Lifestyle
How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
As mass hysteria continues to spread along with concern over the novel coronavirus outbreak, people hoping to stock up on protective supplies like hand sanitizer are finding store shelves completely empty. Physical and online stores alike are seeing a severe shortage in their inventories, as third-party sellers are becoming the only places selling hand sanitizers.
Unfortunately, with unscrupulous people looking to make a quick buck during times of crisis, some sellers have taken to price gouging for desperate consumers, with some products being sold with a 100% markup. While you may not be able to go out and buy a few bottles of hand sanitizer, making your own is a smart alternative option that can be done quite easily. In the spirit of good hygiene and some good old ingenuity, here is how you can make your own hand sanitizer.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 2/3 cup 99% rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
- 1/3 cup 100% pure aloe vera gel
- Bowl and spoon
- Funnel
- Empty liquid soap or hand sanitizer bottle
- Optional: Gloves
- Optional: 8-10 drops essential oil for smell
Instructions:
- Mix rubbing alcohol, aloe vera, and optional essential oil in a bowl with a spoon. Be mindful of keeping the alcohol away from your skin to avoid irritation.
- Funnel the mixture into an empty bottle, and screw the pump back on. It’s easy as that!
When making hand sanitizer at home, be sure that you’re aware of the risks of getting concentrated alcohol on your hands. Getting it on your skin can cause burning, and any contact with your eyes can be highly damaging to your sight. Be sure to keep a 2:1 ratio when mixing to maintain an alcohol content of 60%. Any lower, and it will not be effective at killing bacteria and viral particles.
Of course, using hand sanitizer should only be one aspect of your overall hygiene. Washing your hands with soap and hot water is still the most effective way to keep healthy, hand sanitizer should only be used when you cannot wash your hands.
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