Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Recipe

Whether you’re taking your lunch on the go, or heading to your next patient, a sanitizer comes real handy especially when clean water and soap is out of sight. You can never be too careful with your busy mitts especially when they tend pick bacteria and viruses effortlessly. A dollop of protection for a clump of assurance!

A word of caution though – a lot of hand sanitizers in the market and recipes on the web contain significantly less amount of antibacterial agents than they’re supposed to have, according to an article from the New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/health/21cons.html>. Sanitizers should contain at least 60 percent alcohol concentration to be effective in killing germs. No worries, this particular recipe contains roughly 65 percent alcohol strength. An awesome craft for kids and grownups alike!

Ingredients:                 Weight (%)                 For 240 gm./8.5 oz.

Phase A:

Distilled Water             32.8%                        79 gm./2.8 oz.

Polyquaternium-10            1%                       2.4 gm./0.1 oz./ ½ tsp.

Phase B:

Denatured ethyl              65%                      156 gm./5.6 oz. 

alcohol 99%

Vegetable glycerin            1%                       2.4 gm./0.1 oz./ ½ tsp.

Fragrance (white tea)     0.2%                       0.5 gm./0.02 oz./10 drops

Procedure:

Mix water, polyquaternium-10, and half of the denatured alcohol in a sterilized glass beaker; stir well until powder is dissolved. Add the remaining alcohol and mix again. Add vegetable glycerin and fragrance. Stir mixture until homogenous. Pour into clean plastic containers.

Recipe adapted from Somerset Cosmetics Company (http://www.makingcosmetics.com/recipes/67-Conditioning%20Hand%20Sanitizer.htm)