Left: Sheetal Rawal, scientist (human genetics) & founder of Apsara Skin Care
By: Marty S.
Home remedies by Sheetal Rawal
Good hygiene starts with keeping your hands clean. Over the course of a few hours, let alone an entire day, our hands can come into contact with a lot of dirty, unclean surfaces. Germs won’t be able to do much when they just stay on your hands, but when you consider how many times on average we touch our faces with our hands every day, that is a different story altogether. Handwashing is the preferred method of keeping your hands clean, but hand sanitizers can be just as effective in a pinch. For instance, if you’re out of your house for long periods of time and you’re worried about COVID-19, you can use a hand sanitizer to keep your hands clean.
However, when you don’t have access to soap and water and hand sanitizers are not currently available, you can make your own DIY hand sanitizer at home. DIY hand sanitizers require a handful of ingredients that you may already have in your cupboards. Continue reading to learn how to make 3 DIY hand sanitizers so that you can practice good hygiene and protect yourself from illnesses like the common cold and COVID-19. Plus, all of these hand sanitizers will contain a moisturizing component so that your hands won’t be cracked and dry after using one.
Before we start, there are a few things that you should know. First, these hand sanitizers should not replace regular handwashing. Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds has proven to be very effective against the spread of germs and can help you stay healthy. Hand sanitizers should only be used when you aren’t near a restroom or sink.
Second, before making any of these hand sanitizers, you should sterilize or sanitize any equipment you are going to use. This includes the container that you plan on storing this DIY in. If there is any contamination from germs and pathogens that could spread, for instance, bronchitis or COVID-19, these homemade hand sanitizers will become less effective. Washing your hands beforehand or wearing gloves is another precaution that we strongly recommend.
Third, once you start preparing these DIYs, you should follow the instructions precisely and prepare the home remedy as soon as you open the alcohol. Using too much alcohol can irritate your hands while not using enough will reduce the efficacy of your homemade hand sanitizer. Plus, alcohol evaporates quickly if you leave it in an open container, and it is flammable. As a result, after mixing the home remedy thoroughly and pouring it into a bottle, make sure to put the cap on and tighten it.
1. Eucalyptus & Clove Hand Sanitizer
The primary ingredient in most commercially available hand sanitizers is alcohol. That is because alcohol is responsible for eliminating the germs on your hands. Whether you use a store-bought hand sanitizer or a hand sanitizer you make at home, it’s important that the solution is at least 60% alcohol, as recommended by the CDC. A higher alcohol concentration will better help you avoid contracting the flu and COVID-19.
Ingredients
50 ml of rubbing alcohol (70% or greater)
8 drops of eucalyptus oil
¼ tsp. of ground clove
1 tsp. of aloe juice
Instructions
Add the ingredients into a spray bottle. Tighten the cap back on and shake the bottle thoroughly.
Let the remedy sit overnight. In the morning, strain the clove out of the remedy.
To use, spritz both of your hands and rub them together until your hands are dry.
Notes
You can also prepare these hand sanitizers by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl and then using a funnel to add the remedy into a spray bottle.
"I usually can’t find anything that keeps it feeling nice, moisturized, [and] hydrated all day long. This [Carrot Seed Lotion] I can use twice a day. It goes on, it smells so pretty, with a kind of carrot-patchouli, just really delicious scent. And especially, if I take a minute and I roll it on the skin and really wake up the skin and make sure it absorbs, I feel great all day."
2. Eucalyptus & Neem Hand Sanitizer
Using a hand sanitizer made strictly of alcohol can be too harsh on your skin and may lead to dryness, redness, irritation, and cracked hands. When you make a hand sanitizer at home, it is important to add in natural ingredients that can keep your hands soft and nourished. Aloe vera, for example, has moisturizing properties and is easily absorbed by your skin. Another popular choice is vegetable glycerin because it is a humectant. This means that vegetable glycerin can attract moisture towards your skin. So, if you’re using a natural hand sanitizer to protect yourself against the flu, COVID-19, et cetera, make sure that your hands will be both clean and soft.
Ingredients
50 ml of rubbing alcohol (70% or greater)
¼ tsp. of neem powder
5 drops of eucalyptus oil
½ tsp. of aloe gel
1 tsp. of almond oil
Instructions
Add the rubbing alcohol and neem into a spray bottle. Tighten the cap back on and shake the bottle thoroughly.
Let the remedy sit overnight. In the morning, strain the neem out of the remedy.
Add the eucalyptus oil, aloe gel, and almond oil to the remedy. Tighten the cap back on and shake the bottle thoroughly.
To use, shake the bottle until you see a white emulsion. Then, spritz both of your hands and rub them together until your hands are dry.
Notes
If you do not have a spray bottle at home, you can also use a bottle with a flip cap to avoid excess usage.
3. Neem & Clove Hand Sanitizer
Besides rubbing alcohol, we can incorporate natural ingredients into our DIY hand sanitizers that can make them a bit more effective. Neem and clove, for instance, have been studied to exhibit antimicrobial properties. While these antimicrobial properties have not been studied to combat COVID-19 specifically, they have been tested against common illnesses like the cold, flu, et cetera. Not only that, essential oils such as eucalyptus oil have been studied to be antibacterial and they have the added benefit of making these DIY hand sanitizers more fragrant.
Ingredients
50 ml of rubbing alcohol (70% or greater)
4 or 5 drops of your favorite Apsara Skin Care facial serum
8 drops of neem oil
½ tsp. of ground clove (6 cloves)
½ tsp. of vegetable glycerin
Instructions
Add the ingredients into a spray bottle. Tighten the cap back on and shake the bottle thoroughly.
Let the remedy sit overnight. In the morning, strain the clove out of the remedy.
To use, spritz both of your hands and rub them together until your hands are dry.
Notes
If you do not have rubbing alcohol, you can substitute it with regular drinking alcohol at 140 proof or higher (70% ABV or greater).
If you want to see a demonstration of how to make the hand sanitizer above, look no further than the video found below, where Sheetal made an anti-COVID-19 hand sanitizer and will go through the process from start to finish.
