The plant whose gel is commonly used to soothe minor burns and skin irritations is aloe vera. The clear gel inside its fleshy leaves is used in lotions, ointments, cosmetics, and topical products for minor burns, abrasions, insect bites, and dry or irritated skin.
Aloe vera is a succulent native to the Arabian Peninsula, although it is now cultivated and naturalized in warm, dry regions around the world. Its leaves contain a polysaccharide-rich gel, including acemannan, and a separate yellow latex near the outer leaf. These materials are often confused, but they are not interchangeable.
The familiar home remedy has a long history: aloe appears in early medical traditions and was recorded in the sixth-century Juliana Anicia Codex. Modern evidence for burn treatment is mixed, and serious or extensive burns require medical care. Ingesting whole-leaf extracts or aloe latex can cause cramps, diarrhea, and other adverse effects, so topical gel should not be treated as a universal cure.