“First child eats dirt – parent calls the doctor. Second child eats dirt. Parent cleans out mouth. Third child eats dirt. Parent wonders if she really needs to feed him lunch.” – Unknown
Certain microbes in dirt make us healthier, smarter, and even happier, and kids actually need exposure to germs in order to be healthy. (source) That’s why in general I’m fine with things that might make other parents cringe. But y’all, I have my limits, and my kids have FOUND. THEM. ALL.
That’s why when soap and water are not an option – whether that’s because we’re camping or in an airplane with a bathroom waiting area that looks like a conga line – I use this homemade hand cleansing gel.
It’s inspired by a recipe found in Treatment Alternatives For Children, which was written by holistic pediatrician Lawrence Rosen, MD. However, because I prefer a gel rather than a spray, I increased the amount of aloe and cut out the water in the original recipe. I also substituted the suggested essential oils with ones from this child-safe list based on recommendations from Essential Oil Safety, which was published after Dr. Rosen’s book was released. The oils I chose have similar therapeutic actions, but are ones I feel more comfortable using with children.
Why avoid most store-bought hand sanitizers?
Many include ingredients such as benzalkonium chloride – which is considered a moderate hazard by the Environmental Working Group – and fragrances that score between a 7-10 (the highest hazard rating possible).
What if you don’t want to make your own?
Dr. Bronner’s make a hand sanitizer spray with clean ingredients – you can find it here. It’s alcohol-based, which can be irritating if used frequently, but I think it’s fine to use on occasion.
Homemade Hand Cleansing Gel
This recipe is appropriate for kids that are 2+. It makes approximately 2.5 ounces, which fits perfectly in these silicone squeeze bottles. If you only have a few of these oils, that’s okay! Use what you have and just make sure you include 15 drops total. The only exception is cinnamon leaf, which should be limited to 9 drops per batch.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons aloe vera gel (this is what I use)
- 3 drops tea tree essential oil (where to buy it)
- 3 drops fir needle or marjoram essential oil (where to buy fir needle, where to buy marjoram)
- 3 drops cinnamon leaf (NOT cinnamon bark) essential oil (where to buy it)
- 3 drops sweet orange or lemon essential oil (where to buy sweet orange, where to buy lemon)
- 3 drops lavender essential oil (where to buy lavender)
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine aloe vera and essential oils. Pour mixture into silicone squeeze bottles and place in your bag/purse for on-the-go use.
To Use
Squirt a small amount into your palm and massage into hands as needed.
Deanna Fitzpatrick
July 4, 2012 at 9:45 AMAwesome article! Can’t wait to make them. Your link to Nourishing Treasures isn’t working and you don’t have a link directly to their hand sanitizer recipe.
Deanna Fitzpatrick
July 4, 2012 at 9:45 AMAwesome article! Can’t wait to make them. Your link to Nourishing Treasures isn’t working and you don’t have a link directly to their hand sanitizer recipe.
Mommypotamus
July 4, 2012 at 10:08 AMAhhh, thanks for letting me know Deanna Fitzpatrick! The links are working now 🙂
Brandis
July 4, 2012 at 11:37 AM… and the link to the DIY naturals one goes to the Katja Swift one.
Kim
July 4, 2012 at 5:35 PMHi! It’s such a great idea to get away from all those soaps, and use some positive ingredients for cleaning hands. Thanks for your post!
In our house we use grapefruit seed extract (GSE) diluted with water, one drop per ounce of water. I keep spray bottles by the sinks and a small one in my purse.
Nicolle
February 17, 2017 at 10:00 AMCan you email me the recipes?
LeeandMaia Forde
July 5, 2012 at 12:07 PMExcited about this!!! 🙂
Starla Whittington
March 24, 2019 at 3:49 PMI have been using this hand sanitzer and absolutely LOVE it! My question is regarding the longevity of the final product. How long should it still be effective before I need to make a new batch?
Heather
March 24, 2019 at 6:06 PMHi Starla, it depends on storage conditions (temperature, light, etc.) and the shelf life of the essential oils used.
Starla Whittington
March 24, 2019 at 9:03 PMOk. I keep my oils and aloe vera gel stored in a dark cupboard on an inside wall in my house. My current batch was made just before Christmas. I carry my tube in my purse all the time, so it’s been approx. 3 months. It’s time to fly across country, so I wasn’t sure if I needed to make a new batch. I’m hoping I can get several months out of a batch. I never noticed if my oils are dated on the bottle. I never thought to research that. I love this natural option. I break out from commercial hand sanitizer. Thanks Heather
Janet
July 8, 2012 at 9:00 AMGreat presentation – I hope many people read this and it begins to make a difference to a common but mistaken view on bacteria and our children!
Leah
July 8, 2012 at 11:06 PMI have been wondering about something. I ordered some Witch hazel extract from mountain rose herbs and it is based in 70% alcohol. I was somewhat surprised. Is this always the case? If so, one of the recipes that calls for Witch hazel is really alcohol based.
Heather
July 26, 2012 at 4:56 PMAhh, thanks for letting me know Leah! I haven’t used witch hazel in a long time so that totally slipped by me!
Nicolle
February 17, 2017 at 10:01 AMHeather do you have an instagram with your procedures??
Joanne
September 20, 2018 at 4:04 PMThere is also white hazel without alcohol
Christine Decarolis, LMT
August 29, 2012 at 10:31 AMI think you need to double check what type of alcohol is being used. If I’m not mistaken, grain-based is okay, the other is a petroleum derivative and it is not okay.
Karen
September 20, 2017 at 11:29 AMHi! I know this is an old post but what kjnd of alcohol is s petroleum derivative? Thanks!
Sarah
July 8, 2012 at 11:24 PMA couple of the links said that they are not safe for use in nursing moms or infants. The first one did not mention it, but do you think that it is okay to use as hand sanitizer for a nursing mom and 16 month old nursling?
Heather
July 26, 2012 at 4:57 PMI am not qualified to give medical advice, but I like this comment from Emily on my post about making homemade bug spray (which also uses essential oils):
“Peppermint is used with caution for nursing moms because it is thought to decrease milk supply., but clinically I haven’t really seen this to be true. Personally, I drank tons of catnip tea after my second was born. It helped to keep be emotionally grounded post partum (read: not yell at my husband), and my baby was a perfect angel with no health issue. My point is that warning labels for herbs are usually extremely conservative, especially when the application is topical. They shouldn’t be ignored, but If I were pregnant or nursing and in a swarm of mozzies, I wouldn’t hesitate to dump a bottle of the first recipe all over myself – but that’s just me. ;)”
https://mommypotamus.com/easy-homemade-bug-repellent/
shuhan
July 10, 2012 at 5:22 AMthis is so helpful! I’ve always been paying attention to my food, makign sure I eat food that’s real and natural and whole, but only recently have learnt how important it is to keep the products that we use on our body real and natural too as our skin absorbs all these toxins too! makes no sense to only pay attention to one and neglecting the other! have now started using raw honey as a cleanser, but was thinking of switchign out my handsoap, this is a great article, thanks x
Jana
July 31, 2012 at 1:56 PMWe use Thieves at our house. LOVE. It. Smells divinely of cinnamon!
Wendi
October 23, 2013 at 1:39 AMGreat to hear! I just ordered thieves EO for the first time! Can’t wait. (:
Christine Decarolis, LMT
August 29, 2012 at 10:36 AMI am a massage therapist. I use hand sanitizer in my practice because I am allergic to soap. After reading several articles that have come out about commercial santizers, I decide to switch to an all natural formula. This post has been a great help. Thanks.
Christina
September 17, 2012 at 8:04 AMI shared your post with a friend and she just e-mailed me and told me that she read somwhere that boys should stay away from lavendar. I wrote her back and asked her where the article was from that she read and why but she hasn’t written me back. Have you heard this before and if so, why would just boys need to stay away from it???
Heather
September 17, 2012 at 11:12 AMRobert Tisserand says lavender is not estrogenic. More here: https://mommypotamus.com/does-lavender-oil-cause-estrogen-imbalance/ Hope that helps!
Christina
September 17, 2012 at 1:37 PMI just made your hand sanitizer recipe from Katja Swift which is a recipe which includes water in a spray bottle and then put 10-20 drops of Rosemary and Lavender. I filled about 6 spray bottles with this recipe and have been using it for hand sanitizer (for myself and the kids), sprayed down doorknobs, light switches, counter tops, bathroom sinks, etc, and used it for a “lysol” spray for the air. If Lavender is bad for young boys (I have 3) because it mimics estrogen in the body should I stop using these spray bottles and the hand sanitizer I made for them using this recipe and go with a different recipe or is it just a risk I should take since I already spent the money on the lavender oil and spray bottles and just hope they don’t get big boobs! ha ha. Did you use this recipe for Micah as a hand sanitizer?
Michelle
July 3, 2013 at 6:08 PMI know this is off topic, but do you vaccinate? What is your take on v
accines? Just saying bc I can see you’re into safe, natural lifestyles. 🙂
Lara Condon
September 3, 2013 at 3:44 PMThank you for this article…trying to come up with the winning combination that will kill the bad bugs but not the good ones or upset the pH balance! Do you know of any research about GSE? Does it kill the good guys too? After my daughter had a bout with Salmonella, I have been much more cautious about making sure her hands are clean. They don’t have a hand washing option at school and every day they are given a squirt of hand sanitizer at snack and at lunch! Ugg!! Going to try one of these natural one
Heather
September 3, 2013 at 4:01 PMHi Lara, I personally avoid GSE for the reasons listed in this article http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/most-controversial/2010/1/27/the-truth-about-grapefruit-seed-extract.html
Monica Horn
November 20, 2014 at 9:55 AMThanks for that link! I had NO IDEA of the dangers of GFSE!! I’ve only ever used it on my husbands athelete’s foot, never internally. Will not be using anymore!
Diana
October 16, 2013 at 12:55 PMIm currently still nursing (like crazy it seems) my 18 month old. Is it safe to use these DIY antibacterial recipes? I tend to not think so much anymore about avoiding essential oils now that shes older but maybe I should rethink this? My research on the topic is coming up spotty… Any personal thoughts? Our music class has a lot of mouths on instruments and would love to pack this in my bag. Thank you
Deanna
April 5, 2017 at 6:07 AMI have been using EOs for a while now and my little one is now 18 months. Just dilute well and see how that works for you. You can contact a local aromatherapist (licensed) because most people do not know the safety precautions of essential oils.
Jasmine
October 21, 2013 at 4:16 PMPlease be careful in using tea tree oil around dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets because it can be toxic to them!! Same with witch hazel rhat is made with isopropyl alcohol.
pawly
December 18, 2013 at 1:07 PMThis stuff is awesome. I use it on my kids, when we go out in public.
Tatijančika
September 6, 2016 at 12:07 PMI use tea tree oil on my dogs neck line and back recommended by a ND vet to prevent for ticks and fleas . He has never had any. Ticks are strong where I live in the summer. Many others have started it and they say its been years where there dogs are finally tick free 🙂
Elysia
January 13, 2014 at 3:26 AMGreat info – thanks!! FYI I just checked my Humphrey’s Witch Hazel and it is only 14% alcohol. The generic brand at my local drugstore is also 14%.
Lisa
June 6, 2014 at 6:21 PMI just wanted to share with everyone that, when researching (quite a bit), I discovered that there are two brands of colloidal silver that are considered to be the top two “true colloidal silvers” when compared with many of the other well-known, popular brands. They are Mesosilver and Utopia. You can find both companies online entering the brand names in your search box. Utopia is a little less expensive and they do have specials. I prefer Utopia brand because of the price. You can buy larger-sized bottles from either company, and each site has quite a bit of educational information about colloidal silver. Mesosilver has gel form available, which is great for wounds and direct application to the skin. However, the liquid can just as easily be sprayed on or mixed with a little coconut oil to make it a little more “gel-like.” By the way, whether you want to use colloidal silver in the making of your own hand sanitizer, or whether you want to drink it for the cold or flu, or use it to cure eye or ear infections, or for a bladder infection (so many uses – its amazing stuff!) you WANT it to be in nanoparticles so it will be bio-available. I also learned that “ionic/ionized” silver is what you want more for topical/skin application and the regular colloidal silver is best for ingesting or for ears, eyes, etc….either way, in either version, it is amazingly effective and safe. Hope this information helps! Knowledge is power!
Kathleen
June 13, 2014 at 11:36 AMThanks for the great ideas! We use this easy DIY recipe for hand sanitizer at our house: http://www.yankeehomestead.com/2013/08/05/homemade-hand-sanitizer-with-essential-oils/.
Also, all the hype about lavender adversely affecting boys was disproven. I have all boys at my house and we use lavender all the time. Robert Tisserand, a well known expert on essential oils, explains more here: http://roberttisserand.com/2013/02/lavender-oil-is-not-estrogenic/.
Hope that helps!
Kimberley
March 23, 2015 at 10:31 PMYour link to the hand sanitizer does not work, please fix.
Randy
February 26, 2016 at 4:29 PMSorry, but this may moisturize well but it is definitely NOT a hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizers must contain at least 70% alcohol to work. You can reduce the amount of alcohol and use natural antimicrobials such as tea tree oil, rosemary oil, or oregano oil but I have not seen how much of these are needed in order to reduce the alcohol content. I’m a registered nurse and I would not use this recipe in my household.
Tatijančika
September 6, 2016 at 12:12 PMEmployees at your facility who are allergic to hand sanitizer, what are they allowed to use instead, if need be?
Kay
June 19, 2017 at 8:44 PMWow.. Love your writing style! So descriptive yet so informal. I’m a fan!
Tiffany
July 19, 2017 at 4:18 AMI want to try the recipe on the first link, but I wonder if I could use with hazel instead of water. As I use which hazel in other products, I went on quite a journey to find 100% witch hazel with zero alcohol (I haven’t used it yet, but I’ll try it and reveal the name once I OK it).
It’s no secret the oil and water doesn’t mix. And it doesn’t mix perfectly with witch hazel either, but better than with water. And I do believe that I read somewhere that witch hazel increases the longevity.
mike
August 25, 2017 at 3:08 AMawsome site really loving the recipes
mike s
August 25, 2017 at 3:09 AMhey i want to sign up
Nadine
September 9, 2017 at 9:26 AMThanks for this! I ended up putting in small spray bottles with the addition of a little coconut carrier oil.
Kim
September 10, 2017 at 7:14 PMwhat do you think about baking soda? From what I understand you can use it from brushing your teeth to the Garden. I’m beginning to wonder if it will replace everything except those beautiful essential oils.
Liv
September 10, 2017 at 11:33 PMI once thought about making my own hand sanitizer but I never did. Reading this makes me want to do it. I just wonder about the shelf life since it doesn’t have have any preservative nor alcohol. Or is the EOs amount good enough to preserve it? And for how long? As another person commented that since there is no alcohol in there it is not actually a hand sanitizer (the other recipes I’ve read included it or vodka instead ?), how can we know for sure it will actually clean the hands?
Lora
September 10, 2018 at 9:54 AMIs there an alternative to using aloe vera? I am allergic to aloe…
Heather
September 25, 2018 at 6:28 PMYou could use vodka possibly witch hazel (as long as it contains alcohol, which most do) although both might be a little drying.
Lynnsey
February 2, 2019 at 12:28 AMHi. Love your blog! Could you please fix the link to the aloe you use? I recently read on EWG Skindeep that aloe is a possible carcinogen. What are your thoughts/research on that? Thank you!!
Heather
February 7, 2019 at 4:17 PMAhhh, thanks for letting me know it was broken! Here is the brand I have been using, but it looks like that listing disappeared because they reformulated. This brand is actually more similar in ingredients than the reformulated one above. As for the possible carcinogen aspect, that only applies to taking massive amounts of non-decolorized aloe extracts internally. 🙂