Homemade Hand Sanitizer – All Natural

Let me start this off by saying that I am NOT a germaphobe (No offense to the germaphobes out there!  More power to you!) and I did not start making homemade hand sanitizer to protect us from every little germ out there in the world. 

I routinely eat things that have fallen on the floor and clean chicken coops without gloves on.  I have actually wiped my kid’s snotty nose with the bottom of my t-shirt, and I don’t use the little paper toilet seat cover in public bathrooms.  *gasp!*

However, I do still get grossed out by things like my son sticking his hand in a public toilet at Target or my daughter picking chicken poop up off the ground and squishing it between her fingers.  *gag*  So there are times when a little extra hand scrubbing is necessary.  But what about when you aren’t at home and the Target is out of soap and your son REALLY DID just stick his hand in the public toilet before you could grab him.  Well, my friends, that’s when a little bottle of homemade hand sanitizer in your bag can be a blessing.  (And, of course, it’s homemade because I’m natural and DIY like that, don’t cha know?)

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup pure aloe vera gel 
  • 1 tbsp witch hazel 
  • 10 drops tea tree essential oil 
  • 5 drops lavender essential oil 

Directions:

1. Pretty simple – place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix gently.

2. Using a funnel, pour into a small amber colored glass spray bottle.  (Yes – you want glass and colored.  Essential oils will lose potency when exposed to direct light and can react with plastic.)

3. Shake gently before each use.  A few spritz will do ya’ when needed.

You should be able to find most, if not all, of the items above locally at stores like Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, or local pharmacies. However, you may find it difficult to all of them. Check online for any of the ingredients you can’t find locally. Below are some links to help you find the products and some information about them.

Aloe Vera Gel

Given the consistency of this naturally occurring plant gel, it provides a great base for a recipe like this.  It is also moisturizing, which is a great trait for a recipe like this one. People have used aloe vera for many years because it is a one-stop source for disinfectant, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral properties. 

Witch Hazel

It is derived from the leaves, bark, and twigs of the Witch Hazel plant.  It is said to have antiseptic and antibacterial qualities.

Oak & Sage offers 12 ounces of Witch Hazel with zero additives or chemicals. It is also alcohol-free, unscented, and considered to be a perfect carrier for essential oils. 

Tea Tree Essential Oil

This is a very strong essential oil with powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral and antiseptic properties.

Lavender Essential Oil

Used in part in this recipe to provide a pleasant scent, it also has antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiseptic properties.

You can also make hand sanitizer recipes that use many of the same ingredients, but some are different like this one.

This Homemade Hand Sanitizer 2 recipe makes 4 ounces when complete. Be sure to use 100% pure essential oils.

Ingredients:

  • 5 to 10 drops of lavender essential oils 
  • 30 drops of tea tree essential oils 
  • 3 ounces of high-proof alcohol (Use either vodka, Everclear, or Isopropyl/rubbing alcohol)
  • 1 ounce of pure aloe vera gel
  • ¼ teaspoon of Vitamin E oil

Instructions:

  1. Add the Vitamin E and essential oils to a small bowl or container. Swirl it together to mix it.
  2. Add the alcohol to the essential oils and swirl it again.
  3. Add the aloe vera gel and stir with a non-metal spoon or straw.
  4. Pour the mixture into an amber squirt bottle. 
  5. To use, spritz the hand sanitizer into your hands and rub them together.

You can make a hand sanitizer spray by replacing the aloe vera gel with the same amount of witch hazel.

Here is some information and links for Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl, or rubbing alcohol, should only be used externally as an antiseptic for cleaning wounds and is found in many hand sanitizers. Generally, it contains 70% by volume but you can also find it in amounts up to 91%.

Some people don’t like the smell of tea tree essential oil, and that’s ok. Below is a list of a few other essential oils that have many of the same properties – antifungal, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, and antibacterial.  Also, you can check out guide on the best essential oils at civilizedhealth.com.

Sweet orange – antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial

Eucalyptus – antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic, and antimicrobial

Cinnamon – antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antimicrobial, and antiseptic

Clove – antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal