It's that time of year! <cough cough> And this year we have the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) that's made everyone reach for the nearest face mask and hand sanitizer. In our part of the world - Okinawa, Japan - it's not even possible to find face masks or hand sanitizer. I thought I would just make my own hand sanitizer with rubbing alcohol, so imagine my surprise when I slowly began to learn that I couldn't find rubbing alcohol anywhere. It's sold out on base and in town. Don't even get me started on the face masks!
I had some rubbing alcohol at home but I wanted to try a different recipe that didn't require me to use an ingredient that is not readily available in stores right now. So I did what I've become so adept at doing while living on an island - search Pinterest for a homemade solution! I learned that you can use rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, and vodka interchangeably when making hand sanitizer. I've got 3 recipes for you that use all of these ingredients but you can use what you have and whatever is easiest to source.
Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer
Ingredients:
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
enough witch hazel to top off a 4 oz spray bottle
Add all the ingredients to a spray bottle and shake well.
*What I learned about this hand sanitizer: you need to shake it before every use to mix the ingredients, it is the easiest to rub in and quickest to dry.
Citrus Mint Vodka Hand Sanitizer
Ingredients:
2 oz squeeze bottle
1/2 oz vodka
5 drops rosemary essential oil
2 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil
enough aloe vera gel to top off the squeeze bottle (but don't fill it up, you want room to shake the ingredients!)
Add all the ingredients to the squeeze bottle and shake vigorously until mixed.
*What I learned about this hand sanitizer: due to the higher amount of aloe vera gel this one takes a little longer to rub in and dry. But it is also very moisturizing and according to my 10 year old, it's her favorite because "it's like a lotion!"
Rubbing Alcohol Hand Sanitizer
Ingredients:
2 oz squeeze bottle
1 tablespoon rubbing alcohol
2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
2 teaspoons almond oil (or vitamin E oil)
2 drops tea tree essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil
Add all the ingredients to a squeeze bottle and shake vigorously until mixed.
*What I learned about this hand sanitizer: the rubbing alcohol smell is strong, it is moisturizing because of the almond oil, it doesn't take too long to rub in. This is my top choice for a hand sanitizer to travel with.
No matter which hand sanitizer you choose to make, remember that you can use your favorite essential oils. And if you're sensitive to smells then you can back off on the amount in the recipes. If you're nervous about the safety of an essential oil and young children, then it's easy to switch it up as well. Hand sanitizers are definitely not more effective than good ol' fashioned hand washing, but germs still spread and sometimes you want some extra protection. Be proactive and protect yourself and your family year around!
Please remember that I'm not a certified-this-or-that and I have not tried any of these in a lab setting. I'm simply providing alternatives to store-bought hand sanitizers. Homemade hand sanitizer has fewer ingredients and simpler ingredients. They're ingredients you can pronounce and probably even have at home in your medicine cabinet. I'm definitely not here to get on a soapbox of store bought vs. homemade, but if you want to research one of the main ingredients of antibacterial hand sanitizer, triclosan, then educate yourself with this article. If you take the time to try this simple homemade hand sanitizer I'm positive you'll love it!
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Thank you, Gram! I'm so glad you enjoyed this post!
Good info thanks..