March 18, 2020
If you, like many Americans, have been scouring the supermarket shelves for hand sanitizer with no luck, we’re here to help. With a few simple ingredients we already had on hand, we whipped up a quick batch of sanitizer for the PF team. You can too, if you’ve got the right stuff. If you don’t, you can use our deodorant spray as a base. Here’s how:
Step 1: Don’t use sanitizer.
According to the CDC, one of the best ways to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy is to wash your hands thoroughly (at least 20 seconds) with soap and water. It’s only when and if soap and water are unavailable that we should substitute with hand sanitizer. And if all that handwashing leaves your hands dry and cracked, check out our lotion bar for serious moisture without the petroleum byproducts.
Step 2: Gather the goods.
There are a lot of DIY hand sanitizer recipes out there, but the important thing to remember is that the formula must be at least 60% alcohol in order to be effective. Here’s what we used:
- 2/3 cup 99.9% isopropyl alcohol
- 1/3 cup aloe vera
- Essential oils
- You can use whatever oils you like, but we mixed up a thieves oil blend like this one to harness its antiseptic properties
Don’t have those ingredients? Our deodorant spray has all the right ingredients to make a hand sanitizer, but not in the right proportions. Pour ~1.26 oz. of the deo spray into a smaller spray bottle and set aside. Fill the original container with alcohol and voila – instant sanitizer.
Step 3: Mix ‘em up.
Combine the ingredients and pour into a spray bottle. This is a great way to reuse our eco-friendly white glass containers.
Step 4: Share the love (not the germs).
If you have enough, distribute your DIY sanitizer to friends, neighbors, co-workers or loved ones. During these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever that we take care of each other. Stay safe, stay home and remember soap and water beats sanitizer any day.