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You’ve been hearing a lot lately about the precautions you and your loved ones can and should take to keep healthy. Hand sanitizer, in particular, has never been more popular, since it’s been widely documented as one of the best ways to protect yourself on-the-go. I’ve never been a big fan of hand sanitizer (in theory, it kills both the good and the bad germs), but sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do! Nothing’s more important than keeping ourselves and the people we love healthy, right?
How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
Before we go much further… I want to remind you that washing your hands in the sink with soap and water is still always, always, always going to be your best option. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say so, and I’m all about trusting the experts!
But let’s get real: you aren’t always going to have easy access to a sink and soap, and unfortunately, the moments when those things aren’t available can definitely be the same moments when you feel like you need them the most!
If you and your loved ones are out shopping, traveling, or doing other activities in public, you’re bound to feel like you need a quicker fix, especially during cold and flu season or the spread of more serious diseases like Covid-19. When you’re out and about, you shouldn’t wait until you get home to fight germs on your hands. If soap and water aren’t available, you should use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Hand sanitizer is a quick, convenient solution that’s easy to travel with and can reduce the number of microbes and germs on your hands, according to the CDC. Store-bought, scientifically-formulated hand sanitizers are a solid next option when you can’t wash your hands with soap and water.
If you’re having trouble tracking down hand sanitizer at the store, you can make your own. While this can work in a pinch, it’s still not as reliable as the store-bought kind, in which all of the chemicals are perfectly proportioned. So make sure you do your due diligence with measurements!
That being said, making your own DIY hand sanitizer is a simple process that only requires a few ingredients (although you can add a few others for extra benefits). And since many mainstream hand sanitizers contain dangerous fragrances and an antibiotic compound called triclosan that the FDA has raised concerns about, you’re probably better off making your own, anyway.
What You Need to Make it
- 99% rubbing alcohol (you can use 70% alcohol but you must change the proportions of the recipe, per the CDC). This is the active ingredient in any hand sanitizer recipe, and it needs to comprise at least 60% of the product in order to be an effective disinfectant. Use specifically isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) or ethanol (grain alcohol), since others can be toxic.
- Aloe Vera Gel
- Essential Oils (like Tea Tree & Lemon)
- Vitamin E Oil (optional)
- Small Glass Bottles
- Squeeze Tubes
- Funnel (or just pour it in)
- Mixing bowl or Liquid Measuring Cup
- A non-metal utensil for mixing (we found the aloe stuck to a metal whisk)
The Process
- Start by sanitizing all of your tools (glass bottles/squeeze tubes, liquid measuring cup, and a spatula) in hot water or a dishwasher. There’s no point in making something that’s meant for sanitizing in an unsanitary way!
- Put the rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel in the bowl and mix thoroughly with the spatula. (If you’d prefer, you can put the ingredients directly into a jar or the bottle and shake it.)
- Add your desired add-ins.
- Use the funnel to carefully pour the sanitizer into your bottle.
How it Differs from Store-Bought Hand Sanitizer
As we’ve been using the hand sanitizer over the last week we’ve noticed that the aloe vera doesn’t stay homogenized very well. To counteract this we shake up the bottle each time we’re going to use it. Keep in mind when you put this together that this DIY hand sanitizer has minimal ingredients, with the most important one being the alcohol. If your aloe does separate, this isn’t a concern, it merely means it isn’t blending well. Shake it to the best of your ability, but don’t sweat it, as long as you’ve got the alcohol you are good to go. We realize this isn’t a perfection solution and isn’t an exact replica of buying factory made hand sanitizer, but this has been so helpful for us since we cannot purchase it in the store, and we hope it will for you too.
Additional Add-Ins
Here are some other optional ingredients you can add to make it nicer to use! However be careful of how many additional products you add-in as it could dilute the alcohol. Keep in mind you need at least 60% alcohol in the solution.
Essential Oils:Different essential oils can add different properties to your hand sanitizer. Oils like tea tree, thyme, and clove have antimicrobial, antibacterial properties to help the sanitizer work even harder. Add just one or two drops of those oils to your mixture.
Gentle essential oils like lavender or chamomile can have a soothing effect on your skin and can be used in a slightly larger quantity — three to five drops. For a natural fragrance, you can also add five drops of lemon or orange essential oil! Safe essential oils should be labeled as wildcrafted, organic, and extracted without solvents.
Vitamin E Oil: Mixing in five drops of vitamin E oil will make your hands a little softer!
How long does it last?
Homemade hand sanitizer can be used effectively for up to twelve months, but don’t use it as a substitute for washing with soap and water! That should still be your family’s primary mode of washing up whenever possible. DIY hand sanitizer can also freeze and make a mess, so be sure to take it out of your car if temperatures are getting especially chilly.
Moisturize
Hand sanitizer, especially alcohol-based can be drying on your hands, so make sure to moisturize!
Wash up, everyone, and stay healthy!
DIY HAND SANITIZER
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons 99% isopropyl alcohol see note
- 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
- 8-10 drops of essential oil optional
- 5 drops vitamin E oil
Instructions
- Sanitize all equipment that will come into contact with the sanitizer either by running it in a dishwasher or boiling for 5 minutes (take care to only boil heat safe items).
- Either mix together ingredients in a sanitized bowl with a non-metal utensil, or add the ingredients to your destined sanitizer container and mix it up.
Notes
- If you are using a 70% isopropyl alcohol you need to change the proportions to this:
- 7 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of 70% isopropyl alcohol
- 2 teaspoons aloe vera gel
DISCLAIMER: This website provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this website, or in any linked materials, are for informational purposes only and are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Reliance on any information provided on this website or any linked websites is solely at your own risk.
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Can I use vegetable glycerin in place of the aloe vera?
Can I use my vitamin e gel capsule and cut it open and use the oil from it?
Can I use 50% to make the sanitizer.
Sorry we just have directions for 70% or 99%, as it will not work with anything less, given that you need to have the sanitizer be at least 60% alcohol of the total formula.
Hello,
I have 10 oz of soothing gel with Aloe.
15 oz 50% Isopropyl alcohol
5 oz 70% Isopropyl alcohol
How can I make this work?
Thanks,
Blessings.!
I have 151 proof rum and baby oil. will this work, and if so what mixture?
It will not – read through the post!
I can only find 50% alcohol, can you tell me how I can make my own hand sanitizer using 50%. Rubbing Alcohol is out in every store around here.
The use of 9:1 70% alcohol to aloe essentially smells like rubbing alcohol even with the drops of essential oil. Help?
The aloe Vera coagulates with the alcohol and does not mix at all! I used natur sense from Amazon and it took a month to get here. All I got was gooey glue and separate alcohol 91%. Help.
Sharon please read the text of the post–it does address this! Also what container are you using to store your hand sanitizer?
I could only find 50% Isopropyl Alcohol. Is there anyway to use this.
You’d have to do some math!
I found rubbing alcohol in while cleaning out there garage today. Felt like I found $20 in a coat pocket.
Lol!
Lexi,
Thank you for your post. I found it to be one of the most reliable and inclusive.
I have a question regarding the essential oils section. You say the following:
“Oils like tea tree, thyme, and clove have antimicrobial, antibacterial properties to help the sanitizer work even harder. ADD ABOUT 8-10 DROPS of those oils to your mixture. Be careful about adding in too much as it could throw off the formula. Gentle essential oils like lavender or chamomile can have a soothing effect on your skin and can be used in A SLIGHTLY LARGER QUANTITY – THREE TO FIVE DROPS.”
I am confused about the sections in caps. The amount if gentle essential oils is actually less than the amount of the antimicrobial, antibacterial oils. Please explain what the correct amounts of each are. Thank you so much. I look forward to your reply.
Here you go!
Essential Oils: Different essential oils can add different properties to your hand sanitizer. Oils like tea tree, thyme, and clove have antimicrobial, antibacterial properties to help the sanitizer work even harder. Add just one or two drops of those oils to your mixture.
Gentle essential oils like lavender or chamomile can have a soothing effect on your skin and can be used in a slightly larger quantity — three to five drops. For a natural fragrance, you can also add five drops of lemon or orange essential oil! Safe essential oils should be labeled as wildcrafted, organic, and extracted without solvents.
For people making it with 70% alcohol…I had the same problem of the aloe vera gel staying separate, but it does combine eventually with the alcohol.. I just found it took a few hours and a few shakes for that to happen. But after that, I have a nice solution that works best in a spray bottle 🙂
I have a problem of my own. I have 70% isopropyl alcohol but it expired in 2012 but hasn’t been opened and kept in a cool dry place. What should my ratio be?
Yes, I added all of the following and I’m starting to moisturize more often. However, I find that there’s still a stinging edge to the solution. Is there anything else I could add? Maybe some glycerin?
Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend adding anything else, as it may take away the correct percentage of alcohol in the solution. What you are describing is somewhat normal–after all you are putting alcohol on your hands. This is the case with store-bought sanitizer as well. Try doing an overnight thick moisturizer on your hands, and only use the hand sanitizer when you absolutely must use it and don’t have soap and water available.
I’m finding that the alcohol to be very drying– almost to the point where I feel it is burning my hands. Is there anything I can add to it to stop that from happening?
You added aloe? Vitamin e? Are moisturizing often?
Ok 9 parts 70% Alcohol and 1 part aloe .. If I use 1/2 c. Aloe .. 4 1/2 c. 70% Alcohol .. How much Vitamin E. & how much Essential oil?
Your other posts say its ok to use grain alcohol. Why the change of heart?
Where I live, rubbing alcohol is sold out and its a long wait to get it online.
Thank you ?
More concrete research.
I have seen instructions elsewhere that say the vitamin e oil is also a preservative. But nowhere have I seen what strength or dose vitamin e oil should be used? One recipe called for capsules, but there are so many variations in the IUs…help!
Also, we have 190 proof grain alcohol (95%) so how does that change your recipe, Lexi?
Thank you so very very much!
Please only use isopropyl alcohol!
I wouldn’t boil spray bottles. Today, I poured boiling water into two spray bottles (and one was a very rigid plastic) and they both melted. I ended up using a little alcohol to sanitize the plastic spray bottles after I washed them. Of course, the pyrex measuring cups are okay to sanitize by boiling water.
Hi Jacqueline! In two different spots we caution NOT to boil things that are not heat safe!
Dear Lexi, what does it mean to “(take care to oil boil heat safe items)”
Hi Lindy! There was a typo and it’s fixed now! It is take care to ONLY boil heat safe items!