GENERAL NEWS

How to prepare your own hand sanitizer at home

Published

4 years ago

March 16, 2020

Elvis Anokye

The prices of hand sanitizers are skyrocketing because of the increase in demand for them.

Worse still, there’s a shortage in town because of the high demand and limited supply.

Well, worry no more, you can prepare your own hand sanitizers at home and it’ll be effective just like that which is sold in the pharmacies and shops.

Below are steps on how you can make your own hand sanitisers according to TomsGuide.com:

How to make hand sanitizer: Ingredients you’ll need

A biomedical PhD broke down what you’ll need to make hand sanitizer at home. You might have several of these items around already, and if not, they’re likely more available than Purell is at the moment. We’ve included links to where you can get some of these ingredients online.

2/3 cup 99% rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol (buy rubbing alcohol on Amazon)
1/3 cup 100% pure aloe vera gel (buy aloe vera gel on Amazon)
Optional: 8-10 drops essential oil for smell (buy essential oils on Amazon)
Bowl and spoon
Funnel
Empty liquid soap or hand sanitizer bottle
Optional: Gloves

How to make hand sanitizer in two steps

Step 1: Mix the rubbing alcohol, aloe vera and optional essential oil in a bowl with a spoon. Be careful to keep pure alcohol away from your skin.

Step 2: Funnel the mixture into the empty bottle. Screw the pump cap back on and voila, you have hand sanitizer.

Making hand sanitizer at home: Warnings

As easy as it is to make your own hand sanitizer, you should be aware that rubbing alcohol in high quantities can damage your skin. Make sure you stick to the 2:1 proportion to keep the alcohol content around 60%. You can also use gloves while mixing and follow up sanitization with hand moisturizer.

And we hope it goes without saying that hand sanitizer alone isn’t going to protect you from getting sick. Wash your hands with soap and water when it’s available, and limit how much you touch your face. Check out our sister site LiveScience’s coverage for the latest updates and facts about the disease and its spread.

The video below can also be of help: