Hand sanitizer. Seems it’s everywhere these days. We had brunch at a new local organic café the other day and they had it on every single table along with the salt, pepper and hot sauce. Seriously?
Now, I can understand that in some situations it’s beneficial. At a big event with porta-potties and no running water? Yeah, some hand-sanitizer might be a good thing. And I can see the argument for it in hospitals.
But generally speaking as part of what we use every day? No thank you. And I certainly don’t recommend store-bought hand sanitizers. Here’s why:
- Most hand-sanitizers contain Triclosan, a toxic pesticide that has been shown to alter hormone regulation in animals and to increase allergies in children.
- Anti-bacterial soaps and hand-sanitizers kill more than just the bad bacteria. When we think of the word “bacteria” we think of it as a bad thing. But, as with anything, there is beneficial bacteria (think pro-biotics) and harmful bacteria (think pathogen). And here’s the thing: they’re in a delicate dance with each other at all times, keeping each other in check. Hand-sanitizers aren’t selective – they destroy all of it, and in the process they are hindering our body’s own ability to protect itself.
- Over time, the repeated use of anti-bacterial substances can lead to antibiotic resistance and the development of superbugs.
Ultimately, the best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands with good old-fashioned soap and warm water. You don’t need super-powered anti-bacterial sanitation as a matter of course, and in fact studies have shown that there are no health benefits to anti-bacterial soaps. When you consider the negative impacts above, why risk it?
So then what do you do when you need a little extra sanitation? When you’re at the porta- potty and there’s nothing to clean up with?
There are a couple of options:
- You can make your own hand-sanitizer and I’ve listed a bunch of great recipes below.
- If you’re lazy like me and you’re not keen on adding another thing to you DIY list unless you absolutely have to, then here’s my sneaky trick: lemon essential oil. Simply rub a drop between your hands and you’re done! Extra sanitation, none of the chemicals, and some nice-smelling hands to boot. And that little bottle of essential oil takes up way less room in your purse than even the best homemade version. Cool trick, right?
If you’d like to play with making your own hand-sanitizer, here are some great recipes to try:
Homemade Mommy’s Homemade hand-sanitizer
The Paleo Mama’s DIY hand sanitizer
Nature’s Nurture Alcohol-free homemade natural hand-sanitizer
The Prairie Homestead’s Homemade hand sanitizer with essential oils
I love the lemon oil idea!!!
“Extra sanitation, none of the chemicals” Seriously? What exactly do you think allows lemon oil to kill bacteria – chemicals. Sure..they occur naturally in the lemon but chemicals none the less. Here a list:
Monoterpene Hydrocarbons
α-pinene 939 1.27 ± 0.03a 1.62 ± 0.03b 1.67 ± 0.03b a, b, c
Sabinene 976 – 0.49 ± 0.01 – a, b, c
β-pinene 980 0.40 ± 0.02 – – a, b, c
β-myrcene 991 3.27 ± 0.04a 4.05 ± 0.05b 4.02 ± 0.01b a, b, c
Limonene 1031 69.9 ± 1.30b 64.1 ±1.20a 71.1 ±1.42c a, b, c
Z-β-ocimene 1040 – 0.28 ± 0.04 – a, b
γ-terpinene 1062 – 0.23 ± 0.006 – a, b, c
Oxygenated Monoterpene Hydrocarbons
Octanal 1005 – 1.06 ± 0.03a 1.15 ± 0.19a a, b
1-octanol — – 0.95 ± 0.19b 0.55 ± 0.01a b
Linalool oxide 1088 0.60 ± 0.02 – – a, b
Linalool 1097 1.10 ± 0.08a 2.00 ± 0.05b 2.56 ± 0.08c a, b, c
Menthadien-1-ol — 0.42 ± 0.01 – – b
trans-p-1,8-dienol 1123 – 0.52 ± 0.01 – a, b
Citronellal 1153 0.78 ± 0.02c 0.45 ± 0.01a 0.58 ± 0.01b a, b, c
α -terpineol 1191 – 1.10 ± 0.02 – a, b, c
4-carvon menthenol — – 0.95 ± 0.02 b
α-terpineneol 1195 1.51 ± 0.02 – – a, b, c
Decanal 1207 2.33 ± 0.18a 7.71 ± 0.2c 5.80 ± 0.19b a, b
Z-carveol 1229 1.29 ± 0.04 – – a, b, c
Citronellol 1228 0.80 ± 0.04a – 1.20 ± 0.02b a, b, c
Carvone 1243 – 0.47 ± 0.04a 0.62 ± 0.04b a, b, c
Perillaldehyde — – 1.64 ± 0.2a 1.65 ± 0.08a b
Isopropyl cresol — 1.36 ± 0.02 – – b
4-vinyl guaiacol — – 2.32 ± 0.2b 0.87 ± 0.09a b
Sesquiterpene Hydrocarbons
α-cubebene 1347 – 0.48 ± 0.03 – a, b, c
Copaene 1369 0.89 ± 0.06 – – a, b, c
Allyl isovalerate — 0.36 ± 0.04 – – b
β-cubebene 1389 0.84 ± 0.04b0.37 ± 0.03a – a, b, c
β-caryophyllene 1418 1.39 ± 0.08 – – a, b, c
Germacarene 1489 1.07 ± 0.06b 0.30 ± 0.03a – a, b, c
α-farnesene 1491 0.48 ± 0.02b 0.36 ± 0.02a – a, b, c
γ-munrolene 1483 1.16 ± 0.08 – – a, b, c
δ-cadinene 1524 – 0.88 ± 0.06 – a, b, c
Oxygenated Sesquiterpene Hydrocarbons
Dodecanal 1411 0.42 ± 0.04a 0.54 ± 0.03b 0.65 ± 0.04c a, b, c
Elemol 1549 0.35 ± 0.03a 0.73 ± 0.08b 0.89 ± 0.06c a, b
γ-eudesmol 1630 – 1.08 ± 0.04 – a, b, c
α-cadinol 1658 – 0.46 ± 0.04 – a, b, c
β-sinensal 1695 0.67 ± 0.05 – – a, b
Farnesol 1713 1.14 ± 0.08 – – a, b, c
α-sinensal — 0.93 ± 0.33a 5.00 ± 0.25c 2.76 ± 0.14b b
Nootkatone — 3.95 ± 0.15b 0.30 ± 0.11a – b
Total 99.98 99.50 97.25
Thank you to Jeanne Rose for this information.
ref. http://www.ifrj.upm.edu.my/18%20(04)%202011/(10)IFRJ-2011-062.pdf
Yes, you are absolutely correct. I should have said “none of the synthetic chemicals”. Thanks for the clarification
It’s ok we understood! Thank you for your post…very helpful!
Great tip, Margaret! And thanks for including my hand sanitizer recipe 🙂
Citrus oils cause photosensitivity. You shouldn’t apply it to skin that will be exposed to sunlight, as it increases the risk of burning and skin damage. That said, this *could* be ok for winter.
This is a really good point and why I specifically emphasize one drop. The palms of your hands aren’t at a big risk for sunburn, and you would need to use more than just a single drop to actually cause that photosensitivity.