Ever since the first cases of Coronavirus hit the UK, hand sanitiser has been like gold dust. Shops sell out straight away and empty spaces fill the shelves whenever we go in to buy any. The best way to protect yourself against catching any virus is to wash your hands throughly with soap and water. However, its not always easy to wash your hands straight away, so hand sanitiser is the best alternative.
So, if we cant get hold of it in shops, how do we make our own?
One of the most important aspects of making your own hand sanitiser is getting the right amount of alcohol in it. If you dont, the sanitiser wont be able to kill the germs.
To make your own hand sanitiser you will need:
- Isopropyl alcohol (also known as rubbing alcohol). You can buy this in most pharmacists and online, but use caution as some people have upped the pricing since the pandemic!
- Aloe vera gel. This makes the solution gentler on your skin.
- Bowl
- Spoon
- A funnel
- A spray bottle or liquid soap container
How to make your own hand sanitiser
- Pour ⅔ cup of alcohol and ⅓ cup aloe vera into a bowl. The aloe vera makes the solution gentler on your skin, but its important that you dont put too much in as it dilutes the alcohol (which is what kills the germs).
- Mix well
- Use the funnel to pour the mixture into the containers
- Done – it’s as simple as that. We recommend you leave the mixture for 72 hours if possible to settle. This ensures that any potential germs around when you made it are killed.
TIP: You could also add a few drops of essential oil into the bottle to give it a nicer smell and mask the alcohol scent. 10-15 drops of tea tree essential oil and lavender essential oil work well together as they both have anti-bacterial properties and smell good together too!
Make sure you exercise caution when using your home-made sanitiser. Dont expose your hands to naked flames, and we recommend you try a patch test first to ensure it doesn’t cause any skin irritation.
