leaf gel · Latex (not recommended for self-care)
Traditional notes: Sunburn and minor burns · Irritated skin · Historically as a laxative (outdated)
Grow · USDA 6b: Tender succulent. Indoor plant except frost-free zones. Offsets (pups) — the reliable way. In work: Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
Harvest: Cut outer mature leaves at the base as needed.

A terracotta pot, gritty mix, and neglect. Overwatering is the usual death.
Harvest an outer lower leaf; let the yellow latex drain before you use the gel.
Pups can be twisted off and potted once they have their own roots.

Safety

Oral use in pregnancy, children, IBD Deep burns (need medical care)

Lore

Cleopatra’s cosmetics lists are late gossip; what is sure is that the gel traveled the Red Sea as a wound plant for millennia. The yellow latex under the skin is a fierce laxative and a different drug from the clear gel. Rinse it off or you learn why.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.