It's so easy to make hand sanitizer! In just minutes you can make homemade hand sanitizer with just 2 ingredients, 3 if you want to make them colorful. This diy hand sanitizer is also fun to make with the kids with supervision.
Arts and crafts time with kids can be super fun, but it can also be messy, stressful, and can end with an adorable little project that parents really have no space for. We love the things our kids create, but eventually one runs out of fridge space. I love to make our projects things that we can use. Not only does it give me the opportunity to carry them with me in my day, but it also teaches them how things work, and it gives them a sense of accomplishment when they get to use their creation in everyday life.
I love making this homemade sanitizer with my kids, but another reason that I love this project is that it is adult-friendly too. It is simple, yet fun to make. You may be interested in controlling the ingredients in your sanitizer. So often, the kinds I find in stores can really dry my hands out, or leave them with a weird film afterward. Plus, the scent is not always pleasant. It feels good to know that your sanitizer is all natural and made by someone you trust – you!
Why You'll Love This Homemade Sanitizer
- Customizable Cuties – One of my favorite things about these is that you can add a little bit of food coloring to make whatever shades you like. If you are giving them as gifts, you can color them to match the occasion, or if you are just making them to use at home, kids and adults alike will enjoy mixing their favorite colors.
- Mighty Moisturizing – Since this sanitizer is made with real aloe vera, it is soothing and moisturizing to your skin, in comparison to other sanitizers or harsh soaps.
Ingredients For Homemade Sanitizer
- Aloe Vera Gel – If you don’t already have aloe growing in your home, now is the perfect excuse to go get one. They are air purifiers, and have many practical uses, including healing burns and cuts, antibacterial mouthwash, a drinkable beverage that helps lower blood sugar, and of course, making hand sanitizer. They are powerful healers, plus they look cute in your home. So I would recommend investing in one of your own. If you wanted to make this sanitizer with bottled aloe vera gel from the store, rather than to hand squeeze fresh aloe, I would advise you to make sure that you choose a bottle that is pure aloe vera and does not contain other ingredients. If you purchase bottled aloe, keep in mind that any of the oral or internal uses mentioned above would no longer be considered safe. Never consume anything you didn’t grow yourself unless you are certain it is food safe.
- Rubbing Alcohol – Alcohol is the part of hand sanitizer that kills the germs, so it is important. You want to opt for 99% rubbing alcohol. This is important since it will be diluted by the aloe vera gel. Weaker alcohols will not guarantee to kill germs on your hands. I prefer to use something of decent quality so that it doesn’t leave a funky odor behind.
- Natural Food Coloring - I would avoid using regular dye as it can stain if you aren’t careful. Many grocery stores and craft stores will have options for natural food coloring. You can also always color them with your own natural colors using beet juice or powder, butterfly pea powder, a little turmeric, etc.
How To Make Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera
How to Make Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera
- Remove the inside contents or gel of the aloe Vera plant. You’ll do this by cutting the pointing ends and removing inside gel.
- Mix together by processor or by hand.
- Add a couple of drops of food coloring and mix.
- Pour into storage jars or spray bottles.
Step by Step Instructions
First, you will need to remove the gel from your aloe vera plant. Remove a leaf at the base, and then wash your leaf gently and dry. Cut the smaller, pointed end of your leaf off about 2 inches up. Cut the edge of the fat end as well, to remove any debris that may have collected when you made your first initial cut. Then slice the spiky edges off of either side. The top layer of the leaf will peel off. Use a spoon to scoop out the gel. Avoid pressing too hard, as you don’t want to remove any of the actual leaf, just the gel inside. Repeat until you have harvested 1 cup of gel. If you need assistance on this step, you can find several demonstrations on YouTube!
Cup your aloe vera gel in a bowl or if you'd like a smoother consistency I suggest a food processor. Next, add in your alcohol. If you're not wanting to use a processor, mix well using a whisk or fork. It will however be less smooth.
Once your rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel are completely combined, you can add any desired colors. I like to divide the sanitizer into a few separate containers and make different shades. Store in sealed containers at or below room temperature. Oils optional, but you can add them in now.
Tips
- Use your hand sanitizer as is, or further customize your creations by adding essential oils to fragrance them. Some nice combinations include lavender and orange, lemon and lime, or lavender, lemon, tea tree, and rosemary. Another option is to add a little bit of rosewater or orange blossom water. I would avoid using peppermint or cinnamon oils, as they can irritate skin, and can burn if you accidentally rub your eyes.
- If you are making these for a fun birthday party favor, or with kids, you can add some extra fun to the mix, by allowing them to add some mica or body glitter. Also, if you purchase some clear squeeze sanitizer bottles for them to pour their creations into, you can let them put some decorative beads into the bottles before you put the sanitizer in. Once you cap it, the sanitizer will squeeze out, but the beads will remain inside for looks.
- Store your sanitizer in small bottles from the craft store for party favors or grab and go travel sanitizers, or pour into a larger, decorative pump for inside your home.
- Check with your doctor but you can add a few drops of essential oils, witch hazel, tea tree oil, vitamin e oil.
- The alcohol content will depend on the alcohol to aloe vera ratio.
- As per the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, washing your hands with soap and water is best, but this is great in a pinch! Make sure its 60 percent alcohol content.
FAQ:
Plain, white vinegar is antibacterial, and can have great uses in household cleaning. There are vinegar based hand sanitizer recipes floating around the internet. However, it is not a CDC approved method for keeping hands clean. It is recommended that you use only alcohol-based sanitizers.
In order to effectively kill bacteria, your finished hand sanitizer needs to contain at least 60 alcohol content (percent). This means that if you use 70 isopropyl instead of 99, you will need to add less aloe. This will result in a less moisturizing, and more strongly scented finished product, so I do advise using the 99 alcohol if possible.
Your hand sanitizer must be at least 60% alcohol, so I recommend using 2 cups of 99% rubbing alcohol, and combining with 1 cup of fresh aloe vera gel. Add a few drops of color or fragrance as desired.
Looking for more kids activities to do? Try these:
Tried this Homemade Sanitizer and love it? Please leave me a comment and recipe rating below. Feel free to also tag me, I love to see your creations and sharing them. You can also print this recipe for later use. For more inspiration follow us on Instagram Or like us on Facebook
Homemade Sanitizer Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Aloe Vera plant you want to use use 1 cup of the gel inside
- 2 cups alcohol - must be 99% rubbing alcohol
- Natural food coloring - 3-5 colors optional
Instructions
- Remove pulp from aloe vera plant
- Place pulp into a food processor or a bowl. Add alcohol and mix
- Mix in natural food coloring if desired.
The alovera sanitizer receipe is great. I made it with my grandchildren and the enjoyed
They took the receipe to their mums. Their families are very excited. Thanks for this information.
i'm so glad you love it! Thank you for trying!