The best Homemade Hand Purifier recipe using vodka, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol and/or essential oils. Use easily as a gel or a spray! Chemical-free homemade hand sanitizer that is ideal for the whole family.
I don’t care for store-bought hand gel. It’s sticky, stinky, and I’m not on board with adding chemicals to my hands to clean them.
Luckily, there are several options for making an all-natural homemade hand gel. This tutorial will make two kinds you’re used to seeing at stores: gel and spray.
Make this homemade hand sanitizer recipe for times when it is not convenient to use regular soap and water. It is my preferred method for using a hand cleaning gel because it’s:
- Natural. All of the ingredients are naturally derived.
- Non-toxic. Meaning, no icky chemicals. A much safer option for the family to use!
- Customizable. You can make it based on your scent preferences, or whichever purifying essential oils you happen to have at home. Want to have an alcohol based hand sanitizer? You can just make it!
What you need:
- 2 drops tea tree essential oil**
- 3 drops essential oils** with purifying properties (lavender, thyme, peppermint, clove, cinnamon, rosemary, eucalyptus OR Thieves blend)
- 1 Tbsp liquid (water OR witch hazel OR rubbing alcohol OR vodka)
- 3 Tbsp aloe vera gel
- 1 tsp vitamin E oil (a soothing, nourishing oil that acts as a preservative)
- squeezable tube or glass jar for storage (or re-purpose a suitable container)
Quick Note on Essential Oils
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Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Combine ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 2. Pour into a squeeze or spray bottle and use hand sanitizer as needed!
That’s it! It’s literally that simple! 🙂
Tips
- If you’re paying off debt or for whatever reason cannot afford the ingredients for the homemade hand sanitizer recipe above, consider using vinegar!
- Vinegar is non-toxic, edible and kills 99% of bacteria. Just keep some in a small spray bottle, spray on the hands and rub together. Shake or wipe dry and you’re good to go.
- The scent of vinegar is strong and sometimes undesirable. Consider making citrus infused vinegar or use homemade apple cider vinegar for FREE instead!
FAQs
Vodka and Vitamin E oil are natural preservatives. The shelf life of homemade hand gel will be several months if you use both. If you omit both, you’ve got about a month or so.
Some purifying essential oils (like cinnamon especially) can be irritating to sensitive skin. Use less essential oil, or add more of another essential oil that soothes (like chamomile).
Straight up, homemade hand gel is NOT more affordable than store-bought. But it doesn’t have icky stuff… so you kinda have to pick and choose what’s more important to you.
I am curious how you know that it’s actually doing anything with the germs? Seems like a fun idea but I am skeptical that germs are being harmed in the process of using it.
Hi Heather! I once tested Thieves Household Cleaner (based on the Thieves essential oil blend) against raw chicken goo on my counter. I used a protein swab to detect remnants of bacteria, mold and yeast. The cleaner left NO remnants of any of these, while white distilled vinegar did nothing (nor did hydrogen peroxide). For me, that tells me that the Theives Essential Oil will purify my hands as well!
What happened to the spray version recipe? I am pretty sure this is where I found it before, and I am running out, so I need to make more. I really like it!
Hi Katie! We did some cleaning up of the post and that must not have made it through! You can use the same recipe, but sub the gel for additional witch hazel and reduce the vitamin E oil by half so you don’t clog the sprayer. 🙂
Hi! I love this recipe but was wondering how long the shelf life is if I add vitamin e oil but use witch hazel instead of vodka? Thanks in advance!😊
I’m not sure Aly, but it should be good for awhile. This doesn’t make a lot, on purpose, although the alcohol serves as a better preservative than witch hazel. I’m not sure if that helps or not!
Thank you! I have one more question lol. Is there a way to thicken this? Mine came out a little too liquidy for my liking
You’re welcome! Not that I know of Aly, other than using less liquid and more aloe vera from the get go. Companies have the luxury of adding thickeners, which we’ve gotten used to. The natural versions are usually slightly different. Maybe it’s worth using for a bit until you can adjust to the new texture?
I am looking at making hand wipes, to use right before eating, for our upcoming disneyland trip. I am sensitive to smells.what would your thoughts be on using just vodka 40% and a paper towel, or everclear mixed with water 70% and a paper towel?
Would the alcohol be to much for my 5 year old?