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Hand sanitizer is one of the items you must have during this pandemic. Even though it is widely sold on the market, we can also make hand sanitizer from aloe vera. So, how do you make hand sanitizer from aloe vera?
Also read: Which is more appropriate? Wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer?
What is hand sanitizer?
Hand sanitizer is a practical way when traveling to help prevent the spread of germs when soap and water are not available. Hand sanitizer can help stay safe and reduce the spread of the new coronavirus.
If you have difficulty finding hand sanitizer in local shops and there are no hand washing tools available, then you can take steps to make it yourself. You only need a few ingredients, such as rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel, and essential oil or lemon juice.
Although hand sanitizer can be an effective way to get rid of germs, health authorities still recommend washing your hands whenever possible to keep your hands free of disease-causing viruses and other germs.
How do you make your own hand sanitizer from aloe vera?
Actually, you don’t need to worry about running out of hand sanitizer at the pharmacy, because it’s quite easy to make your own hand sanitizer by using natural ingredients such as aloe vera.
Aloe vera does have many benefits and uses. If you have an aloe vera plant at home, you can use it as an ingredient to make hand sanitizer.
The main ingredient that we must have if we want to make our own hand sanitizer is isopropyl alcohol, but you have to make sure that at least the isopropyl alcohol content is 60 percent or more.
An effective way to make your own hand sanitizer is to use a 2:1 proportion of alcohol to aloe vera. This is because it can maintain an alcohol content of around 60 percent. This amount is the minimum amount to kill germs.
Isopropyl which has an alcohol content of 90 or 99 percent has the greatest chance of killing COVID-19 or other germs.
Hand sanitizer ingredients from aloe vera
The following are the ingredients you must prepare to make your own hand sanitizer.
- Aloe vera gel
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Essential oils
- Spray or bottle
If you want to take aloe vera gel from the aloe vera plant directly:
- You can use 1 aloe vera leaf. You should at least squeeze out about ¼ cup of aloe vera gel.
- For ¼ cup of aloe vera gel, you also need 3/4 of alcohol
- 10-15 drops essential oil (lavender, peppermint, or eucalyptus)
- Don’t forget the spray or bottle to put the hand sanitizer in
- This recipe will make about 1 cup of cleanser
Is it safe to use aloe vera hand sanitizer?
If you use the ingredients described, this hand sanitizer is safe to use. However, homemade hand sanitizer is only recommended in extreme situations when you have difficulty finding hand sanitizer on the market.
Improper ingredients or proportions can cause:
- Less efficient, which means that hand sanitizer cannot effectively remove some or all microbes
- Skin irritation or may even cause burns
- Exposure to dangerous chemical hazards through inhalation
Homemade hand sanitizers are also not recommended for use on children. This is because children may be more susceptible to side effects from improperly making hand sanitizers.
The reason aloe vera is a good natural ingredient for making hand sanitizer
Aloe vera is a popular medicinal plant that people have used for thousands of years. Aloe vera is a thick, short-stemmed plant that stores water in its leaves.
Many people know that aloe vera is used to treat skin wounds, but it also has several other uses that have potential health benefits.
Contains healthy plant compounds
According to an explanation from the Medical News Today page, the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries use aloe vera extensively. Aloe vera is known for its thick, pointed, fleshy green leaves and can grow to a length of about 12–19 inches (30–50 centimeters).
Each leaf contains a slimy tissue that stores water, and this content makes the leaf thick. The gel in aloe vera contains most of the beneficial bioactive compounds in the plant, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants.
Has antioxidant and antibacterial properties
The reason why aloe vera is a safe ingredient to use as a hand sanitizer is because it contains antioxidants which are important for health. Aloe vera gel contains powerful antioxidants also known as polyphenols.
These polyphenols, along with several other compounds in aloe vera, help inhibit the growth of certain bacteria that can cause infections in humans.
Aloe vera is known for its antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties. This content can help heal wounds and treat skin problems.
Accelerates wound healing
People most often use aloe vera as a topical medication, rubbing it into the skin rather than consuming it. In fact, coconut oil has a long history of use in treating wounds, and especially burns, including sunburn.
Research as reported on the Medical News Today page shows that this is an effective topical treatment for first and second degree burns.
For example, a review of experimental studies found that aloe vera can reduce the healing time of burns by about 9 days compared with conventional treatments.
Not only that, treatment with aloe vera also helps prevent redness, itching and infection.
Improves skin condition and prevents wrinkles
As reported on the Medical News Today page, there is some preliminary evidence to suggest that topical aloe vera gel can slow skin aging.
In a 2009 study of 30 women over the age of 45, taking oral aloe vera gel increased collagen production and improved skin elasticity over a 90-day period.
Not only that, the results of this study also show that aloe vera can help the skin retain moisture and improve skin integrity, which can be beneficial for dry skin conditions.
Other benefits of aloe vera for health
Lowers blood sugar levels
Some people use aloe vera as a diabetes medicine. This is because treating diabetes with aloe vera can increase insulin sensitivity and help improve blood sugar management.
For example, a review of eight studies reported on the Medical News Today page found that aloe vera can be beneficial for people with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes because of its effect on glycemic control.
Helps treat canker sores
Thrush is a common disease experienced by almost everyone. The causes vary according to oral health conditions. Canker sores usually appear under the lips, inside the mouth, and last for about a week.
It is known that aloe vera treatment can speed up the healing of canker sores. Applying an aloe vera patch to the area is effective in reducing the size of the ulcer. However, it does not outperform conventional ulcer treatment: corticosteroids.
Apart from that, it is also known that aloe vera gel not only speeds up the healing of canker sores, but also reduces the pain that occurs when the canker sores become inflamed.
Reduces constipation
Aloe vera can also help with constipation. This time, it’s not the gel that provides benefits, but the latex, which is the sticky yellow residue that is just under the skin of the leaves.
This main compound is responsible for the effect called aloin, or barbaloin, as it has a well-established laxative effect.
However, according to Medical News Today, aloe vera does not appear to be effective against other digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease.
How to use hand sanitizer?
Reporting from Healthline, here are two things you should pay attention to when using hand sanitizer.
- You need to rub it on your hands until dry
- If your hands are oily or too dirty, you should wash them first with soap and water
Here are some effective tips for using hand sanitizer.
- Spray or apply hand sanitizer to the palms of your hands
- Rub hands thoroughly. Always make sure hand sanitizer is applied to all surfaces and fingers
- At least rub your hands for 30 to 60 seconds or until your hands are dry. It takes at least 60 seconds and sometimes longer, for hand sanitizer to work effectively to kill germs
Hand washing vs hand sanitizer
Knowing when is the best time to wash your hands, and when to use hand sanitizer is key to protecting yourself from the COVID-19 virus as well as other illnesses, such as the common cold and seasonal flu.
While both serve a purpose, washing hands with soap and water should always be a priority, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Use hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available in certain situations.
The following are several conditions that require you to always wash your hands:
- After going to the bathroom.
- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
- Before eating.
- After touching surfaces that may be contaminated.
The CDC lists specific instructions on the most effective way to wash your hands. In the instructions, they highly recommend the following steps:
- Always use clean running water. You can use warm water or cold water.
- Wet your hands first, then turn off the water, and rub your hands with soap.
- Rub your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to rub the back of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Turn on the water and rinse your hands.
- Then, use a clean towel or let it dry by itself.
So, those are tips on how to make your own hand sanitizer from aloe vera. There’s nothing wrong with trying to make it at home, but you still have to pay attention to the right proportions so that the hand sanitizer is effective in killing germs.
Monitor the development of COVID-19 in Indonesia via the official website of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia.
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