DIY Safe and Effective Hand Sanitizers by Tracey TieF,CNHP, RAHP.
Nowadays, every mother and health worker is encouraged to carry waterless hand sanitizer around without regard to their effectiveness or safety. Good old fashioned water, soap and rubbing of the hands together eliminate the threat of illness from germs very effectively by rinsing them away! No special “anti-septic” ingredients are necessary. Hand sanitizers should be used only where running water and soap are not available.
Here's an entertaining video that illustrates doing the wrong things, and all for nothing.
It's All In Your Hands from Alli Hockaday on Vimeo.
Conventional hand sanitizers such as those containing popular but increasingly banned triclosan have been associated with skin problems, toxic loads, hormone disruption, allergic reactions, and may be ineffective at combatting the viruses we are most concerned about. The good news is that you can create a natural hand sanitizer by combining a gel with essential oils that are effective against the bacteria, viruses and perhaps fungi you want to avoid getting ill from.
To create your own hand sanitizer, you need a basic understanding of how essential oils work. Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of aromatic plants for the health of the mind, body and spirit. Essential oils can be viewed as derived from the blood, hormonal and immune systems of the plant. All essential oils are inherently anti-bacterial. Most, but not all, essential oils are anti-viral and some are also anti-fungal. Essential oils can be described as cytophylactic, or biotic, as opposed to antibiotic, which means that the oils strengthen the living tissue without the usual side effects. Essential oils stimulate the immune system and can dramatically improve our immune defences to protect against Influenza (‘flu) viruses.
‘Flu viruses are enveloped viruses, which are most sensitive to essential oils with a high amount of the essential oil component group called monoterpene alcohols, for instance
.
It’s best to choose 3-5 different essential oils. The essential oils you use should be non irritating to skin or sensitizing (so no citrus!), and inexpensive enough to use (so not
or
!)
Hand Sanitizer Recipe Makes 150mL
Warm 75mL of filtered water.
Sprinkle on 1g xanthan gum @1/2tsp. (Guar gum may not stay gelled.)
WAIT 5 MINS... then use a hand blender to take out all the lumps.
THEN BLEND IN:
75mL aloe vera gel juice
8mL essential oil that is BOTH safe for skin and are antiviral