A simple homemade hand sanitizer recipe for your family…

Think back to 2020 with me… The world was in the middle of a pandemic. People were panic buying everything they could stock up on… Toilet paper and hand sanitizer were in short supply with an extremely high demand.

Image of homemade hand sanitizer in a jelly jar with an aloe vera leaf behind it. White Background

During that pandemic, I came up with a homemade hand sanitizer recipe to give our family what I couldn’t find on store shelves. This recipe is a very simple DIY hand sanitizer with aloe vera that you can make for your own family!

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When Should You Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer?

You can make this homemade hand sanitizer anytime you are in need, but keep in mind that it will not store as long as commercial brands. You will potentially need to remake it each month so it doesn’t turn.

Be sure to use 99% isopropyl alcohol. If you grab a bottle with a percent alcohol content lower than this, your finished product may not be effective.

Some DIY recipes recommend using vodka in place of isopropyl alcohol. This is a bad idea as an effective hand sanitizer requires a higher alcohol content than most vodka provides.

How to Make Homemade Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera Gel

This recipe uses only three ingredients that you hopefully either already have in your medicine cabinet OR you can find them in-stock in a store somewhere…

Rubbing alcohol
Aloe vera gel (I used gel straight from an aloe vera plant)
And essential oils.

The main active ingredient in this DIY hand sanitizer is in line with the World Health Organization guidelines and recommendations.

DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe

DIY Hand Sanitizer Ingredients

1/2 cup 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
1/4 cup Aloe Vera Gel {bottled or fresh aloe vera}
10 drops of Essential Oils {like tea tree, lemon, orange, or lavender}

**To make a larger amount of homemade hand sanitizer, just increase the recipe while keeping it to a 2:1 alcohol to aloe vera gel ratio.

Image of an aloe vera leaf and a glass bowl with isopropyl alcohol

DIY Hand Sanitizer Directions

*If you are using bottled aloe vera gel, skip to step #3

1. Extract the Aloe Vera Gel from the Leaf

Cut the ends and spiked sides off of the aloe vera leaf. Pull the leaf apart from the gel OR you can also use a knife to separate the gel if you like. Scrape the aloe gel off of the leaf and into a blender.

2. Blend the Aloe Vera Gel until Smooth

Place the chunks of aloe vera gel from the leaf into a blender and blend until smooth.

Did you know that you can grow your own aloe vera? Get your aloe vera plants here!

3. Add all of the homemade hand sanitizer ingredients into a mixing bowl.

You won’t need a large bowl for this, but be sure it is big enough for you to whisk without the solution spilling over the side.

You can use a mix of essential oils, but I definitely recommend using Tea Tree Oil as it has proven antibacterial and antiviral properties. I like mixing Tea Tree Oil lemon & orange oil for a citrus scent.

Image of a glass mixing bowl with aloe vera gel and other ingredients being mixed with a whisk.

4. Whisk until the ingredients are gelled together.

Use a whisk, a hand mixer, or a blender to combine the ingredients together to create your homemade hand sanitizer.

A blender is definitely the best option for combining these ingredients with fresh aloe vera gel.

5. Store

Store this homemade sanitizer in a jelly jar, a pump jar, small spray bottles, or a travel-sized squeeze bottle and use it as often as needed.

Keep your hand sanitizer in a cool, dark location. When the aloe vera is exposed to light, you may notice a pink tinge to it. This is completely normal.

This DIY hand sanitizer should keep for 2-3 weeks if stored properly.

Image of homemade hand sanitizer in a glass jelly jar with an aloe vera leaf behind it.

How to Use Homemade Aloe Vera Hand Sanitizer

It is always recommended (especially by the CDC and WHO) to wash your hands with hand soap and water when possible. When hand washing isn’t an option, squeeze a little of your homemade hand sanitizer on your palms, rub it in well, and reapply as needed.

If your hands are heavily soiled, the hand sanitizer may not be as effective.

You can also use homemade hand sanitizer on shopping cart handles to help reduce the spread of germs in the grocery store.

Homemade Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera

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Ingredients

1/2 cup rubbing alcohol 99%
1/4 cup aloe vera gel {bottled or raw}
10 drops essential oil {tea tree, lemon, orange}

Instructions

Extract the Aloe Vera Gel

Cut the ends and spiked sides off of the aloe vera leaf.
Pull the leaf apart from the gel. You can also use a knife to separate the gel if you like.

Blend the Aloe Vera Gel

Place the chunks of aloe vera gel into a blender and blend until smooth.

Add all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl & Blend

Use a whisk, a hand mixer, or a blender to combine the ingredients together to create a gelled hand sanitizer.

Store

Store your homemade hand sanitizer in a jelly jar with a lid or a pump jar.

Notes

To make a larger amount of hand sanitizer, just increase the recipe while keeping it to a 2:1 alcohol to aloe vera gel ratio.

How to Make Homemade Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera

When Should You Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer?