Has anyone tried making their own Hand Sanitizer?

[TL1096r]

I have been looking up recipes and seeing what I feel people are doing right and doing wrong. I was wondering if anyone else had some experience.

I will share what I found as I have seen many companies use alcohol bases that are normally not suggested for use on skin. BE CAREFUL and read what you are buying. Many places selling hand sanitizer are using denatured alcohol, benzalkonium chloride, or isopropyl alcohol. You normally want to stay away from this. You ONLY want to use Pure Non-denatured Organic Ethyl Alcohol.

To start: the alcohol type.

The best Alcohol to use is Pure NON-denatured Organic Ethyl Alcohol 95% - 100% that you can cut down to a 65 - 75% mixture. You can also use non-organic ethyl.

As stated you CAN use everclear alcohol as hand sanitizer but you should cut it down to 65-75% if it is a 190 proof (95%). They also have 151 proof (75.5%). Make sure if you are using 151 you do not use measurements for 190 proof as it will render the alcohol useless in killing viruses and bacteria.

Do not use high proof ethanol or everclear straight out of the bottle (190 proof) - it is too much alcohol - it will evaporating too quickly and not kill anything. You need to proof it down so it does not evaporate quickly but instead stays on surface/hands long enough to kill the virus/bacteria.


I suggest staying away from:
Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) this is easily absorbed into the bloodstream. It has been shown that this can cause heart issues and overall health concerns with long term use.

If you ever seen warnings on some isopropyl bottles it says to only use on minor cuts or scraps
It also says:
-DO NOT use over a large area of body
-DO NOT soak/wash hands with it
-DO NOT use longer than 1 week
-After using wash hands
-Suggests to wear gloves

Even the use of isopropyl to treat cuts/scraps have been proven to be counter-productive because it kills good healing cells with anything bad on your cut so there is debate there.

All of this indicates that it is most likely not the safest to use as the base of a hand sanitizer

I also suggest staying away from:
Denatured Ethyl Alcohol should be avoided at all costs - this the opposite of NON-denatured. This is not pure and it is cut with other bad ingredients that are normally toxic such as:
methanol (10 percent), isopropyl alcohol, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetone, and other not so good toxic ingredients

-Denatured Ethyl will have an odor many will complain about with these new hand sanitizers being sold right now.

-Something I found alarming is that I have seen the majority of Ethyl alcohol being bought on eBay and other websites have been denatured. I have seen denatured alcohol suggested for lamp fuel being purchased now after there was no sales for close to 6 months on eBay so it only leads me to believe people will be using it to create hand sanitizer.

-Of course denatured ethyl is going to be a lot cheaper sometimes close to 5-7x less than pure ethyl so people will normally purchase it thinking they are receiving a deal.

I know the CDC has said you can use Isopropyl. The CDC recipe:

FORMULATION 1
• Ethanol 96%: 8333 ml
• Hydrogen peroxide 3%: 417 ml
• Glycerol 98%: 145 ml

FORMULATION 2
• Isopropyl alcohol 99.8%: 7515 ml
• Hydrogen peroxide 3%: 417 ml
• Glycerol 98%: 145 m

Alcohol is used to kill viruses (60-75% is suggested) I think above 60% is best since you need 60% minimum to kill any viruses and you play it safe by being a bit higher in alcohol content.
Hydrogen Peroxide is used to reduce bacterial contamination in the sanitizer
An emollient... Glycerol is used as a moisturizer so the alcohol doesn't dry out your hands

In place or in combination with glycerol you can use Vitamin E or Aloe Vera which helps to keep your hands from drying out.

It is suggested to stay away from adding fragrance or essential oils to avoid any reaction.

With real natural Aloe Vera you would most likely need to use a mixer to incorporate it into your hand sanitizer and shake the bottle before every use.

I hope this helps and if anyone has any experience please share it here.

Thanks

 

[Arjun]

Frankly, I only use the hand sanitizer when outside for the essentials. Unfortunately, I'm about to run out. Most of the time, I'm washing my hands with a bar of soap and water. No reason to venture outside if you have no essential business.

If I'm outside could care less about my hands drying out. I would just use rubbing alcohol (70%, 90%, or 99%) and immediately apply moisturizer after that. I have a couple of Vitamin E droppers and Aloe Vera Gel (purchased a tube at a price-gouged price of $5). If I get pissed off eventually, I'll go with 1:4 proportion (1 part Aloe Vera : 3 parts isopropyl alcohol)

Some say we can get away with 70% isopropyl alcohol in a small carry-sized container and add 1-2 drops of Vitamin E.

 

[TL1096r]

Frankly, I only use the hand sanitizer when outside for the essentials. Unfortunately, I'm about to run out. Most of the time, I'm washing my hands with a bar of soap and water. No reason to venture outside if you have no essential business.

If I'm outside could care less about my hands drying out. I would just use rubbing alcohol (70%, 90%, or 99%) and immediately apply moisturizer after that. I have a couple of Vitamin E droppers and Aloe Vera Gel (purchased a tube at a price-gouged price of $5). If I get pissed off eventually, I'll go with 1:4 proportion (1 part Aloe Vera : 3 parts isopropyl alcohol)

Some say we can get away with 70% isopropyl alcohol in a small carry-sized container and add 1-2 drops of Vitamin E.

Yes. Good tips.

 

[Arjun]

Be on alert for price gouging.

 

[TL1096r]

Be on alert for price gouging.

I think it happened at the start but they are being cracked down so they stopped doing it as much. The issue I see is people selling hand sanitizer that is not the best to make a quick buck.

 

[Arjun]

The retailers are restocking but limiting to 1-2 bottles only with an extended wait time

I think it happened at the start but they are being cracked down so they stopped doing it as much. The issue I see is people selling hand sanitizer that is not the best to make a quick buck.

 

[Sybertiger]

Have you looked at using of an Algaecide such as in products like Wet-n-Forget or Spray and Forget?

Take a look at the active ingredient and compare it to what's in anti-bacterial wipes.

 

[Arjun]

Meanwhile this CEO is stoked, he's really excited to sell his Hand Sanitizer

 

[dudemaar]

My wife gets this stuff.

Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier – 7.6 Oz. | Young Living Essential Oils

Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier is an all-natural hand purifier that cleanses and refreshes the hands. It can be used by adults & children to keep hands clean.

www.youngliving.com

 

[Sybertiger]

I prefer use of wipes over hand sanitizer. That's why I was suggesting looking into algaecide as an ingredient. If you can swim in it then I assume you should not have a problem spraying it on yoru hands at the right concentrate level.

 

[Sybertiger]

What about using Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol. If you can drink it you can put it on you hands.

 

[TL1096r]

Meanwhile this CEO is stoked, he's really excited to sell his Hand Sanitizer

That is interesting.

On their site it says
"ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Ethyl Alcohol, "

BUT on the label if you zoom in on the product photo it says "denatured dehydrated alcohol 40b"... That is interesting. That is something that should be looked into...

What the google says:
"40-B specifically means the additives are denatonium benzoate and t-butyl alcohol. As for Alcohol Denat in skincare, it's a controversial ingredient. It's a great solvent and makes cosmetically elegant, light formulas but at best it's skin-drying, at worst it's skin-barrier damaging. "

That is up to you to use but it is odd that the website is saying ethyl alcohol but using something very very different.

I prefer use of wipes over hand sanitizer. That's why I was suggesting looking into algaecide as an ingredient. If you can swim in it then I assume you should not have a problem spraying it on yoru hands at the right concentrate level.

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@Sybertiger - that is probably not a good idea. Those are not the best chemicals to be using in general.

What about using Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol. If you can drink it you can put it on you hands.

Everclear is expensive. It is ethyl alcohol so yes you can use it - 190 proof and cut it down to 65-75%. But there are better less expensive options. Biggest bottle they sell is 1.5 L which is about $45. 2.6 bottles = 1 gallon = $117. You should really be able to get good ethyl for $30-50 a gallon. Organic ethyl is a bit more and what I suggest if you are going to be using it a lot you should go with organic.

My wife gets this stuff.

Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier – 7.6 Oz. | Young Living Essential Oils

Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier is an all-natural hand purifier that cleanses and refreshes the hands. It can be used by adults & children to keep hands clean.

www.youngliving.com

@dudemaar that has Denatured alcohol and and it doesn't list what type of ingredients and just says "Denatured alcohol" - you should ask them what ingredients they are using in the Denatured alcohol mix. In other words that is not pure ethyl alcohol. I have never been a fan of Clove. If you look up "clove side effects" you can see why it is not something I want to be rubbing on my hands a lot.

In general I would suggest ORGANIC ethyl only NON-DENATURED ONLY!!!! Ethanol is made with cane or corn. Both will be soaked in pesticides to get the most yield and it all will end up in the alcohol. I know many don't care. If you look up pesticides in non-organic food it is there like Cheerios, beer etc. So it is always best to limit yourself when you can.


I have looked at a lot of hand sanitizer. Normally ALL hand sanitizer uses ethyl alcohol as a main ingredient. Some use ORGANIC ethyl but not many. Now it seems there are many different types of alcohol being used instead of ethyl. From studies, research and everything we know you should really only use Ethyl non-denatured (organic being best). It seems many are using denatured alcohol, benzalkonium chloride, or isopropyl alcohol.

 

[Donut17]

Sounds like you are on the right track.
The CDC recommended formulation basically mimics the WHO formulations

WHO Formulation 1:
ethanol 80% v/v
glycerol 1.45% v/v
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) 0.125% v/v

WHO Formulation 2:
isopropyl alcohol 75% v/v
glycerol 1.45% v/v
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) 0.125% v/v

Most legitimate peer-reviewed research suggests that these are extremely effective on bacteria but also effective on certain types of enveloped viruses like Zika, Ebola, and of particular interest now-a-days Cornavirus.
In our labs we use formulation 1 without glycerol and it does a great job on bacteria which is our primary contaminate.

Based on the actual science I have read, I would personally use formulation 1 (replace glycerol with aloe vera) for COVID-19 if I could not use soap and water.

 

[Arjun]

I'm glad that I never ordered anything from them. The moment I stumbled across the negative feedback on that product as well as the company I browsed away.

That is interesting.

On their site it says
"ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Ethyl Alcohol, "

BUT on the label if you zoom in on the product photo it says "denatured dehydrated alcohol 40b"... That is interesting. That is something that should be looked into...

What the google says:
"40-B specifically means the additives are denatonium benzoate and t-butyl alcohol. As for Alcohol Denat in skincare, it's a controversial ingredient. It's a great solvent and makes cosmetically elegant, light formulas but at best it's skin-drying, at worst it's skin-barrier damaging. "

That is up to you to use but it is odd that the website is saying ethyl alcohol but using something very very different.




@Sybertiger - that is probably not a good idea. Those are not the best chemicals to be using in general.



Everclear is expensive. It is ethyl alcohol so yes you can use it - 190 proof and cut it down to 65-75%. But there are better less expensive options. Biggest bottle they sell is 1.5 L which is about $45. 2.6 bottles = 1 gallon = $117. You should really be able to get good ethyl for $30-50 a gallon. Organic ethyl is a bit more and what I suggest if you are going to be using it a lot you should go with organic.



@dudemaar that has Denatured alcohol and and it doesn't list what type of ingredients and just says "Denatured alcohol" - you should ask them what ingredients they are using in the Denatured alcohol mix. In other words that is not pure ethyl alcohol. I have never been a fan of Clove. If you look up "clove side effects" you can see why it is not something I want to be rubbing on my hands a lot.

In general I would suggest ORGANIC ethyl only NON-DENATURED ONLY!!!! Ethanol is made with cane or corn. Both will be soaked in pesticides to get the most yield and it all will end up in the alcohol. I know many don't care. If you look up pesticides in non-organic food it is there like Cheerios, beer etc. So it is always best to limit yourself when you can.


I have looked at a lot of hand sanitizer. Normally ALL hand sanitizer uses ethyl alcohol as a main ingredient. Some use ORGANIC ethyl but not many. Now it seems there are many different types of alcohol being used instead of ethyl. From studies, research and everything we know you should really only use Ethyl non-denatured (organic being best). It seems many are using denatured alcohol, benzalkonium chloride, or isopropyl alcohol.

 

[Jessie.slimer]

What about using Everclear 190 proof grain alcohol. If you can drink it you can put it on you hands.

This is what I use. Handles of everclear are still readily available, are cheap, and are ethanol, which are safe for consumption vs other alcohols.

I fill up little 2 oz spritz bottles to spray off my hands, credit cards, steering wheels, etc when I go out in public.

Only use it when soap and water is not available, like at stores.

 

[Sybertiger]

Everclear is expensive. It is ethyl alcohol so yes you can use it - 190 proof and cut it down to 65-75%. But there are better less expensive options. Biggest bottle they sell is 1.5 L which is about $45. 2.6 bottles = 1 gallon = $117. You should really be able to get good ethyl for $30-50 a gallon. Organic ethyl is a bit more and what I suggest if you are going to be using it a lot you should go with organic.

Where is the link for the $30/gallon ethyl alcohol you speak of? I've seen it for $59/gallon then you have to pay a Hazmat fee then you have to pay a shipping fee.

 

[Jessie.slimer]

I pay $38 locally for my 1.75 liter bottles of Everclear. Not as cheap as isopropyl was, but when you spritz them vs dumping them on stuff, it will last a really long time.

Plus, most people haven't figured it out yet, as I'm still seeing it on shelves. Haven't seen an isopropyl bottle on a shelf since March.

 

[Sybertiger]

This is what I use. Handles of everclear are still readily available, are cheap, and are ethanol, which are safe for consumption vs other alcohols.

I fill up little 2 oz spritz bottles to spray off my hands, credit cards, steering wheels, etc when I go out in public.

Only use it when soap and water is not available, like at stores.

Yes! A small spray bottle is perfect....<squirt> one for the hands, <squirt, squirt> two for the mouth.

 

[Sybertiger]

I pay $38 locally for my 1.75 liter bottles of Everclear. Not as cheap as isopropyl was, but when you spritz them vs dumping them on stuff, it will last a really long time.

Plus, most people haven't figured it out yet, as I'm still seeing it on shelves. Haven't seen an isopropyl bottle on a shelf since March.

1.75 liter will last a VERY long time (unless you drink it while spraying)....no hazmat/shipping fees!

 

[Sybertiger]

I just picked up a bottle of Everclear. It was the last one in the store. The cashier said people were buying it to make hand sanitizer. She said it'll be on backorder.