My grand mother had an aloe plant in her front yard. It loved the sandy soil it was rooted in. It's leaves were huge, almost 3 inches wide at the base of the leaf. I remember when I would get a sun burn grandma would get a leaf from the plant, cut it open and rub the succulent insides all over me. She used it for every thing that had to do with the skin and sometimes she would scrape out the pulp and eat it too.
Anyway, I found this information at the following website. I hope it will be of use:
ALOE : caring for the plant, etc.