Hand Sanitizes is getting increasing attention and making your own hand sanitizer is better than buying OTC ones – it will definitely be free of triclosan (an “anti-bacterial” agent used to be common in anti-bacterial soap and some toothpaste still contain it), which has been clinically proved to be disruptive to the endocrine and immune system. In fact, triclosan has been banned in hand sanitizer by FDA in 2017 yet there are very few hand sanitizers on the market that include an ingredients label sadly.

Botanical Sanitizer DIY

There can be many varieties of DIY hand sanitizer and it invariably contain some alcohol, some anti-bacterial ingredient. We surely will reach out to the botanicals. Examples:

  • Eugenia caryophyllus (Clove bud) essential oil is a powerful antiseptic (a 1% solution is four times more effective than phenol when applied topically)
  • Citrus Limonum (Lemon) essential oil is a powerful bactericide and can stimulate the white corpuscles that defend the body against infection.
  • Eucalyptus radiata essential oil is powerful bactericidal and antiviral, amongst its many medicinal properties.
Aloe Vera gel used topically can be soothing for the skin in addition to its antibacterial property.
Alcohol serves as the medium for dissolving essential oil. Quality hydrosol can also be added to sooth the skin.

Essential Oil in the Right Ratio Only

Any hand sanitizer formulas should contain no more than 1% of essential oil. That means, 1 drop of essential oil in every 5ml of base (5ml = 100 drops). So if you are making 100ml of your hand sanitizer, add no more than 20 drops of essential oil. Essential oils are potent chemical compounds and can be damaging when use in excess or in high concentration. And do not use undiluted or internally. When in doubt, please seek professional advice.

Use Hand Sanitizer Smartly for your health

Hand sanitizer (DIY included) should only be used in emergency and washing your hands with simple soap and water is the best way. You may consider hand sanitizer as convenient yet we recommend washing your hands with soap and water over hand sanitizer. Two reasons:
  • Alchohol speeds the absorption of bisphenol through skin (significant endocrine disruptor). One major source of bisphenol A (or variants of bisphenol) is cashier receipt paper. The University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers revealed in an investigation that those who handled thermal receipt paper immediately after using solvent-based hand sanitizer had an accelerated rate of BPA absorption through their skin – up to an astonishing 100-fold increase.
  • Bisphenol A or variants can also be found in plastic packaging products including hand creams that are frequently applied and again hand sanitizer (alcohol containing) can speed the absorption of this “endocrine-disrupting” compound.
Use it when it is your only choice! It is for your health and for your skin!

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