Hand hygiene is crucial to warding off infections and staying healthy.Even when an illness does bog you down, washing your hands is key to preventing the infection from recurring in your own body, as well as minimizing spreading your germs to others.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing your hands with running, clean water and soap for 20 seconds for best results.If running water and soap are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the next best thing, according to the CDC.
Rubbing alcohol keeps the recipe together, prevents it from degenerating and effectively kills germs.Vitamin E oil is a moisturizing agent that counters the harshness of the rubbing alcohol. You can also use vegetable glycerin instead of vitamin E oil.Aloe vera gel is a highly effective antibacterial agent and also helps moisturize your skin.Tea tree, cinnamon, clove, rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils are all effective antibacterial agents. They also give the sanitizer a refreshing fragrance.Tea tree oil was highly effective at quickly wiping out multiple medication-resistant bacteria, according to a 2000 study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.Cinnamon, clove and rosemary essential oils were among the 19 out of 21 oils found to be effective against potent bacteria in a 2006 study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
IngredientsFunnel
Distilled water
Rubbing alcohol
Aloe vera gel
Vitamin E oil
Tea tree essential oil
Cinnamon essential oil
Clove essential oil
Rosemary essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil
Method- Add 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in 1 cup of distilled water.
- Add 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel.
- Add ½ teaspoon of Vitamin E oil.
- Add 10 drops of tea tree oil.
- Add 10 drops of cinnamon oil.
- Add 5 drops each of clove, rosemary and eucalyptus oil.
- Stir the ingredients together.
- Use a funnel to pour the mixture into the spray bottle.
- Tighten the cap and shake the contents.
- Your homemade, nontoxic hand sanitizer is ready for use. Spray some on your palm and rub it all over your hands.
- Alternatively, you can put the sanitizer into a regular, nonspray bottle and use it as a gel.