I was late to the party. I thought I had some hand sanitizer at home already. By the time I tried to find it at local stores, it was long sold out. By the time I tried to order it online, it was gone. Now you can order some on Amazon, but it won’t be delivered till the second week in April.
I have read all the articles about why one shouldn’t make homemade hand sanitizer. I get it. The proportions may not be correct. It’s not made in a sterile environment. And most importantly, it may not work but instead give me a false sense of security.
Though I wash my hands with soap and water when I’m at home, I want a bottle of hand sanitizer to keep in the car for after I have been at the supermarket or drugstore. So I decided to make some for out-of-home use.
Fortunately, I had 70% Isopropyl Alcohol in my bathroom, purchased a while ago to fix shattered powder makeup. I have been searching for some aloe vera gel for a few weeks, but like hand sanitizer, it too is sold out. Again, I could order it on Amazon and get it some time in April. I have an aloe vera plant, but it is too small to be sacrificed. But when I was in CVS yesterday to pick up my prescriptions, I happened to notice Burn Relief Gel. It was a bright green gel that looked like aloe vera gel. The ingredients listed glycerin, aloe vera gel with 0.5% lidocaine to soothe a burn. I figured it was worth trying.
Tonight I washed out an empty eva nyc hair protectant with hot soapy water and let it dry. I mixed 3 parts 70% Isopropyl Alcohol with 1 part aloe vera gel/glycerin (Burn Relief Gel) and 10 drops of Orange Essential Oil. I poured it into the empty spray bottle.
Although I mixed the ingredients well, they did not stay in solution. That is another difference between my homemade concoction and a manufactured product. So before use I need to shake it vigorously. I tried it, and the gel and essential oil did a good job making my skin feel like it wasn’t being burned off by the alcohol. It’ll do till I can buy the real deal.
How about you? Did you get sanitizing products before it was too late?
Courtney (Phyrra…I know I spelled it wrong) just did a great post.on buying hand sanitizer. She listed many places to order online. I know you follow each other so check it out.
Yes, I read the post, Sandy. I checked out the sanitizer from Medson Health, but it didn’t list the ingredients or even the active ingredient. So I passed. The others were from indie brands and they seemed to be handmade, so I didn’t want that. I will use my concoction till I find some Purell or another brand.
Hi Allison:
I live in Southern Rhode Island and it local distillery named Sons of Liberty advertised that they were going to stop producing whiskey and instead manufacture hand sanitizer. They made thousands of bottles and they gave most of them away for free. On Monday they invited the public to drive through and pick up two free bottles per person. I kept one and gave the other to my neighbor who is in your situation. They have been extremely responsive and might be able to send you some if you contact them. Hang in there…
I will look up Sons of Liberty, Rachel! We have a couple of indie distilleries in my area, but I haven’t heard anything from them. I will look on their websites just in case. Today I used my homemade concoction after my walk in the woods. Definitely good in a pinch! Stay safe in RI!!
No sanitizer to be found here either. Unfortunately no alcohol or glycerin or anything else, for that matter. Been like this for weeks now. Trying to find ANYTHING resembling a disinfectant of any sort may as well be panning for gold or searching for Aladdin’s lamp. My local store has received a shipment of spring plants and bushes, and while those usually would be set up in the middle of aisles and at the front of the store as the seasonal offerings they are, there’s a vast empty space where toilet paper and tissues used to be so the plants are all there instead. Goes to show when the store believes they’ll have TP back in stock…..I’m guessing no time in the foreseeable future. Also have to wonder whether there’s some sort of commentary at play when one finds rose bushes where the loo roll used to be…..
I have heard that it’s more difficult in OH to find things like disinfectants than other places, though I haven’t had a lot of luck here. Honestly, I am nervous about going to the grocery store. I am about to place an order thru Instacart, but it won’t be delivered till Monday afternoon at this point. Ugh. I hope you’re doing OK, Rachel. I’m sure your museum is closed. Can you do some work from home? Are your suppliers even working?
I’ve never been super-keen on going to the grocery and I’ve always been a “get in, get out” kind of shopper. Just from that standpoint (and assuming I was okay with the delivery charges in general) I’d totally wait four days if it meant I didn’t have to do it at all, lol! But alas, no one will deliver here. Some of the stores offer those curbside pickup type things though, so maybe I’ll look into that.
Yep the museum is indeed closed. We closed before the current mandate, but even if we hadn’t we’d have been forced to shut down by now anyways. I think some of my suppliers *are* actually still working (though that could change of course) so I might put in a few orders. I don’t have to be anywhere in particular to do that. In fact I think a few of these people may have had a good laugh at some of the places I’ve previously called them from. Middle of a field, anyone? Only now it won’t be anywhere cool or unique, it’ll just be from my bed-desk. In my pajamas. With my (typically disapproving) supervisory feline. lol
Be well and stay sane, my friend! <3
The supermarket I usually shop at is always jammed with people, so I am a little uneasy there. They don’t have curbside pickup, so it wasn’t an option. The other major supermarket did have both home delivery and curbside pickup, but they were inundated with so many people wanting to use both services, that they suspended them! You would think maybe they would try to hire some more employees, since I don’t see this situation ending anytime soon. Thus, Instacart for me. I am curious about how the Instacart delivery will be. Maybe because of all my years in marketing and advertising or because I like to cook, I actually enjoy food shopping! Weird, I know. It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve been to the supermarket, and it feels odd.
The museums around here closed about 3 weeks ago, also before they were deemed “unessential”. I was sad to read that the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston doesn’t expect to open until July. But that is what many medical experts are saying, while others are predicting the virus will return in the fall, if it slows down during the hot weather. It’s hard to know what to expect. I hope you can find things to keep you busy at your bed-desk with your feline friend. Will you go out into your garden as the weather warms up?? Eager to hear about your lilies. Mine are coming up at least a month early! Take care and stay healthy, Rachel xoxo
Like you I always had some in the car………….. BUT the bottle was 1/2 emtpy and it was a small bottle. BUT I did have several packs of disinfecting wipes. So with baby wipes (left overs from diapers with great niece) So I use one and then the other in the car……… it works for now
Sounds like a good plan, Gloria! Thank goodness you have some disinfecting wipes. I have one container that I used to use to clean my car, now I clean my groceries with them. I hope you can stay home. Be safe!
check out Art Naturals- they have supply of hand sanitizer- can be ordered it differing amounts. Shipping is a bit slow but their product is good
Thank you, Linda! I like Ars Naturals product, so I will take a look.
Linda, here’s my update. I ordered 2 bottles from Ars Naturals. Hopefully, they will arrive in mid-April!! Oh well, at least the purchase is in the works. Thanks again!