Honey over medicine? Most trust natural remedies for minor cuts

“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 (https://curad.com/) 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 sitting comfortably alongside conventional standbys.

Aloe vera (75%) and honey (45%) are especially helpful on burns, while scrapes are well-tended by coconut oil (52%) and baking soda (42%).

Those surveyed find that discoloration from bruises are well-treated by lavender oil (48%) and charcoal products (43%).

In the mix are also respondents’ trusted pharmacy products, like over-the-counter antibiotic ointment (46%) or an adhesive bandage with (19%) and without (29%) natural ingredients.

“Consumers are increasingly looking to incorporate natural ingredients into their first aid products, just as they have in their food and other areas of their lives. Aloe vera (74%), Vitamin E (67%) and baking soda (55%) are among the top ingredients people already trust in their home and the ones respondents most want in their first aid products,” said Kurt Schmidt, senior marketing manager. “We hear this demand and strive to bring trusted, everyday natural ingredients to the forefront of healing.”

Enthusiasm for natural ingredients is growing — but so is the confusion surrounding them.

Although respondents know that aloe vera is helpful in soothing irritation (48%) and moisturizing skin (44%), some mistakenly believe that it creates a natural SPF barrier like sunscreen does (16%).

Vitamin E oil has a positive reputation to help reduce the appearance of scars (34%) and helps protect the skin barrier (34%), but one in seven are under the false impression that it also causes premature aging.

Charcoal is the top natural ingredient Americans admittedly know little about (36%). Just 22% that it helps remove impurities from the skin (22%), absorbs drainage (19%) and gently exfoliates skin (18%).

Even without all the answers, people know what they want. Two-thirds of those surveyed say it’s important to them that the wound care products they use contain natural ingredients (63%).

Most are already on board, with 62% sharing that they have natural or plant-based products in their medicine cabinet at home. Of those who don’t, the majority are considering these tried-and-true additions (64%).

“It’s not surprising that 66% of consumers are looking for a natural alternative in the first-aid aisle. They want products that are tough on germs but kind to the skin and the environment,” adds Schmidt. “We want to help redefine traditional wound care, providing options that infuse natural ingredients to answer the call for meshing the ‘tried-and-true’ with the ‘new.’”