The DIY hand sanitizer kits are gaining more popularity among people of all ages. The benefits of using an alternative sanitizer for their hands go far beyond disease prevention. They also save you money and cut down on chemicals that can be carcinogenic, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. You can make your own by simply following instructions in a few short steps. It’s fun, convenient, and much cheaper than buying the stuff from the store.
Let’s look at the ingredients of a regular DIY hand sanitizer: Water, Vinegar, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (caustic soda), Listerine mouthwash, Neosporin, Glycerin, Aluminum hydroxide, Potassium hydroxide, Calcium carbonate, Vitamin B-12, Potassium hydroxide, Corn starch, and Chlorox. Now, let’s look at the typical DIY hand sanitizer ingredients: Water, Vodka, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (caustic soda), Listerine mouthwash, Neosporin, Glycerin, Potassium hydroxide, Calcium carbonate, Vitamin B-12, Potassium hydroxide, Chlorox. Yep, that’s it. Just four different ingredients in one easy to make product.
Now, there are several reasons why the chemicals in the commercial hand sanitizers may not be good for your health, among them: First of all, as you probably already know, alcohol is drying. So if you’re planning to make your own hand sanitizer, you might want to choose an alternative ingredient like vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Vinegar is excellent because it’s non-irritating, it contains lots of healthy nutrients like potassium and calcium, it’s easy to make and it doesn’t contain any Bacterial enzymes. Apple cider vinegar has the added bonus of killing the Streptococcus bacteria that cause strep throat, so that’s a plus as well!
Another reason to avoid these commercially made products is because they usually contain the wrong types of ingredients. For example, the majority of the handwashing soaps contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate (or lauric acid). Although it’s been used in soap for years, it’s actually a detergent. Therefore, you’re basically adding a bunch of lye to your mouth and then rubbing a bunch of soap into your open wounds. But, if you use aloe vera gel as a replacement for soap, you won’t be adding any lye, and you’ll be replacing the moisture your skin needs.
Here’s another example: using hand sanitizers containing rubbing alcohol. If you rub your hands together and spray the alcohol on your hands, you’re basically doing the same thing as rubbing them together – you’re just spraying the alcohol on your skin and into your open wounds. You’ll probably feel a little bit of tingling or numbness at first, but that fades after about 10 minutes.
In fact, there is no medical evidence that using hand sanitizers containing isopropyl alcohol will cure colds or sickness. In fact, I’ve seen that the World Health Organization warns against using products with this ingredient. The only thing that this alcohol will do is make your hands feel a little more slick and therefore tempting to put your hands in your mouth.
So, what should you look for in your DIY hand sanitizers? First, look for natural ingredients such as tea tree oil or lavender essential oils. These natural products are far less harsh than isopropyl alcohol. You should also avoid ingredients that contain alcohol, such as glycerin and similar chemicals.
One of the best things about making your own natural homemade hand sanitizers is that you can determine exactly which ingredients you want to include. For example, you can vary the amount of alcohol in your formula by using different amounts of lemon juice or different natural essential oils. You can make your own pH balancing ingredients, which means that you can prevent against certain bad reactions when you get out of the shower or get out of bed. You can even use ingredients such as zinc pyrithione to help protect your skin from the sun.