Disclaimer: nothing anywhere on this blog, or that I’ve written here, is intended as medical advice, or to substitute for medical advice, or intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. It’s intended for educational, informational, or entertainment purposes only. Before making any changes to your health care regimen always consult your physician and appropriate qualified licensed health care professional. Do this everyday before getting out of bed in the morning, or you may very well suffer a horrible and painful death. Proceed to read at your own risk. You have been warned.
Because so many stores are out of hand sanitizer right now, a lot of people have been asking me how I make my own at home. It’s not difficult, the key is the sanitizer must have an alcohol content of 66% or more. Here’s what I do.
For a one fluid ounce bottle of hand sanitizer – I get one of the brown glass bottles with a spray top – I use:
5 tsp 95%+ Everclear (or any alcohol of similar strength)
1 tsp aloe vera juice
4 drops clove essential oil
3 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops cinnamon bark (or leaf) essential oil
2 drops eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop rosemary essential oil
I combine everything and shake well. If using a larger bottle, such as a two-ounce or four-ounce bottle, I double or quadruple the recipe.
Note: if you have some pre-made Thieves’ Oil, like Dandelion Botanicals’ formulation, you can simply add 12 drops of that instead of getting all the oils above separately.
In order to use hand sanitizer effectively, it is not enough to simply rub a bit of it in your palms. You’ve got to rub it all over your hands, front and back, including in between your fingers and over your nails, and let it dry. Because the essential oil combination in this recipe is quite strong, anyone using this recipe must be very cautious about touching their eyes or face afterwards, as it may cause irritation or even a chemical burn.
Remember that handwashing (for more than 20 seconds), is in general considered preferable, but sanitizer is good when it’s difficult or impractical to get to a sink.
Best of luck to you in this challenging time!
Agape Acupuncture in Seattle 