How To Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer At Home
Governments, companies and individuals have been doing their best to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Distribution of test kits and all related products including hand sanitizers seems not to be enough as they have become very essential to the fight against the spread virus.
Hand sanitizers are now pretty scarce as everybody now fights to get one and marketer are also taking advantage of the situation by increasing the price’ Some even buys sanitizers to resell at a higher price, all in the name of cashing out more money amid the serious pandemic. This thus makes it is impossible for you to find an affordable hand sanitizer around you. So, for this reason, we are going to show you how you can make quality hand sanitizers in the comfort of your room.
How To Make Quality Hand Sanitizers
According to the World Health Organization, the recipe must contain;
- 99% isopropyl alcohol (also known as rubbing alcohol)
- Little amount of hydrogen peroxide
- Moisturizing agent such as glycerol or aloe vera gel
You can get your own recipe from aloe vera and 99 percent rubbing alcohol or get inspiration from the recipes shared online, but ensure the mixture is made of at least 60 percent alcohol. Anything less than that will not kill any germs, according to the instruction from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Please note that getting the concentration right is not just important for your sanitizer to be effective, you also need to consider its harshness on your skin. Stay away from DIY concoctions if you do not want to be a victim of this.
Adding an emollient like aloe vera gel or glycerin will prevent the hand sanitizer from making your skin dry, and essential oils will give the mixture a sweet smell. According to the ratio recommended by the CDC, a homemade sanitizer made with 0.67 cups (161 milliliters) of isopropyl alcohol should contain 0.33 cups (79 ml) of emollient.
Meaning, if your solution is two-thirds 91% isopropyl alcohol and one-third emollient, the alcohol content of the mixture will be 60.6% (91 times 2/3). For higher alcohol content, you are allowed to make a solution that’s three-fourths 91% alcohol and one-fourth emollient, producing a mixture with an alcohol content of 68% (91 times 3/4). Stored safely in a closed bottle, a homemade hand sanitizer will last for several weeks.
Sandro Cinti, a Professor of infectious diseases at the University of Michigan recently said;
“There are a lot of naturopathic things coming out. People saying I’ve got this olive oil and thyme and that should do it. It won’t. Those things don’t work. There’s no evidence they work, and all they will do is give you a false sense of security that you’re protecting yourself. So I know that it’s difficult to get hand sanitizing material out there. People will be trying to make this stuff at home. I think that’s probably not something we should do on a wide basis, but if you do it, make sure it’s 60 percent alcohol at least.”
