DIY Hand Sanitizer

Washing your hands. It's the best way to stay healthy and keep germs away.  According the the CDC, many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. Why? Well, consider this: 

• People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it. Rub your eyes?Blow your nose now and then or wipe your child's? Wear make up? Germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth and make us sick.
• Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them. Germs can even multiply in some types of foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick.
• Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects. Think handrails, table tops, or toys, door knobs, gym equipment, and then transferred to another person’s hands. It's like a never-ending game of tag!​

Now, we are NOT germ-a-phobes. In fact, quite the opposite. We want our girls to go bare foot, get dirty, play hard, and have fun. We know that most germs will stimulate your immune system and make you stronger. We know that over-sterilizing a home can cause a hyper sensitized immune system, leaving kids open to allergies, asthma, and more.  The Huffington Post did a great article on ways for kids to get dirty and importance of germs. It's a good read and you can find it HERE. 

Germs and bacteria make up more of our bodies than our cells, so they play a HUGELY important role in our lives. And while we want to ensure we aren't over-sanitizing ourselves, we also know we can stay healthier, and fight the germs that do more than just stimulate our immune system, so we can be getting dirty more of the time!
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When our kids start going to school a lot changes. There is so much that happens or they learn about that we might not realize or even think about. From noticing what other kids bring for snack or lunch, to what they wear to school (I finally agree with my dad about uniforms), to how they interact with each other, or what products they use on their bodies, there is a whole lot of information being shared! We want to take a more natural approach AND make room for the fun of being a part of the social experience. 

We have a Kindergartener and she is really into little trinkets, pretties, things that light up, and cute objects like this hand sanitizer mermaid tail. So when she brought home from school a store-bought sanitizer, complete with artificial fragrance, colorants, and sometimes chemicals like triclosan, I knew we had a new DIY project on our hands!

These little bottles are super easy to reuse. Simply pop off the top, clean well, and allow to dry. Peel off any stickers and get out your Lemon essential oil for any really stubborn goo! Then grab your ingredients: 

Aloe Vera Gel
Vegetable Glycerin
Rubbing Alcohol
Essential Oils
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The recipe is a easy-to-make hand sanitizer gel. It isn’t as sanitizing as commercial versions, but it works great, and is all natural. I wouldn’t use it after visiting a hospital or other place where there are resistant strains of bacteria, but it's perfect when the kids have just been playing outside, or you want to send something to school with them. 

I use aloe vera gel and an essential oils that are naturally germ-killing. I personally use doTERRA essential oils as I know the integrity of the company and the quality of the oils. Another benefit to this herbal hand sanitizer gel is that it doesn’t dry the skin. The aloe vera makes it more nourishing. You could add in Vitamin E as well. 

Mix your ingredients together in a small bowl. You could also mix them in the container you plan to use, but I found this method easier. I used:

2 Tbs aloe vera
1 small squirt vegetable glycerin
1 tsp rubbing alcohol
8-10 drops essential oil

On Guard, Purify, Arborvitae and Melaleuca are all great options for this hand sanitizer. They provide added natural bacteria killing oomph. You could also try other oils simply for scent such as floral oil, citrus oils, herbs or woody oils, or make your own favorite blend!

Use a syringe to transfer the gel into your container, especially if the opening is not very large. It just makes easy. Then pop the container back into the cute holder (if you have one) and voila! Natural hand sanitizer you can customize and make again and again. 

What it even more fancy? Try adding in a bit of mica powder for a bit of sparkle!

Did you try this recipe? Comment below, and add a picture, to let us know which essential oils you added!