Hi, Doug recommends the use of BurnAway Plus for burn treatment, and it uses tea tree oil and aloe. I've also found that people recommend and/or use WaterJel with tea tree oil and lidocaine, and Tender's After Burn with aloe and lidocaine. I have several questions for choosing between these for everyday and emergency first aid use:

When is aloe better and when is tea tree oil better for the treatment of burns? Why does one company use one but another company uses the other? Which parts of the treatment (hydration, cooling, pain relief, biocide, other) do they each excel in?

Which preparations are more stable for long term shelf life over time and temperature swings? Most products don't publish this data, but Water Jel says their stuff works even after temperature swings, for a total shelf life of 5 years.

Which is likely to cause more allergic reactions? Why is lidocaine sometimes not used in treatments? Is it due to cost, the possibility of allergic reactions, or some other reason?

The best treatment isn't worth much if it isn't with you, and the single use packets of Water Jel seem convenient at the cost of being more expensive for small EDC first aid kits. Are there other brands that offer similar packaging?

Other stories and accounts that don't directly answer these questions but give some insight into available choices would also be most appreciated. Thanks!