Use this tutorial on how to make hand sanitizer.
It is cold and flu season. We have already had two different viruses work their way through our family. We are sick of being sick and have turned into hand washing zealots.
Scrubbing your hands for 20 seconds is always the most effective way to kill germs. But when I am away from home, I bring along homemade hand sanitizer to use when we aren't near a sink. I was introduced to the DIY hand sanitizer by a friend. I complained about how drying the store-bought stuff was and she offered me a bottle of her homemade version. The recipe uses aloe vera gel as the base, instead of glycerin so it isn't as rough on your skin.
I keep aloe vera gel on hand to use in case someone gets too much sun in the summer. Since we rarely get burned, I usually have a mostly full bottle sitting neglected in the medicine cabinet to use in this recipe. If you don't have aloe vera gel, you can pick some up at your local drug store, along with 99% rubbing alcohol to use in the DIY Hand Sanitizer tutorial below.
Tips for Making Hand Sanitizer
To be safe, hand sanitizer should have a minimum of 60% alcohol in the final product. Use 99% isopropyl alcohol which is also known as rubbing alcohol instead of one with a lower alcohol content.
Using aloe vera gel can help reduce how dry your hands get but realize that if your hands get cracks in the skin you are at greater risk for infection. So be sure to use lotion on your hands to keep them from drying out.
Tea tree oil may have some antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, but more research is still needed. It does have a pleasant scent that helps mask the smell of the alcohol. If you want to use another type of essential oil, please research to ensure it is safe to use on your skin.
Homemade Hand Sanitizer Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup 99% rubbing alcohol
- 1/3 cup aloe vera gel
- 4 drops tea tree oil (optional)
- 4-6 two-0unce Squeeze bottles
- Add the rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel, and the tea tree oil to a small bowl.
- Mix well.
- Use a funnel to divide the hand sanitizer between the bottles.
I like to leave a little room in the bottle instead of filling it to the top. That way I can shake it up before using the hand sanitizer.
