You should just take what you need, when you need it. Cut leaves can be kept in the fridge for a day or so, but the gel goes a horrible yellow colour and it can drip everywhere! If it's too much trouble to 'dash out' to get some, then move it closer to your door. It's worth the exercise, because aloe vera is very much better when used fresh.

dee, what do you use your aloe vera for? Or is that a personal question? I have never grown it.

I don't know (yet) what Dee uses it for, but I wouldn't be without it. To me, it's an essential plant in any herb garden.

I use it mainly as an after-shave moisturiser (on legs!), for minor burns and sunburn, and minor wounds - scratches and grazes etc. Very good for insect bites. I've used it on babies' bottoms for nappy rash, and on their heads for cradle-cap. It's good for a range of skin condition, including eczema and psoriasis. I've had several major surgeries, and I've used it on the wounds to hasten healing and to reduce the scarring. It works very well.

I've used it exclusively for external use. Internally, it is not generally recommended (it can cause severe diarrhoea as it is a powerful laxative and purgative), however, it has a number of uses. Take under expert supervision only.

Here's a list of its uses:

The sap from inside the leaves can be applied directly to ulcers, burns, sunburn, radiation burns, skin cancers, wounds, poison ivy stings, acne, oily skin and dandruff, and fungal infections. Internally is it sometimes used as a laxative and a general tonic. And also to treat amenorrhoea, asthma, inflamed or diseased breasts, bursitis, colds, colic, conjunctivitis, constipation, coughs, dysmenorrhoea, dysentery with bloody stools, ear infections, eye problems, fat and sugar metabolism, fever, gonorrhoea, heart pain, haemorrhoids, hepatitis, herpes, infant pneumonia, insomnia, intestinal worms, jaundice, kidney disorders, enlarged liver, menopause, rheumatism, skin inflammations, skin rashes, sores, sore throat, enlarged spleen, toothache, tuberculosis and other lung diseases, tumors, ulcers, chronic vaginitis, venereal diseases.

Wow what a useful little plant. I guess I wouldn't bother too much with it at this stage. Fortunately I don't suffer from ANY of the above conditions. Actually I find I have no use for medicinal plants generally because I'm young and healthy and nothing ever seems to go wrong with me (Touch wood). when I get cuts or burns they heal quickly on their own.

It's other name is First Aid Plant. Now you know why!

I don't recommend it for internal use. Just external.

Jamus, I use it mainly for mossie bites. I also use it on my arms when certain plants in the garden seem to irritate my skin (e.g. tomato plants). I have recently started using it on my dog's tummy. She is a Jack Russell Terrier and they don't have a lot of hair on the belly area. She is like me and certain plants give her a bit of a rash. I haven't worked out which ones, but the aloe vera fixes it up, no problem. I highly recommend it!

Daisy DW, Thanks for that. I guess to store it I would have to add a preservative, so I will stick to the current method. I just didn't like the idea of wasting it, but that's a bit silly, because it grows fairly quickly.

Cheers,
Dee.

Mozzies are a strange little creature. My girlfriend come up in big welts when they bite her, big red itchy marks! She HATES them. I get bitten too but don't get any reaction at all... not even an itch, much to Rebecca's disgust. he he he.

I can vouch for aloe vera for radiation burns. A friend told me she used it after receiving radiation treatment and, when I had a similar experience, I did the same. Just rubbed a bit of gel on after each blast and my skin was fine. I also found it messy so purchased a cream, which was supposed to be 98% aloe vera, and it was nowhere as good.
Halina

The yellow sap prohibits cell regeneration, so avoid getting this on your skin.
The gel is a great "skin relaxer" after sunburn or to help an itchy scalp. Some find that it's drying on the hair though.
I find the best way to prepare it is trim off the side ribs, slice open lenghtways, then sccop the flesh out with a spoon. Bung it in a blender and there you go.

By the way, anyone know where I can get the South American variety? It has bigger leaves.