First, let me say to all those of you who bought up all the available hand sanitizer – SHAME ON YOU! You are despicable human beings. You should immediately donate all your hoard to those who are most in need. Seriously!
Ok, so that’s out of my system (mostly). We all know that nothing beats proper handwashing with good ol’ soap and water, but hand sanitizer is good in a pinch. The CDC recommends hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. The recipe below was shared by PennHerb.com and Lisa Taormino. My only change was to add Thieves Oil instead of the other oils, but if you don’t have Thieves, use the below. The key is using alcohol that is at least 60% or higher. When I made this I was pleasantly surprised by the consistency and the ease of putting it all together. And I used a small squeeze bottle (much like a travel-size Purell bottle) instead of a spray bottle.
Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
Lisa Taormino RN, BSN, ASN, BS
If you’re running into empty shelves when you go shopping for hand sanitizers, don’t panic, just make your own. When you know you won’t be able to access soap and water, whip up a batch ahead of time to spray hands and surfaces.
What you will need: Bowl, spoon, spray bottle container.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup 60-99% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)
- 1/3 cup aloe vera gel
- 8 to 10 drops essential oil (optional)
Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Rosemary, and Tea tree are great options.
Nothing could be easier! Simply mix the ingredients together and then pour them into the bottle. Screw the lid onto the bottle and you’re ready to go!
Remember, washing your hands with soap and water is best, but this is great for while you’re away from running water.
Kathy is an herbalist/naturopathic practitioner who is constantly researching to expand her knowledge. She came to herbalism after her migraine medicine was suddenly removed from the market and she had to find something new. After discovering the magic of herbs she’s never looked back. She is accredited by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM) and is an Associate Member of the American Herbalist Guild.