For a minor burn, the first thing to put on it is cool running water for about 10 minutes. After that, aloe vera gel or petroleum jelly keeps the wound moist and protected while it heals. Most kitchen and household burns fall into the minor category and can be treated at home with simple supplies you probably already have.
What you put on a burn depends on how severe it is, so it helps to know what you’re dealing with before you reach for anything.
How to Tell if You Can Treat It at Home
Burns fall into three categories based on how deep the damage goes, and only the mildest two are candidates for home treatment.
First-degree burns damage only the outer layer of skin. They look dry and red, similar to a sunburn, and they hurt. These heal on their own within a week or so with basic care.
Second-degree burns go deeper into the skin. They’re moist, very red, and extremely painful, and they typically form blisters. Small second-degree burns (smaller than about 3 inches across) that aren’t on the face, hands, feet, groin, or over a joint can usually be managed at home. Larger ones, or those in sensitive locations, need professional care because scarring and complications are more likely.
Third-degree burns destroy the full thickness of the skin. They can look white, black, brown, or red, and the surface is dry. Surprisingly, they may hurt less than second-degree burns because the nerve endings in the skin have been destroyed. These always require emergency medical treatment.
Cool Water First, Always
Before you put anything on a burn, run cool water over it for about 10 minutes. This is the single most important step. It draws heat out of the tissue, limits how deep the damage spreads, and reduces pain.
Use cool water, not cold. Cold water or ice can constrict blood vessels and actually make the injury worse by reducing blood flow to damaged tissue right when it needs it most. For the same reason, skip the ice pack. Just let lukewarm-to-cool tap water run gently over the area.
What to Apply After Cooling
Once the burn is cooled, you want to keep the wound moist. Dry, exposed burns heal more slowly and scar more. Here are the best options:
Aloe vera gel is one of the most effective things you can put on a first- or second-degree burn. Its gel contains natural compounds that reduce pain and inflammation while speeding up the process of new skin growing over the wound. Research has found that aloe vera can shorten healing time for minor burns by roughly nine days compared to some conventional treatments. Look for pure aloe vera gel without added fragrances, alcohol, or dyes. If you have an aloe plant, the fresh gel straight from the leaf works well.
Petroleum jelly is another solid choice. It creates a moisture barrier that prevents the wound from drying out and protects it from bacteria. It’s inexpensive, widely available, and unlikely to irritate the skin. Apply a thin layer and cover with a non-stick bandage. In clinical comparisons, aloe vera has outperformed petroleum jelly gauze dressings for healing speed, but petroleum jelly is still a reliable option if it’s what you have on hand.
Medical-grade honey has antibacterial properties and can be effective on burns, particularly infected ones. Products containing supplemented medical-grade honey have shown strong results against common wound bacteria. However, not all honey products are equal. Pure Manuka honey, despite its popularity, has actually shown problems with skin cell regrowth in lab studies. If you want to try honey, look for medical-grade formulations specifically designed for wound care rather than reaching for the jar in your kitchen.
Do You Need Antibiotic Ointment?
Most people assume they should put antibiotic ointment on a burn, but for minor burns this usually isn’t necessary. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that most minor wounds don’t require topical antibiotics as long as the wound is cleaned daily. Overusing antibiotic ointments can contribute to resistant bacteria and cause allergic reactions in some people.
Save the antibiotic ointment for situations where you see actual signs of infection: pus or yellow crusting, increasing pain, swelling or warmth around the wound, red streaks spreading outward from the burn (or brownish-red streaks on darker skin), or fever. Those signs mean it’s also time to see a doctor, not just apply ointment at home.
How to Cover a Burn
After applying aloe vera or petroleum jelly, cover the burn with a non-stick bandage or gauze pad. Regular adhesive bandages and standard gauze can stick to the raw wound surface, which tears new skin cells off every time you change the dressing. Non-stick pads (sometimes labeled as non-adherent) are available at any pharmacy and are worth the small extra cost.
If a dressing does stick at changing time, don’t pull it off. Soak it with cool water or a small amount of oil to loosen it gently. Change the dressing once a day, cleaning the wound with mild soap and water each time before reapplying your chosen ointment or gel.
Wrap the bandage snugly enough to stay in place but loose enough that it doesn’t put pressure on the burn. For burns on fingers or toes, wrap each digit separately to prevent the raw surfaces from sticking together.
Managing Pain
Burns hurt, sometimes intensely. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen both work well. Ibuprofen has the added benefit of reducing inflammation, which can help with swelling around the burn. Naproxen is another option that lasts longer between doses. Follow the dosing instructions on the package.
Cool compresses (not ice) applied over the bandage can also help with pain flare-ups in the first day or two.
What Not to Put on a Burn
Several common home remedies make burns worse:
- Butter or cooking oil traps heat in the skin, deepening the burn. Greasy substances also create a breeding ground for bacteria.
- Toothpaste contains chemicals that irritate raw tissue. It isn’t sterile and can introduce bacteria into the wound.
- Ice or ice water constricts blood flow and can cause frostbite on already-damaged skin, making the injury worse.
- Egg whites carry a risk of bacterial contamination, including salmonella, on an open wound.
Stick with cool running water for the initial treatment. If it wouldn’t come from a pharmacy, it probably doesn’t belong on your burn.
What Healing Looks Like
A first-degree burn typically heals within 7 to 10 days. The redness fades, the skin may peel similar to a sunburn, and no scarring occurs. Second-degree burns take two to three weeks for superficial ones, potentially longer for deeper ones. Blisters may break on their own. If they do, leave the loose skin in place as a natural protective covering and keep the area clean and moisturized.
Watch for signs that healing isn’t going well: increasing redness or swelling after the first couple of days, pus or cloudy fluid, streaks radiating from the wound, worsening pain instead of gradual improvement, or fever. Any of these suggest infection and warrant a visit to a healthcare provider.