We’ve all been washing our hands a lot more these days. Luckily, it’s a relatively easy hack to make your own hand sanitizer if you can’t track down any bottles at the store.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released recommendations that hand sanitizers contain at least 60% alcohol to effectively fight of germs and bacteria – but don’t worry if you can’t track any down with that specific alcohol count. There’s a relatively easy workaround.
Thankfully, making your own hand sanitizer is a pretty simple DIY to tackle at home, so long as you have all the right ingredients on hand.
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The general consensus appears to be that you only really need two ingredients: 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel.
According the Healthline, the best way to breakdown the ingredients is as follows:
- 3/4 cup of 99% isopropyl rubbing alcohol
- 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel
To add a little comfort – both to your raw skin and olfactory system – consider adding in only a couple drops (no more than 10) of lavender, thyme, peppermint or tea tree essential oils. If you don’t have any on-hand, lemon juice works as a great substitute.
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Directions:
- Pour the ingredients together into a bowl, preferably one with a pouring spout
- Mix together with a spoon and beat with a whisk to turn the concoction into a gel
- Pour the ingredients into an empty pump bottle for easy use
The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends letting your sanitizer sit for at least 72 hours before use. They’ve also provided their own mix for making homemade hand sanitizer, however it requires more ingredients than the recipe listed above.
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For more information on and handwashing and hand sanitization, check out this fact sheet from the CDC.
Image courtesy of Unsplash.
