DIY Hand Sanitizer

Learn how to make this easy DIY Hand Sanitizer recipe using rubbing alcohol, glycerin, and aloe vera. Perfect as a gel or a spray! For more chemical-free options to keep hands and surfaces clean, try our tutorials on DIY Homemade Hand Purifier and our DIY All-Purpose Cleaner!

This hand sanitizer is so easy to learn how to make. It uses a few simple ingredients and can be customized with your favorite essential oil!

Let’s face it. The best way to protect yourself from the spread of germs is by washing your hands with soap and water. Preferably natural soap, that is!

Sometimes, however, we find ourselves nowhere near a sink to wash our hands – whether we are at the kid’s sporting events, outdoor family gatherings, or for the kid’s desks at school. Sometimes there’s just nowhere to wash our hands when we need to.

Enter hand sanitizer. The popular alcohol-based, store-bought, often filled with chemicals, sanitizing hand gel that stands in for soap when we need it.

But when we buy it from the store, the commercial ingredients are sometimes worse for us than the germs they are intended to protect us from! If you don’t believe me, just read the ingredients label. If you can’t pronounce it, it’s better not to buy it.

That’s why I’ve made my own versatile hand sanitizer that you can use as a gel or a spray. Pack it for days when you’re on the go…and of course, for when the kids go back to school!

This homemade hand sanitizer is made with 3 simple ingredients: alchohol, alove vera, and glycerin.

Can one make a self-made hand sanitizer?

Yes! Making your own hand sanitizer is the perfect way to avoid the harsh chemicals in the store-bought versions. it’s also:

Easy. Mixes up quickly and easily. It’s even a fun project!
Frugal. With only a few simple ingredients, you can make your own hand gel for much less than you’d pay for the commercial kind.
Customizable. If you’d like to add a scent, you can add a drop or two of whichever essential oil you’d like!

This hand sanitizer is versatile. It can be used as a gel or made to be a spray, and all in a few quick and easy steps.

Ingredients for Homemade Hand Sanitizer

3 TB- 60 percent or a higher of ethanol alcohol or 70% or higher isopropyl alcohol content (NOT methanol or butanol – which are toxic)
1 TB- 1 part aloe vera gel (to prevent drying out of hands)
½ tsp – vegetable glycerin or vitamin E oil (moisturizing)
Optional essential oil – a few drops of whichever scent you like (lavender, tea tree oil, etc.)

Note: If you’re interested in a hand purifier gel or spray made with essential oils, try my DIY All-Natural Homemade Hand Purifier.

If you like sanitizer to smell good, you can use an essential oil when you make your own homemade hand sanitizer. Lavender is a popular scent many people love for hand sanitizer.

How to Make Homemade Hand Sanitizer Gel

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
Store in a small jar (like these) or a squeeze bottle (like these). Makes 2 oz.

Double the recipe amounts above for 4 oz., and triple the recipe amounts for 6 oz. batches.

Note: If you’d like to make this for a spray bottle, just follow the same instructions, but use just one extra TB of alcohol and omit the aloe vera gel. Of course, you can always add a few drops of your favorite essential oils, but this is optional.

Making your own hand sanitizer helps save money. You can also avoid harsh chemicals by making it at home!

Should I use soap and water or hand sanitizer to protect against disease?

According to the World Health Organization, washing your hands with soap and water is the preferred way to protect against germs. But if you do not have immediate access to soap and running water, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is your next line of defense.