For times when good ol’ soap and water aren’t available and hands need to be washed, try my homemade hand sanitizer! Super easy to make with only a few ingredients!
Did you know that making your own homemade hand sanitizer is crazy simple and also cost effective? Who knew, right?
Too bad there’s not a sanitizer for little tongues that decide a grocery store floor looks just too resistible to refrain from tasting.
Seriously. Where do they get these ideas?
Anyway, let’s get right to it, shall we?
INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE HAND SANITIZER
2/3 C 99% isopropyl alcohol
1/3 C aloe vera gel
1 Tbsp Coconut (Fractionated) Carrier Oil or vitamin E
5-10 drops essential oil of choice (see my favorite brand of essential oils)
If you only have 70% isopropyl alcohol it changes the recipe a little bit. You need more alcohol to aloe vera ratio for the correct germ-killing strength.
1 C 70% isopropyl alcohol
2 Tbsp aloe vera gel
1 Tbsp Coconut (Fractionated) Carrier Oil or vitamin E
5-10 drops essential oil of choice (see my favorite brand of essential oils)
I would recommend using as pure of form of aloe vera gel as possible. I tried to find the clear, non-dyed version at my local store, but it was nowhere to be found. Next time I’ll see what I can find online. The coconut oil or vitamin E oil is completely optional, but it does add a nice moisturizing factor. You can really use whatever essential oil you’d like.
The ingredients are fairly flexible as long as the rubbing alcohol contents is at least 2/3’s of the amount. This keeps the germ fighting factor where it should be.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HAND SANITIZER
In a small bowl or jar mix rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel together. Then mix in coconut oil/vitamin E oil and essential oils. Put the ingredients in a mason jar and shake it all up. Super easy.
Pour into container of choice. Old store bought containers work like a dream. A little goes a long way.
So how do we cost compare to the store bought stuff?
Rubbing alcohol: $0.67 (my 16oz bottle was $2)
Aloe vera gel: $0.66 (my 8oz bottle was also $2)
Coconut oil: $0.15
Essentail Oil: $0.41 for 5 drops lavender, 1 drop tea tree
Total Cost: $1.89
A bottle of hand cleanser at my local Walmart costs $3 before tax, so that’s at 37% savings. While the savings isn’t huge to make homemade hand sanitizer, I love knowing exactly what I put on my body.
What about you? Are you a hand sanitizer fan?
I don’t like to overuse it, but it is convenient for when we’re out and about and good ol’ soap and water aren’t an option.
Homemade Hand Sanitizer
Equipment
- small bowl or jar
Ingredients
Recipe with 99% isopropyl alcohol
- 2/3 C 99% isopropyl alcohol
- 1/3 C aloe vera gel
- 1 Tbsp coconut fractionated carrier oil or vitamin E
- 5-10 drops essential oil of choice see my favorite brand of essential oils
Recipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol
- 1 C 70% isopropyl alcohol
- 2 Tbsp aloe vera gel
- 1 Tbsp coconut fractionated carrier oil or vitamin E
- 5-10 drops essential oil of choice see my favorite brand of essential oils
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar mix rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel together.
- Mix in coconut oil/vitamin E oil and essential oils.
- Put the ingredients in a mason jar and shake it all up.
- Add to container of choice.
Comments & Reviews
FairAmy0498 says
TY!!! I just made a 1/2 batch using the empty Dollar Tree 8oz hand sanitizer pump to be sure I didn’t overflow to ingredients. It is so EASY to make and we know what is in our product. I especially like the essential oil and carrier oil additions. to combat germs and moisturize hands. Again TY!!!
Becky says
To avoid clumping, add aloe a little at a time and whisk it in.
Cynthia says
After this step/tip, did it clump at all in mason jar to shake? How was it pouring into the small container for use? I’m using 95% alcohol, so I am following the recipe above to that. I’m also using a funnel from mason jar to squeeze bottle.
Lindsey says
Does the oil and RB mix? Or do you have to shake the mixture before each use?
Lindsey says
RB= Rubbing Alcohol ??♀️
Karrie says
It mixed well for me, I didn’t have to shake mixture each time. 🙂