If you live in a US state that is slowly but steadily reopening its economy post the Coronavirus crisis, you will want to ensure that you and your close ones are uncompromisingly protected from the devastating effects of the pandemic Hand Sanitizers.
Here, the WHO recommends 3 surprisingly simple steps to safeguard oneself from the Covid-19 virus:
- Wash your hands with good quality soap and hand sanitizer, frequently, for at least 20 – 60 seconds.
- Wear a mask, especially when you go out or are around people.
- Maintain a healthy 6-feet distance from others.
These straightforward instructions may appear easy to follow. Yet, we can imagine your dismay when you rush to your favorite grocery store, and its neighboring stores, only to find empty shelf after empty shelf staring back at you with no hand sanitizer on display!
Yes, US stores seem to be facing an acute shortage of hand sanitizers, as people rush to stock up on this priceless, virus-fighting commodity. Fortunately, there is no reason to panic, as you can quickly whip up your own home-made hand sanitizer.
Ingredients required for a home-made hand sanitizer
This needs 3 easily available elements:
- Aloe Vera gel: This is typically from a store-bought bottle, as it is less messy to deal with. Else, you can also use the leaves of the aloe vera plant to physically extract the gel. In either case, this ingredient provides several soothing benefits to your skin outlined in later sections below.
- Alcohol: This is the surgical-spirit kind (aka rubbing alcohol), and not the drinking kind! In fact, this is the main ingredient of your DIY virus-destroying hand sanitizer. As per WHO, this needs to have at least 60% of alcohol content in order to be effective against the Covid-19 virus.
- Essential oil: This could include a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil, like eucalyptus or tea tree (also good for building immunity), chamomile (soothing), lavender (fragrant), etc.
Do note that the essential oil is used only to neutralize the pungent odor of the alcohol solution. This is an optional ingredient so if you are allergic to essential oils, you can comfortably skip this part. Instead, replace it with a few drops of raw lemon juice to reduce the alcohol’s odor.
Steps to create an aloe-vera based hand sanitizer
Once you have the ingredients in place, use a clean mixing bowl to prepare the hand sanitizer. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly with high quality soap before you touch the ingredients, so you do not inadvertently transfer germs to your sanitizer. In fact, it is a good practice to use a fresh pair of disposable gloves while preparing the mixture.
Next, pour all the ingredients into the mixing bowl, in the ratio of 2:1 – i.e. 2 parts alcohol solution mixed with 1 part aloe vera gel. For this, a couple of drops of the oil should suffice. Next, thoroughly mix them together using a whisk or a ladle, until there are no clumps. Finally, pour this blended mixture into a mid-sized spray bottle so you can comfortably use it on the go.
Note: Some stores sell diluted rubbing alcohol. In this case, use a 3:1 ratio, with 3 parts alcohol to 1 part aloe vera gel, in order to get the requisite 60% alcohol content in your hand sanitizer.
Hand soap versus hand sanitizer – which is more effective?
Ideally, you will wash your hands with a high quality soap (for at least 20 seconds), and then follow it with your home made aloe vera sanitizer. This will take care of the grime and dirt you may have collected on your hands during gardening, touching potentially contaminated surfaces, germs residing on tools, etc. As the experts remind us during these tumultuous times, double prevention on time is much better than any future cure!
However, this directive may be impractical when you are on the go. This is where hand sanitizers can save your day, provided you clean your hands as much as possible before use. Also, ensure that your pour a reasonable amount of the hand sanitizer liquid on your hands, and rub them for at least 60 seconds, giving them adequate time to dismantle disease causing germs.
Constraints/ limitations of DIY hand sanitizers
Some people tend to have mild allergic reactions to some streams of essential oils. It is hence recommended that you do a patch test of the oil on your elbow, before using it in the sanitizer. It is especially advisable not to use essential oils on infants and children, as their sensitive skin may have more adverse reactions.
It is also important to note that while this home-made sanitizer can be effective in fighting the Coronavirus stream, it is also ineffective against several other germs and viruses, including the notorious norovirus responsible for the seasonal 24-hour flu. In the absence of store-bought hand sanitizers, a home-made solution can well save your sanity and your health. However, these are expectedly less effective than original solutions. Hence, consider them as a temporary solution until you are able to stock up on certified products.
Other benefits of using aloe vera in hand sanitizers
While killing germs is indeed a critical function at this time, aloe vera also provides several other benefits for our skin. A handful of them are listed below.
- As an anti-septic:
By itself, the aloe vera plant has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties. For this reason, its gel often finds its way into skin creams, making it a natural antiseptic. In fact, doctors often recommend making regular use of the gel to organically heal wounds, rashes, and other skin ailments.
- To treat burns:
The gel produces a cooling and hence soothing effect on our skin, making it an effective anti-burn agent.
- As a natural sunscreen:
Now that summer is upon us, aloe vera gels are becoming increasingly popular for its natural sunscreen-like properties. In fact, it has been known to treat sun burns, and itching or redness caused by spending too much time tanning at the beach! This is another reason you will want to stock up quickly on aloe vera gel, before the stores run out of this essential commodity too!
- As an anti-wrinkle agent:
Given its powerful moisturizing properties, aloe vera gel is also a must-have ingredient in all anti-wrinkle creams. So, it is not just your hands that can benefit from this element, but your entire body will thrive on it too! In fact, there is no part of your body that remains (positively) unaffected by this wondrous gel. It is hence also used to treat acne, reduce itching and redness caused by psoriasis, gently heal burns and scars, and improve the elasticity of your skin through increased production of collagen. But of course, one needs to use this regularly for at least 3 months in order to perceive all its powerful effects.
- As an effective mouthwash:
If you think your skin is the only part of your body that loves enjoying the benefits of the aloe vera plant, think again! Your teeth will benefit from it too, especially if you use unsweetened aloe vera juice as a daily mouthwash. This juice has been proven to reduce the buildup of dental plague, while also strengthening your tired gums.
- To promote hair growth:
Given its anti-septic, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant properties, you may conclude that this plant is packed with a powerful set of nutrients. Well, you would be right! It is also known to contain essential amino acids and minerals that play a key role in hair growth. For this reason, don’t be surprised to find aloe vera listed as an ingredient in your favorite hair shampoo or conditioner!
- As a natural treatment for diabetes and obesity:
Some studies indicate that daily consumption of unsweetened aloe vera juice over a 3 month period can improve insulin production, making it a natural product to control diabetes. As an offset, its laxative properties also make it an effective digestive aid, and hence a natural home remedy for treating digestive issues like acid reflex, heart burn, constipation, obesity, etc.
(Here, do note that this surprising benefit is not yet attested by the medical community, which is perhaps good reason to treat these claims with caution!)
Risks associated with aloe vera usage
On one hand, there is a huge community that treats aloe vera as a “miracle plant”, with the ability to naturally provide relief for skin ailments, digestive disorders (including diabetes), dental plague, and even breast cancer! However, there are also studies that seem to indicate continued long term usage can lead to diarrhea (due to its laxative properties). In rare cases, it has also been attributed with causing stomach tumors (found in rats), and liver damage. For this reason, use it sparingly for oral consumption.
You can however use aloe vera safely on your skin, especially as an essential ingredient in a hand sanitizer, provided there are no obvious allergic reactions.
