Tag Archive for hand sanitizer

Moisturizing Essential Oil Hand Sanitizer

germs!

I won’t lie. I am a germaphobe. This is partially due to the fact that I have a compromised immune system, so I try to be mindful of my behaviors and surroundings. The worst part is, when I am at work, I frequently find myself resting my hand on my face or rubbing my eyes, which immediately sends off my creepy crawly alert. Blech. I use hand sanitizer like it is going out of style, but, it is very drying for my skin. Also, with the horrible chemicals (triclosan or benzalkonium chloride) that are in it, I hate having to ask my body to process that stuff. So, I decided to make my own. I looked at several recipes online and kind of came up with my own version. This may change over time, but, here are the products that I used for this round:

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MOISTURIZING ESSENTIAL OIL HAND SANITIZER

  • 4 oz Witch Hazel
  • 2 Tablespoons of Aloe Vera Gel
  • 1/8 Teaspoon of Vitamin E Oil
  • 30 drops of dōTERRA On Guard blend
  • Distilled or Filtered Water

I placed the first three ingredients into an 8 ounce measuring cup and mixed well. Then, I topped off the mixture with filtered water to hit the 8 ounce mark.

Using a funnel, I then poured equal amounts into 8 one-ounce glass atomizer bottles. DO NOT use plastic bottles! Essential oils are extremely potent and will actually make the plastic bottle “collapse” in a few days. Stainless steel bottles would work, too.

Voila! You are done. Shake the bottle before spraying about 5 squirts into hand. Rub hands together and you have just sanitized your skin with a safe and fragrant hand sanitizer.

Witch Hazel is an astringent, but, it is also soothing for the skin. It helps to lock moisture into your skin, plus the oils will blend better than with straight water.

Aloe Vera is both healing and moisturizing for dry skin and rashes. Generally speaking, I would use a clear aloe vera gel, but, I was desperate and the pictured item was all that I had on hand.

Vitamin E oil is a supercharged antioxidant and can actually help with cell repair by neutralizing free radicals. It actually helps with scar reduction and improves the moisture of the skin.

dōTERRA‘s On Guard is a proprietary blend of essential oils that is a non-toxic way to eliminate and control pathogens. (Like your co-workers nasty unwashed hands that you just watched them sneeze into!) It combines Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf/Stem, Rosemary Leaf/Flower and Cardamom.

Water – nothing is as pure and healing and distilled or filtered water. I originally used just plain water and essential oil for my hand sanitizer, but, felt it took too long to dry and that there were additional ways to help preserve the water I was using on my skin.

I hope you enjoyed this hand sanitizer recipe. Please, let me know if you have any other suggestions by sending me a note to: {This email is obscured. Your must have javascript enabled to see it}