Thanks to the coronavirus COVID-19, sanitizers of all types are flying off the shelves. Here's how you can make homemade hand sanitizer! First, a note on hand sanitizers: alcohol-based sanitizers kill most germs and some viruses. If a virus has external membranes, as the coronavirus does, then a 60%+ alcohol-based sanitizer will be sufficient (bad news, the norovirus does not have external membranes so, all those hand sanitizers stations around cruise ships? Ineffective.)
Worst case scenario, douse your hands with vodka or Everclear (and make yourself a cocktail while you're at it!).
Note: Look for aloe vera gel and essential oils at health food stores or on Amazon
2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol (aka isopropyl alcohol)
2 cups filtered or distilled water
1/2 teaspoon aloe vera gel
20 drops essential oil (lavender, sweet orange, lemon, etc..)
5 drops tea tree oil
1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil or almond oil (this will help keep your hands hydrated)
While having hand sanitizer is handy for when you don't have access to a sink, the best safeguard against getting sick is sticking to good old soap and water. Lather hands with soap for at least 20 seconds then rinse.
