How to Make Your Own Non-Toxic Hand Sanitizer
In a time where hand washing is extremely important to reduce the spread of germs and viruses, its not always possible to access soap and warm water after being in a germy situation, so hand sanitizer can be very effective in killing any bacteria left on our hands. But how safe is antibacterial hand sanitizer really? In 2019 the FDA banned manufacturers from using 28 commonly used ingredients in hand sanitizer like tricolsan and benzethonium chloride, that have been linked with an array of health issues. While its a great step that these 28 toxic chemicals have been removed, chemicals like benzalkonium chloride, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol still remain on the list of approved ingredients for now and may be found in many commonly used hand sanitizers.
I was chatting with one of my girlfriends who is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant, about natural ways that we can reduce the spread of germs and we got to talking about hand sanitizer. I wanted to share my friends recipe for a home hand sanitizer to keep on your kitchen counter or on your desk at work. On top of regular hand washing, this sanitizer is great to keep around all year long. It’s easy to make and contains no toxic ingredients.
Recipe
2 parts filtered water
1 part apple cider vinegar
25 drops thieves oil
5 drops tea tree oil
3-4 drops vitamin E oil
Mix all ingredients together into a reusable pump bottle and keep on your counters. You can also mix some of this up into a spray bottle to clean surfaces in your home or office, just omit the vitamin E oil if you’re using for a surface cleaner.
So now that you’ve seen the ingredients, you’re probably thinking, “great, but how effective is this stuff really in killing bacteria and viruses that can live on our hands and surfaces?” The truth is, more research is definitely needed to say with 100% certainty which specific viruses these ingredients can combat, but here is what we do know so far:
As far as Thieves oil goes as a blend (contains cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary essential oil) a recent study showed that by diffusing Thieves oil you can significantly lower the airborne levels of 3 types of bacteria. While more research is needed on the powerful effects of Thieves blend, there have been studies done to show the antimicrobial benefits of it’s individual oils:
A 2017 study found that cinnamon and clove essential oils possess powerful antimicrobial activity against persistent cultures of Borrelia burgdorferi the causative agent in Lyme Disease
A 2018 study found that vapours of cinnamon inhibited the growth of respiratory pathogens Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae in a petri dish.
A 2012 study showed eucalyptus oil to have strong antimicrobial activity against E. coli and staphylococcus aureus (responsible for skin infections).
A 2019 study found lemon essential oil to contain strong antimicrobial properties.
While apple cider vinegar is praised for an array of health benefits, many claims which are based on its long term use through personal testimony and experiences. It has been used traditionally for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and wounds. However, the following study shows the antimicrobial effects of apple cider vinegar against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. In another study, when commercial cleaning products were tested against alternatives like vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, researchers discovered that neat vinegar killed a range of household pathogens, including the flu virus.
It’s clear that more research is needed to prove the powerful effects of a natural antibacterial mixture, and more research is indeed underway. And while there may be times when you feel the strong stuff is required, like when travelling in an airport or visiting the doctors office, this natural alternative is safe and a great addition to regular hand washing, plus its safe to have around your kiddos!