DIY Natural Hand Sanitizer
Did you know that in the U.S., a product can only be labeled as a disinfectant or antimicrobial agent after it has been registered as a pesticide with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)? This is why you will never see essential oils with antiseptic properties advertised as antimicrobial. (Frugallysustainable.com)
Many essential oils, such as lavender and thyme, are even more antiseptic than phenol, which is the commercial standard for the antimicrobial industry. In fact, herbs and essential oils have a remarkable ability to kill a plethora of germs, which is exactly why they’ve existed long before humans introduced all these harsh chemicals of today’s cleaners.
Using natural sources keeps the influx of resistance to antibacterials at bay and have also never been known to cause or increase such resistance like antibacterials do. Thus the reason again why natural sources like herbs and essential oils have lasted for centuries!
Herbs and essential oils are not known to cause or increase antibacterial resistance. In fact, these natural botanicals have a remarkable ability to kill a multitude of germs, which is exactly why they have been used for thousands of years in home remedies
Ingredients: Rubbing Alcohol – 62% Water Glycerin Lavender oil The measurements are based on the size of spray bottle you have. I just had the original mini spray bottle from Dr. Bronners, so I used that. Directions: 1 part rubbing alcohol 1 part distilled water (recommended because of its neutral properties but tap water is fine as well) A splash of glycerin (helps moisturize to combat the dryness caused from the rubbing alcohol) A few drops of Lavender essential oil Hint: Try out the consistency and go from there. However, you really can’t go wrong here. Just keep in mind the main goal of this is for antibacterial properties, so aim for a little more rubbing alcohol if your hands feel ‘sticky’ after spraying and rubbing together. |
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| Are you sick of using all those ‘fake’ chemical filled hand sanitizer gels that make all these amazing promises about killing germs on your hands?
I cringe when I have to resort to such gels but I also know I won’t die from using them if necessary. But once I discovered Dr. Bronners Hand Sanitizer, I was hooked! I loved the clean feeling without that sticky residue after affect. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the smell of lavender too! In the end, we can never guarantee any hand sanitizer will kill any and all germs our hands are carrying. But at least I won’t feel as guilty using a product which doesn’t contain Triclosan. The main ingredient which doesn’t even begin to protect against viruses or fungi, Triclosan, should be avoided when soap and water are more readily available. |
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| Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are the best go-to in a necessary situation where washing your hands isn’t possible. But stay away from hand sanitizers with triclosan in it – save your money!
Triclosan is a known endocrine system disruptor and it’s known to amplify testosterone and possibly reduce muscle strength (found in animal studies.) It may also harm the immune system by eliciting antibiotic resistance instead of resisting. Bacteria exposed to triclosan causes further resistance to antibiotics. Studies are still being conducted by the FDA to further review possible human toxicity concerns with triclosan. So why bother with such unknown effects? Just use an alcohol-based antibacterial spray/gel to get the best ‘clean’ hands. Got dirt too? Sorry, alcohol doesn’t take care of the dirt but a little dirt won’t hurt you, right? 🙂 |
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