How to Make Hand Sanitizer
#1 Gather your ingredients
This sanitizer closely emulates the commercial kind, without all the chemicals and without the bad smell. Hand sanitizer should not replace hand washing; just use it when you really need it. Here's what you'll need:
2/3 cup 99% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or vodka
1/3 cup pure aloe vera gel (preferably without additives)
8 to 10 drops essential oil, such as lavender, clove, cinnamon, or peppermint
Mixing bowl
Spoon
Funnel
Plastic container

#2 Mix the alcohol and aloe vera gel in the bowl
Pour the ingredients into the bowl and use the spoon to mix them together well. The mixture should be completely smooth.
If you want the solution to be thicker, add another spoonful of aloe vera.
Or thin it out by adding another spoonful of alcohol.

#3 Add the essential oil
Add it one drop at a time, stirring as you go. After about 8 drops, smell the mixture to see whether you like the scent. If it seems strong enough, stop there. If you like a stronger scent, add a few more drops.
Lavender, clove, cinnamon and peppermint essential oils have the added benefit of providing additional antiseptic properties to the mixture.
If you don't like these scents, it's fine to use whatever scent you enjoy. Lemon, grapefruit and passion fruit all work well.

#4 Funnel the mixture into the container
Place the funnel over the mouth of the container and pour the hand sanitizer in. Fill it up, then screw on the lid until you're ready to use it.
A small squirt bottle works well if you want to carry the sanitizer with you throughout the day.
If you make too much for the bottle, save the leftover sanitizer in a jar with a tightly-fitted lid.
