People prefer natural ingredients you can find in your home, remedies in first aid products: survey

“Applying honey to a cut,” “baking soda paste on mosquito bites,” and “oatmeal on itchy rashes” are some of the ways Americans have treated minor injuries in their own home.A new survey of 2,000 Americans found that most trust natural ingredients to treat minor wounds or skin irritations at least as much, if not more, than what first aid shelves are stocked with (77%).It’s a confidence rooted in familiarity: people are reaching for what they grew up with, what’s already in the kitchen, what feels instinctively safe — like “aloe vera,” “tea tree oil,” “lavender oil,” “witch hazel” or even “tallow.”That instinct has only sharpened over time.Over the past five years, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed find themselves becoming more attentive to the ingredients in their products (73%) — especially Gen Z (84%) and millennials (73%).But that scrutiny doesn’t always translate to the checkout aisle, though.Commissioned by Curad and conducted by Talker Research, the survey found that despite growing ingredient awareness, 40% of respondents acknowledge that less than a quarter of the products used on their skin contain natural ingredients.Forty-one percent say they “always” check ingredients before purchasing wound or first-aid products, while nearly a quarter admit it’s not something they regularly consider (22%).Whether in the products they purchase or making do with pantry staples, the pull toward nature persists when caring for the skin and tending to wounds.To simplify what goes on their skin, respondents always come back to basics: 77% use natural home remedies the same, if not more often, than they did when growing up.While parents and older relatives were the source of this knowledge (39%), natural ingredients are having a popular moment, too, as others have found that friends (18%) and social media (18%) also encourage natural remedies.Home treatment has become a blend of old and new — nature-derived remedies sit...