Essential Oil Hand Sanitizing Spray

Essential Oil Hand Sanitizing Spray

I will admit I am some what of a germaphobe.  I can only imagine where other people's hands have been and it makes me want to douse myself with hand sanitizer, especially in a place like Wal-mart or at the playground with my kids.  I know that the alcohol and other ingredients like triclosan in hand sanitizer are drying at best and toxic at worst.  The skin on my hands was painfully cracked around my nails, but I didn't want to give up my hand sanitizer because I was just so concerned about all the germs floating around. Even worse was that I was using it on my kids hands all of the time too.  I decided it was time to search for a natural alternative.  

I found a recipe for a spray hand sanitizer on mymerrymessylife.com.  I liked the idea of using Witch Hazel as my base because it is an astringent. The brand I chose is Thayers.  Their Witch Hazel has Aloe Vera, which is a great moisturizer too. The original recipe only called for Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, and Bergamot Essential Oils, but I added two more, Sweet Orange and Lavender.  I removed the Eucalyptus because it can be dangerous for young children.  Below in the recipe I have included the properties of each oil.  All combined they make a great hand sanitizer.  It smells nice too, which is always a bonus!

 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. (1/4 cup) Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera - astringent
• 6 drops of Tea Tree Oil - antibacterial, antiviral, astringent, disinfectant
• 6 drops of Wild Orange Oil - antibacterial, antiseptic
• 6 drops of Lavender Oil - antiseptic, disinfectant
• 3 drops of Bergamot Oil - antiseptic, anti-parasitic, astringent

(Tea Tree Oil contains all of the necessary properties so it would be possible to use 24 drops of only this oil.  It would have a very strong smell though).

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients in a glass spray bottle and give it a good shake. The oils can break down a plastic bottle. I bought this 2 oz amber glass bottle at the local natural store for under $1.

Remember to shake well before each use.  Spray on hands and rub it in.  There you have a simple hand sanitizing spray.  

As a side note, after using for several weeks, I noticed that all of the cracks around my fingernails had healed and that my hands were soft!  That is when I decided sharing this recipe was a must!  I hope it works well for you too!  

Enjoy being Natural, Healthy and Germ Free!