You may not know
this about me, but I am very much into making my own health and beauty
items.That is, things that *I* have produced that take the place of a store
bought item. That do as good or better a job than their manufactured
counterparts. I'm most successful with body oils, having finally figured out
what blend of oils and scents works best for my skin. The internet certainly
makes my search for inspiration, as well as information, one hell of a lot
easier than it used to be.
I have eczema. A
patch on each of my hands. Nothing huge, actually. But it itches like holy hell,
and, as it is a rash, can become a vector for germs to get into my skin. GERMS
IN THE WRONG PLACE=BAD. Mama was right, so I always wash my hands as a first
line of defense. Sometimes that is just not possible. Which is why I began my
search for a hand sanitizer that I can make, that does not smell like an evil
laboratory or contain ingredients that have the potential to harm
me.
A stroll down the
sanitizer aisle at the store gives me 2 choices in the antibacterial
department.......triclosan or alcohol. I refuse to use hand sanitizers with
triclosan in them. They contribute to the rise of resistant germs, and are even
now being linked to health problems.
That leaves
alcohol. This is good, alcohol is cheap! It also smells like the alley behind a
pool hall and stings my eczema like a summabeetch. So I need to use enough
alcohol to be effective at killing the germs. Mixed with something to dilute it
a bit and give it a soothing quality, and perhaps an ingredient to make it smell
better. Look at what I found today! The basis for a home made hand sanitizer. I
can pronounce all the ingredients, I can buy them locally, and I can make
batches upon demand, so they are not sitting on a store shelf for God knows how
long losing their effectiveness.
http://www.utahpreppers.com/2009/04/pandemic-preparedness-diy-sanitization/
[please scroll down
to the recipe for hand sanitizer. Thank you very much Utah Preppers, you have a
lovely site, and I appreciate it.]
I have those
ingredients in my home already. You'll need them, along
with:
-some type of small
unbreakable bottle, preferably with a flip-top, to decant the sanitizer
into.
-an array of
essential oils....a small bottle of sanitizer should only need a few drops of
oil to scent it nicely.
-food grade dye
[think of the Easter egg dyes you use, or icing dyes]
There is nothing
wrong with a clear sanitizer. The problem I see is that, once it is on the skin,
you might leave a bit un-rubbed in. Which would then transfer to your clothes.
Or coat, or gloves, ect. The alcohol could bleed the fabric. So I want just a
touch of color in my sanitizer, to prevent the destruction of my clothing. I am
very good at that already, I don't need any more help.
I would add 3-5
drops of essential oil, and 1/2 drop of food coloring [or less, we want a little
tinge, not a day-glo effect] per cup of alcohol and adjust up or down in later
batches to suit myself.
The cost of the
aloe, alcohol, essential oil[s], and dyes will definitely be recouped by the
sheer amount of sanitizer you can make. All the ingredients are also shelf
stable, no waste from products turning rancid.
I also thought to
look for an alcohol free version of hand sanitizer. Lo and behold, the interwebz
answered my call!
http://www.noordinaryhomestead.com/making-homemade-hand-sanitizer
[A very informative
blog, you will enjoy it as well]
This version will
be a bit more pricy, as the essential oils themselves are the antibacterial
ingredients. This is the first kind I will make at home however, for cold
weather use. Winter air and heat is drying enough without alcohol helping it
along.
I am finishing up
the hand sanitizers I have now, and I will keep the bottles to refill with my
own creations. A great way to start the New Year, weaned off of the scary stuff
in the bottles from the store.
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