Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Homemade Hand Sanitizer is easy to make especially if you have all of the ingredients on hand.  

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Two weeks ago my husband took my son to the supermarket to get him small bottle of hand sanitizer to take to school. Finding none, they asked the store manager, who took them to a locked cabinet and handed them a tiny bottle. My son asked if he could get two more for his sisters but the manager replied that they could only give out one per family. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is probably the most life changing event most of us have ever encountered. Top of mind for me during this time is how to protect my family and our surrounding communities. Taking an aggressive approach and hunkering down at home is by far the safest way to prevent the disease from spreading. If you must go out, though, it’s important to take steps to both prevent spread and contamination. Be extremely mindful and avoid touching your face (mouth, nose, ears and eyes) and limit touching surfaces to an absolute minimum. Wash your hands as frequently and thoroughly as possible. The CDC says for at least 20 seconds each time — fronts, backs, wrists, between fingers and under nails (I have my kids sing the happy birthday song twice or the alphabet song once to make sure they do it long enough). I’ll do whatever it takes to making washing hands a fun part of every day life. 

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The second most important thing you can do to protect yourself and others from the spread of harmful bacteria next to washing hands is using a hand sanitizer, especially important when you’re out and access to soap and water is not available. With supply chain disruption causing a shortage of sanitizer both online and in stores, I’ve resorted to making this Homemade Hand Sanitizer.

I was actually surprised by how easy it was to do. Not to mention it smells better most commercial brands and doesn’t feel as drying to me as the store bought brands. 

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Here’s what I put in mine: 

Isopropyl alcohol: Your sanitizer must be at least 60% alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol), also known as isopropanol or IPA, is the most common and widely used disinfectant within pharmaceutics, hospitals, cleanrooms, and electronics or medical device manufacturing. 

Aloe Vera Gel:  contains agents known to help inhibit fungi, bacteria, and viruses and soothes dry skin.

Vitamin E:  moisturizes skin, can help heal wounds, reduces skin itching and eczema. 

Tea Tree Oil: Using tree oil as a natural hand sanitizer may help kill a number of germs responsible for colds, flu and other illness. Beyond that studies have shown that it kills several common bacteria and viruses responsible for causing illness.

Essential Oils: different essential oils have different properties. The reason for adding an essential oil to your hand sanitizer is to make it smell good and over power the smell of the tea tree oil if it’s too strong for you (lemon, lavender and orange are my favorites).

Here’s a list of 10 popular essential oils and the health claims associated with them: 

Peppermint: used to boost energy and aid digestion

Lavender: used to relieve stress

Sandalwood: used to calm nerves and help with focus

Bergamot: used to reduce stress and improve skin conditions like eczema

Rose: used to improve mood and reduce anxiety

Chamomile: used to improve mood and relaxation

Ylang-Ylang: used to treat headaches, nausea, and skin conditions

Jasmine: used to help with depression and childbirth. Also smells incredible. 

Lemon: used to aid digestion, mood, headaches, and more

Click this link for a list on Amazon of all the products you’ll need to make this Homemade Hand Sanitizer.