Homemade Hand-Sanitizer Gel with Essential Oils

            I am not a big fan of hand-sanitizers because I fear that their overuse leads to stronger germs.  But sometimes, it’s better to use a little than risk getting the nasty illnesses going on all around you.  I made this for the times that we need it - when I hear a kid coughing like a barking seal or when I see someone sneezing or coughing into their hands.  (Come on, don’t be an animal!  Cough into the crook of your elbow, please!).
            When I was looking on-line for hand-sanitizer recipes, I found one that barely used any essential oil and one that used way-too-much oil.  (Spice oils are potent.  I use them sparingly.  Plus, you are going to end up touching your face or eyes at some point, so do you really want to have a ton of cinnamon oil or clove oil on your fingers when you do.)  And so I decided to make my own, with an amount of essential oil that I am much more comfortable with.  It smells like a warm spiced cake, perfect for winter. 

                 

"Spiced" Hand-Sanitizer Gel:

            For people over age 6:

            In a bottle that you can cap and shake, add ¼ - ½ teaspoon Glycerin and 4 oz. of the purest Aloe Vera Gel you can find.  Then add:

            4 drops Orange essential oil
            4 drops Lemon essential oil
            2-4 drops Lavender essential oil
            1 drop Clove essential oil
            1 drop Frankincense essential oil (optional)
            And 1 or 2 drops Cinnamon Leaf essential oil.  
            (I also added 10 drops Vanilla essential oil, which is already pre-diluted to be used straight on the skin.  So I don’t think it adds to the strength of the oils.  It just adds scent.  And I added 1 drop Rosemary essential oil, but this shouldn’t be used on kids under 10.) 
            Shake well.  It will shake down to about 3 ounces of gel.  Then fill a small squeeze bottle or two with it.  I bought a small, travel-sized, squeeze bottle of hand sanitizer, and I squeezed the alcohol-based sanitizer into the garbage and reused the bottle. 
            (If there is no preservative in your aloe base, you may want to add a bit of vitamin E oil to help keep it fresher longer.) 

 (The condensation on the inside of the clear bottle is because I keep it in the fridge.  I keep the smaller one in my purse.  I wrote the recipe on the small bottle, but one recipe made enough to almost fill both bottles.)

            A gentler blend for younger children:

            If I was going to make this for kids between 6 months and 6 years old, I would maybe use no other essential oil but Lavender.  And I would do just 1 drop of Lavender essential oil per ounce of Aloe Vera Gel, before it is shaken down and reduced.  That would probably be the safest route to go.