Using conventional hand sanitizers might seem like the right thing to do when you’re in a pinch, but many contain chemicals that are harmful to your health. Ingredients and chemicals like triclosan, artificial fragrances, artificial dyes, to name a few.

If you have a choice, always wash your hands with soap and water but if you need a hand sanitizer for those times when soap and water aren’t available, these natural hand sanitizers are the perfect solution.

I’m linking up everything that I used and featured in the bottom of the post – you’ll notice that the essential oils I feature are Plant Therapy’s KidSafe line – perfect for these recipes. These recipes are straight from my first book, The Organically Clean Home – also linked in the ‘shop the post’ section at the bottom of this post.

Hand Cleaner Spray

Prefer a liquid for your hand cleaning needs? Ditch the chemical versions and try this. Keep it in your purse for a quick spritz. The witch hazel is a natural astringent and the vitamin E will moisturize.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces witch hazel
  • 1 teaspoon vitamin e oil
  • 5 drops tea tree essential oil
  • 2 drops lemon essential oil

Dispense ingredients directly into a small container with a spray top and shake to combine. Spray on hands, rub thoroughly, and allow to air dry.

Hand Sanitizer Gel

This is my kids’ favorite hand sanitizer recipe. It cleans, leaves hands soft, and it is safe for the kids to apply themselves.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces pure aloe vera (not the green stuff)
  • 3 teaspoons rubbing alcohol (edited to add: if you use 91% isopropyl rubbing alcohol, and are wanting to be assured that this is KILLING germs (ie. flu, coronavirus), use 6 teaspoons of rubbing alcohol and if you are using standard 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol, increase to 9 teaspoons rubbing alcohol
  • 1 teaspoon vitamin e oil
  • 5 drops essential oil – lemon and lavender are my favorites in this recipe

Dispense ingredients directly in a small container with a lid. Shake liberally to mix all ingredients thoroughly. If you want your gel to be slightly thinner in consistency, add a little more rubbing alcohol, up to one teaspoon.

Keep out of reach of small children, but store where you’ll use it most – in your purse, your nursery, or car. Will keep for up to 2 months – may need a little shake before using.

You can find the products I use for these recipes below and in my Amazon shop.

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