Information regarding aloe veras use dates back nearly 5,000 years to early Egyptian times. It has since been used both topically and orally. Aloe vera gel, found when you break open the green leafy skin, is often used topically to treat burns, abrasions, psoriasis, and other skin conditions. Aloe vera juice, primarily produced from the green outer leaf, was used as a main component in many over-the-counter laxatives until 2002, when the FDA pulled them from drugstore shelves due to insufficient information regarding their safety.