Homemade hand sanitizers

Homemade hand sanitizers

If you use hand sanitizers, the following recipes are easy to make, and they act as both a hand sanitizer and a natural antiseptic.

by Joanne Henning Tedesco — 

We use commercial hand sanitizers hoping to protect ourselves from germs and bacteria, but they are chemically scented and contain toxic chemicals that are absorbed into the body.

The primary active ingredients in these sanitizers are ethyl and isopropyl alcohols. Ethyl alcohol, also know as ethanol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol and drinking alcohol, kills the germs. There have been many reports of children licking their hands after applying these hand sanitizers and getting drunk. Isopropyl alcohol is a petrochemical, and numerous tests have shown it to be a neurotoxin, which is toxic to the nervous system.

If you use hand sanitizers, the following recipes are easy to make, and they act as both a hand sanitizer and a natural antiseptic.

Tea tree and lavender essential oils help to fight germs with their antibacterial properties. Witch hazel is a natural germ killer, and aloe vera gel is healing to the skin. Vitamin E oil helps heal the skin while serving as a product preservative.

Spray hand sanitizer and antiseptic spray 

Ingredients:

• 4-ounce glass spray bottle
• 1 tablespoon witch hazel
• 2 teaspoons 100 percent pure aloe vera gel or vegetable glycerin
• 8 drops vitamin E oil
• 5 drops essential oils (lavender, tea tree, lemon, orange, etc.)
• Clean water

Directions:

Combine the witch hazel, aloe vera gel, vitamin E oil and essential oils. Pour into a small spray bottle. Add enough clean water to fill the bottle. Shake well and apply as necessary.

Gel hand sanitizer

Ingredients:

• Squeezable bottle
• 1 tablespoon witch hazel
• 8 ounces 100 percent pure aloe vera gel
• 1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil
• 10 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

Mix together the essential oils and the vitamin E in the squeezable bottle. Add the witch hazel and mix. Add the aloe vera gel and mix. Shake well before use.

Sources: cnn.com and ewg.org.

Joanne Henning Tedesco is editor of AzNetNews.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 34, Number 2, April/May 2015.