While washing our hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the amounts of germs and chemicals on them, it isn’t always possible. in this case, the CDC recommends that you use a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol to avoid getting sick and spreading germs onto other people.
Hand sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs such as Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Clostridium difficile
Why Should You Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer?
Many hand sanitizers that you buy in the store contain synthetic fragrances and some contain potentially harmful chemicals. These can trigger allergies such as asthma and eczema.
Another good reason for making your own hand sanitizer is that you know exactly what is going into it. This means that no more will you have to worry about harmful chemicals that are often labeled as ‘fragrances‘ in store-bought sanitizers. Another common way that manufacturers mislead us is by using labels such as ‘aloe vera 100% gel‘. You may think that it clearly shows that the product contains 100% aloe vera gel but it doesn’t. This label means that the product is 100% gel and maybe has a little bit of aloe vera in it. Crafty, huh?
Because hand sanitizers are alcohol-based, they can often dry your hands out. When making your own, you can combat this issue by using moisturizing ingredients such as aloe vera gel.
How to Use Hand Sanitizer Correctly
While you may think that applying hand sanitizer is as easy as putting a blob on your hands and rubbing it in, you may not be giving your hands the correct protection you need and so the CDC recommends doing the following:
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Make sure that you supervise young children when they use hand sanitizer to prevent swallowing alcohol.
- Put enough sanitizer on the palm of your hand to cover all surfaces.
- Rub your hands together, front and back, until hands feel dry and sanitizer is completely absorbed. This should take around 20 seconds.
Do not rinse or wipe off the hand sanitizer before it’s dry; it may not work as well against germs.
DIY Natural Hand-Sanitizer with Essential Oils
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel
- 2 teaspoons of glycerine
- 2 drops of vitamin E
- 1⁄2 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol
- 3 drops of orange essential oil (optional)
- 2 drops of tea tree essential oil (optional)
- 2 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
- 1 drop clove essential oil (optional)
- 1 drop rosemary essential oil (optional)
Method
Add the ingredients to a glass bowl in the order they are listed above and stir well. Pour into a PET container for storage.
Simple DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe
Ingredients
- 2⁄3 cup of rubbing alcohol
- 1⁄3 cup of aloe vera gel
Method
Add your ingredients to a glass bowl and mix well or add them into a small jar with a lid and shake it up until the contents are thoroughly mixed. Pour the sanitizer into a PET container for storage. If stored correctly, it should last for around 6 months.