If hand sanitizer wasn’t an essential part of your life before 2020, it certainly is now. While protecting ourselves from bacteria and viruses is obviously an essential part of wellness, it shouldn’t come at the expense of our holistic overall health.
The increase in hand sanitizer use has caused many to evaluate more closely the ingredients of what we are all coating our palms with multiple times a day. Many commercial hand sanitizing products contain a number of chemicals which are not necessary for the antibacterial purposes of the product, some of which may have adverse health effects, particularly at the increased rates at which they are being used. The FDA continually updates it’s parameters on what is acceptable in commercial hand sanitizers as their ingredients are increasingly found to be harmful to both humans and the environment.
Click here to see their evolving updates.
For instance triclosan, the chemical in most antibacterial soaps which has since been discontinued from use in some but not all hand sanitizers has been shown to be a hormone disrupting agent, particularly in young children. Additionally it has been shown to interact with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform gas.
On the other hand, there are many benefits to creating an all natural homemade hand sanitizer from ingredients which skip the harmful chemical agents. For instance, homemade hand sanitizer is much less drying to the hands and uses essential oils which kill not only bacteria but viruses as well.
All Natural Hand Sanitizer Recipe
The CDC states recipes must use at least 60% alcohol in hand sanitizer to effectively battle pathogens. The recipe below follows this percentage plus adds aloe vera for hydration and gentleness. In addition essential oils are used for scent as well as added antibacterial and antiviral benefits.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup rubbing alcohol (70% or higher)
- 2 Tablespoons aloe vera or glycerin
- 20 drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil.
Instructions: Mix all ingredients and combine in a small toiletry bottle
