Burn Gel Comparisons
Here's a few burn gel comparisons. There are three major suppliers of burn gel Burnaid, Water Jel and Burnfree. There is also a product called Burnshield though it is not as readily available in the US.
Each offers it's own unique pros and cons. Here's a brief run down on burn gels, what they're good for and the differences between them.
What is a Burn Gel?
Burn gels are fairly new products on the first aid market. Well, 20 years respectively sp it time for burn gel comparisons.
- They are water based gels with small amounts of aloe vera, some have lidocaine and/or tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) as their active ingredients.
- Burn gels can offer immediate pain relief, prevent secondary infection, create a barrier against further contamination, minimize 'burn creep' and stop further tissue damage.
- Burn gels come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can find burn gel bottles and burn gel packets in a few different sizes. From individual use packets to burn gel dressings. Burn dressings are sterile pads that have been impregnated with gel. The dressings range in size from 2in, 4in and 8in squares. Burn blankets are available for larger burns.
- Some burn gels can stay cool for up to two hours. The large dressings seem to hold the “cool” better then the bottled gel.
- Burn gels are great where water is not available.
When Do You Use a Burn Gel?
- Burn gels are a first aid product. They are to be used on first and second degree burns.
- They are not for long term care and not for use on third degree burns and open flesh.
- They're great for sunburns, kitchen burns, household and minor burns and injuries.
- They are fantastic to have on hand when BBQing or camping. Any place where water is not readily available. They do offer the added advantage of immediate pain relief in most cases, stopping 'burn creep' and helping prevent secondary infection. In that regard they are better than water.
- The downside of burn gels is that the pain relief can be short lived and you need to reapply the gel. When it comes to burn gel comparisons we did notice that the burn dressings offer the longest lasting pain relief.
- They can be a little messy to use. Burn gels do not need to be bandaged so the gel can get on clothing and drip off. We have discovered that placing a light gauze dressing over the gel solves this minor problem.
Here's the burn gel comparisons for the top three.
Burnaid
Burnaid developed the original gel impregnated burn dressing in Australia many years ago. The Burnaid gel formula is a high quality tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) in a water base gel.
They do NOT use Lidocaine or other narcotics in their gel products. This makes Burnaid safe for children of a very young age and pets as well.
We liked the consistancy of the gel and the prolonged cooling effect. And just as it claims, it stops pain instantly. A big plus when it comes to burn treatment.
Burnaid can be found in first aid kits. It is also used in hospitals, fire departments and in emergency service units.
Burnaid is little hard to find in retail stores but you can buy it here online.
Water Jel
Water Jel is based in the United States. This company appears to be the largest of the three. Supplying first aid kits, hospitals, the military and fire departments.
Their burn gel formula contains the standard grade of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) and Lidocaine.
Because of the use of Lidocaine there is a risk of drug allergies or drug interactions. And it might not be suitable for very young children or those with drug sensitivities.
Water Jel has a nice consistancy and sufficient cooling power.
Water Jel is available in retail stores.
Burnfree
The last of our burn gel comparisons is Burnfree. Burnfree are the new kids on the block starting their company in 1994. They offer the full range of burn gel products from kits to blankets.
Their gel formula consists of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) in the water base gel.
We found the gel to be a bit watery and we had to apply the gel more frequently than the other two. Burnfree is priced higher than both Water Jel and Burnaid.
Burnfree is available both online and retail.
What We Recommend
At the end of our burn gel comparison, of all the products we used and examined, we like Burnaid the best.
We like the fact it doesn't contain any narcotics. The high grade tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) they use eliminates the need for added pain relievers. That makes it safe for kids and pets and reduces the possibility of allergy problems.
We found Burnaid to be reasonably priced, the gel to be thick and cooling power longer lasting.
Some of the Other Guys
You might run across some of these as well. We didn't include them in our burn gel comparison.
- Another product we fell in love with is Spenco 2nd Skin Moist Burn Pads. These are like a gel bandage that come in a variety of sizes. The gel pad is clear and contains just sterile water. This keeps the burn cool and creates a barrier against the burn and the outside environment. Always a good idea and a nice alternative to itchy gauze.
- Solarcaine offers a burn relief product called, Burn Relief Aloe Extra Gel. This is a an aloe product with Lidocaine. They market it as a sunburn product and it is great for sunburns but I wouldn't use it on second degree burns. And again be aware of drug allergies or sensitivities.
- Boiron makes a Calendula Gel for burns, cuts and scraps, it is homeopathic. Calendula has been used for centuries as a natural soothing healing aid for the skin. This product would aid in the healing of a burn but not help much with pain relief.
- Scar Zone makes a burn gel called, Scar Zone Burn Gel. It contains an antibiotic, a pain reliever and green tea extract. I haven't had a chance to use this product yet so I can't comment on it. Scar Zone specializes in reducing the appearance of scars and skin discoloration. And always keep in mind the over use of products containing antibiotics.
We would like to thank our friends at all-things-first-aid.com for the great comparison and the high marks.
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