Innovation to the rescue in the first aid category | Drug Store News

While innovation can help spur sales, so can educating consumers. Quest offers the Ask Alocane chat line, which provides real-time advice for people who get burned during their summer activities, and includes information about which retailers carry products. Also helpful, Gosline said, is for manufacturers and retailers to offer information about the effectiveness of using first aid products after their expiration dates. 

Retailers should offer a balance of legacy products and innovative new items. “Consumers will always have a need for the products in this category,” Arnold said. “While they often turn to the tried-and-true products that have been around for generations, they are also looking for new solutions to their problems.”

Another entry in the wipes category comes from Tec Labs, which makes Tecnu wipes and Licefreee lice products. The company launched Tecnu Detox Wipes, which are waterless and remove poison ivy and oak oil and other oily substances from skin. The wipes are portable, which is a big demand now. “During the pandemic people were staying closer to home, hiking, camping and gardening,” said Larry Burris, director of sales. “Now with higher gas prices, people are tending to stay closer to home.”

Product Picks

Nutricare Patch Natural Bamboo Bandages, SRP: $6.99 for a tube of 25 strips, $7.99 for a 10-pack of large bandages Bamboo fibers are eco-friendly but also safe for sensitive skin. Patch by Nutricare offers hypoallergenic wound care designed for people who get allergic reactions to other adhesive bandages, a sensitivity that the company said affects one of four people. The bamboo bandages, which are vegan friendly and cruelty free, are available in a range of latex-free strips, squares and rectangles. 

Quest Alocane Burn Spray, SRP: $11.99 
A new offering in the burn segment, Alocane Burn Spray uses 3.5-oz. Bag on Valve Technology, which allows for 100% use-up rate in a continuous spray, coupled with max FDA-allowed 4% lidocaine to relieve pain. Alocane Burn Spray also contains aloe to soothe and vitamin E to heal. 

Curad Kendra Dandy Bandage Variety Pack, SRP: $6.99
For people looking for more style in their first aid, this bandage pack features exclusive, fashion-forward designs from renowned artist Kendra Dandy and Curad Flex-Fabric material that stretches for comfortable protection.

Tec Labs Tecnu Detox Wipes. SRP: $18.99 for a 12-pack 
Waterless Tecnu Detox Wipes are made of rayon derived from bamboo fiber, and they remove poison ivy and oak oil, pitch, tar and other oily substances from skin, equipment, tools, pets and more. The sooner one removes urushiol (rash-causing resin from poison ivy, oak and sumac) from skin with a poison ivy wipe, the better chance of avoiding a poison ivy rash. Tecnu Detox Wipes are individually wrapped, and no water is required. 

3M Nexcare Duo Adhesive Gauze Pads, SRP: $5.99 for a 4-pack 
Nexcare has expanded its new Duo Adhesive line, which the brand launched last year. The bandages feature a flexible, breathable and water-resistant fabric bandage with a solvent-free, skin-friendly silicone adhesive that delivers all-day hold and pain-free removal without irritating the skin. The original line features bandages of traditional sizes for smaller cuts and scrapes, and the new Duo Adhesive Gauze Pads measuring 3 by 4 inches. 

Band-Aid Band-Aid Brand Sensitive Skin, SRP: $5.79 for an assorted 20-count size pack or a 7-count extra-large pack 
These hypoallergenic bandages are designed to provide wound care for sensitive and eczema-prone skin. They utilize Sensi-Layer technology for painless removal of the bandage with no damage to the skin. The bandage is durable and stays in place for 24 hours even when wet, and is recommended for use after cleaning the wound with an antiseptic wash.