No, do not put ghee on a burn or scald. The NHS says to hold it under cool running water for 20 minutes and "do not put any creams, oils or butter on burns or scalds", and the WHO says not to apply oil to a burn. Ghee is a fat like butter and oil, and no first-aid body we checked recommends it.
Follow your doctor's advice for any burn, and get help fast for a serious one: the NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E if a burn is very large or deep, is on the face, genitals or bottom, or was caused by chemicals or electricity. Outside the UK, call your local emergency number.
At a glance
- The NHS says to hold a burn or scald under cool running water for 20 minutes, within 3 hours of it happening, and not to put creams, oils or butter on it.
- The WHO burns fact sheet says not to apply paste, oil, haldi (turmeric) or raw cotton to a burn, and not to apply ice "because it deepens the injury".
- The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network says never to use ice, iced water, cream, gel, toothpaste or butter on a burn, and to get immediate help if it is larger than a 20 cent coin or blisters.
- A PubMed search on 13 October 2026 for ghee and burns returned 9 records; the only one reporting results for ghee on a person's burn was a single 2023 case report, in which medicated ghee was used alongside hospital care.
Should you put ghee on a burn?
No. The NHS lists creams, oils and butter among the things not to put on a burn or scald, and the WHO lists oil and paste. Ghee is not named, but it is clarified butter, a fat. The first thing a burn needs is cooling with running water, and the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network says even burn creams "do not cool the burn".
The WHO burns fact sheet also says, "Do not apply any material directly to the wound as it might become infected."
What does the NHS say to do for a burn or scald?
Cool it, uncover it, then cover it. The NHS says to deal with every burn and scald straight away: cool running water for 20 minutes, remove clothing or jewellery near it, then lay cling film over it once cooled.
These are the steps from the NHS page on burns and scalds, in order:
- Cool it. Hold the burn or scald under cool running water for 20 minutes, as soon as possible and within 3 hours of it happening. If there is no running water, use cool bottled water or a wet towel.
- Uncover it. Remove any clothing or jewellery near the area, but do not remove anything stuck to it.
- Cover it loosely. When the burn has cooled, lay cling film over it if you can. Do not wrap the cling film around it.
- Get help if it is serious. Call 999 or go to A&E for a burn that is very large or deep, on the face, genitals or bottom, or caused by an acid, a chemical or electricity. Do not drive yourself.
- Leave it alone while it heals. Do not put creams, oils or butter on it, do not use plasters or sticky dressings, and do not burst blisters.
The NHS adds that small burns can often be looked after at home and take around 2 weeks to heal, and that paracetamol or ibuprofen can help with pain.
What do the WHO and other first-aid bodies say about oil, butter and ice?
They say keep them off. The WHO lists oil, paste, haldi and raw cotton as things not to apply, and says ice deepens the injury. The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network says never to put ice, iced water, cream, gel, toothpaste, butter "or anything else" on a burn.
The WHO's own list says to "use cool running water to reduce the temperature of the burn", then wrap the person in a clean cloth or sheet and take them for medical care. It warns that prolonged cooling can lead to hypothermia.
The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network page on first aid for burns explains why: "These products can make a burn worse. Burn creams do not cool the burn and must not be used in place of cool running water."
Ghee, butter, toothpaste, ice or cool water: what first-aid bodies say
Only one item on this list is recommended. The reasons in the last column are the first-aid bodies' own words, not ours.
| What people put on a burn | What first-aid bodies say | Why, in their words | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool running water | Do this first, for 20 minutes | "to reduce the temperature of the burn" | NHS; WHO |
| Ghee | Not named; the advice covers oils, butter and "anything else" | Material on the wound "might become infected" | NHS; WHO; SCHN |
| Butter | Do not use | "These products can make a burn worse" | NHS; SCHN |
| Cooking oil | Do not apply | Material on the wound "might become infected" | NHS; WHO |
| Toothpaste | Never use | "These products can make a burn worse" | SCHN |
| Ice or iced water | Do not apply | "it deepens the injury" | WHO; SCHN |
| Haldi (turmeric) or raw cotton | Do not apply | Material on the wound "might become infected" | WHO |
Is there any evidence that ghee helps burns heal?
Almost none in people. A PubMed search on 13 October 2026 for ghee and burns returned 9 records. Only one reports results for a ghee preparation on a person's burn: a single 2023 case report in which medicated ghee was used alongside hospital care. One case with no comparison cannot show that ghee did anything.
The 2023 case report, from an Ayurveda college hospital in Belagavi, describes a 44-year-old woman burnt by the flame of a gas explosion while cooking. Her burns covered 27 per cent of her body at first degree and 15 per cent at second degree (deep partial thickness). She first spent five days at a modern medicine hospital, receiving intravenous antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and wound care with an ointment.
At the second hospital she was given intravenous fluids and antibiotics by a modern medicine specialist. Alongside them, the team applied ropana ghrita, a medicated ghee whose listed ingredients include beeswax, several herbs and cow's ghee, covered with Tinospora cordifolia leaves twice a day. She also had fumigation and oral medicines, and stayed 25 days.
The wound healed after 60 days, with mild contracture at the wrist, elbow and armpit. The authors call it "a single case study" and say larger studies are needed. It was also not plain kitchen ghee, and it was not first aid: it began days after the injury, in hospital.
Of the other records, only one involved burn patients. A 2005 pilot study in Malawi randomly assigned 20 of them to a tannin solution or to other common dressings, such as honey and ghee or silver sulfadiazine. Its abstract reports no results for ghee on its own.
When does a burn need a hospital?
Large, deep or facial burns need emergency care, and burns in young children need medical advice. The NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E for a very large or deep burn, one on the face, genitals or bottom, or one caused by chemicals or electricity. For a child under 5, it says to call NHS 111 for advice.
It also says to call 111 whenever you are not sure what to do. The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network says to get immediate help for a child's burn larger than a 20 cent coin, or one that blisters.
Hospital care for a severe burn, the NHS says, may include antibiotics or painkillers, cleaning and dressing, fluids through a vein, and surgery to repair the wound or reconstruct damaged skin. The WHO advises against putting topical medication on a burn until the person is under appropriate medical care.
What about sunburn, or a splash of hot ghee?
Hot ghee or oil from a pan is a scald, so the NHS burn steps apply: cool running water for 20 minutes, then cling film. Sunburn has its own NHS advice: cool the skin and use aftersun or an unperfumed moisturiser. Neither page mentions ghee.
The NHS page on sunburn says to cool the skin with a cool shower, bath or damp towel, and not to use petroleum jelly or ice. It advises an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 if the skin is blistered or swollen, or a baby or young child is sunburnt.
If you light ghee lamps at home, our guide to using a ghee diya safely covers fire-service advice on unattended flames.
What can you put on a burn once it is healing?
Ask a pharmacist. The NHS says that if a burn becomes itchy and dry as it heals, you can use an emollient ointment, and a pharmacist can advise which. It does not name ghee, and the only human report we found is the single hospital case above.
The NHS also says not to cover a healing burn with plasters or sticky dressings, and not to burst blisters. What the evidence says about ghee on unbroken skin is in ghee for face and skin. If you have a milk allergy, our article on ghee side effects explains why to talk to your doctor first.
The short version
Do not put ghee on a burn. The NHS says to cool a burn or scald under running water for 20 minutes, remove nearby clothing or jewellery, and lay cling film over it, with no creams, oils or butter. The WHO and the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network say the same about oil, butter, toothpaste and ice. The only human report with results for ghee on a burn is a single case of medicated ghee used in hospital, which cannot show it helped. Large, deep or facial burns need emergency care, burns in young children need medical advice, and for any burn, follow your doctor's advice.
Sources
Further reading behind the figures above. Himdhara's own numbers — yields, batch results — come from our production records and the batch reports on the lab reports page.
- NHS (2026). Burns and scalds. NHS, Health A to Z.
- World Health Organization (2023). Burns. WHO fact sheets.
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. First aid for burns. SCHN Kids Health Hub.
- Shindhe PS, K P, Killedar RS, Prasannan D, A K (2023). An integrated management (Ayurveda and Modern medicine) of accidental burn injury: A case study. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine.
- NHS (2025). Sunburn. NHS, Health A to Z.