How to make hand sanitizer?

You’re trying not to touch your phone that’s been all over the place, you’re thinking of what else you can kill with hand sanitizer and it occurs to you, maybe you need to make some yourself. This post is going to teach you how!

Let’s get started...

There are a few basic ingredients needed for making your own hand sanitizer: alcohol, witch hazel or aloe vera gel, and fragrance oil.

I’m going to use vodka because the only thing more affordable than that is rubbing alcohol and we’ll want the strongest sanitizing properties possible. You could also use rubbing alcohol mixed with a drop of water if vodka isn’t available.

Alcohol and Witch hazel work great together; they both naturally have a ton of anti-bacterial properties, witch hazel kills viruses, alcohol kills bacteria. (By the way, if you want your hand sanitizer to stay in one place as it dries on your skin then use aloe vera gel instead.)

Fragrance oil is probably something you already have in your house. You already know that most perfumes sit on your skin for a while so you can actually use them in your hand sanitizer. If not then I suggest peppermint oil or lavender oil for those scents that you love the smell of but don’t want to carry around with you all day long.

Now, for the other two ingredients:

1 cup of water. (If you want to use aloe vera gel instead then you need 1/4 cup added to 3/4 cup of alcohol. This will make your sanitizer thicker and stay on your skin longer.)

2 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin. (Why gelatin? Gelatin is good for balancing the pH level in your hand sanitizer so it doesn’t burn or sting when you use it on your hands. This is a must if you’re going to be making your own because store bought sanitizers are pretty strong.

Step-by-step guide making hand sanitizer

Step 1: Soak the gelatin in your 1 cup of water for about 10 minutes. Once it’s done soaking, add it to your alcohol with the crushed and chopped up mint or lavender you used to scent your hand sanitizer.

Step 2: Add your flowers and/or essential oils to the mixture and blend well. You want the entire mixture to be uniform so this is where an immersion blender or food processor comes in handy. Once you have blended everything, pour into mason jars (with a tight lid) and put them in a cool place for 24 hours.

Step 3: Get a tiny pot, fill it with water and turn the stove on high. Once the water is warm enough (not hot), remove from the heat and add your jar to the water. (this will speed up steeping time).

Step 4: Let your hand sanitizer steep for a few minutes. The longer it is in the water, the stronger it gets! Once you see it has reached the color of your pantone or beige color then carefully open up your jar.

Step 5: Using a funnel, pour into mason jars (with tight fitting lids) and let them sit for 24 hours.

Step 6: Get a small pot and fill it with rubbing alcohol and water. Heat until hot (not at the point you can’t touch it). Remove from heat and add your hand sanitizer to the pot. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then use an immersion blender or food processor to mix it up until it’s uniform in texture.

Step 7: Put your hand sanitizer in an air tight container and wait 6 hours before using.

Tips: Make sure to use glass mason jars with tight fitting lids; you want a small opening because once you put the mixture in the mason jars, you’ll want them to be sanitized as well.

Read: Physician’s assistant: How to become one?

If you want your hand sanitizer to stay in one place as it dries on your skin then use aloe Vera gel instead of witch hazel. You can find aloe vera gel at most grocery stores or order it online for about $5 for a small container (this should last about 2 months).

FAQs about hand sanitizer:

1) Is hand sanitizer needed?
-Yes, and only if you don’t have water/hand-wash.

2) How long does hand sanitizer last?
-This will depend on the amount of alcohol you use but it should be 6 to 12 months in most cases. If the smell begins to fade, change it out with a new bottle.

3) What if I don’t like the smell?
-Well then make some yourself! There are lots of different scents you can use. If it is a fruity scent then you’ll want to use some fruit–like peppermint oil or lavender oil. If it’s citrus then try lemon oil or orange oil and so on. For example: Grapefruit oil, used in body care products, can be bought online for about $11 for an 8 ounce bottle.

4) Are there any safety issues with using hand sanitizer?
-Yes, it can cause burns if you’re not very careful. If you’re using a strong fragrance oil, it will last longer.

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