Shan’s Hands: How To Make Your Own Aromatic Hand Sanitizer

Hi guys! It’s me, Shan…..and it’s been a long time since we last spoke. Sorry about that; you see, I had to take a detour on my journey to enlightenment. Mainly, a complicated divorce that took me several years to finalize. Needless to say most divorces are no fun, so I chose to take a hiatus from my beloved blog until things calmed down a bit. Well, they eventually did…..although now the status of the nation, and the world, is not exactly ideal. Things are kind of crazy at the moment. It’s almost apocalyptic the way the streets are eerily empty, with so many establishments closed for business, and for the first time in history it’s actually socially acceptable to wear a mask and gloves into the bank. And yet all joking aside, for those of us who believe that beauty really shall save the world, namely me, and you, my loyal reader, I have determined that now is a good time to start writing once again.

In the wake of an international pandemic, one where social distancing and working from home are now de rigueur instead of merely my personal mode of operandi, I want to share with you today a very useful recipe. Yes, a recipe. But this is by no means a culinary delight, yet rather, a self-care product that is essential for personal protection in this day and age. Since people have been stockpiling Purell and it’s now no longer available in stores or even online, I’m going to share with you a preparation that you can make in your own kitchen—your very own hand sanitizer—and it’s one that smells luscious and won’t dry out your skin! Plus, it’s so easy to make!

This hand sanitizer is way superior to Purell. As a licensed aesthetician myself, I have personally tested this tincture and not only is it simply made with one part aloe vera gel to two parts ethyl alcohol, which is less drying than isopropyl alcohol; but in addition, it delivers in the decadence department, imparting the most glorious, fresh, unisex scent with the best available essential oils that condition your skin while the alcohol sanitizes! My recipe for Shan’s Hands equals better compliance, too. After all, statistics prove that when it’s a pleasure to do something, you don’t mind doing it, and therefore you do it more often. This stuff smells so good and leaves dry, parched, overworked hands so soft and silky smooth, you’ll actually look forward to using it! So without further adieu, here is my recipe for Shan’s Hands! And in your copious free time, I hope you rather enjoy turning your own kitchen into a makeshift apothecary!

Ingredients:

• One third cup aloe vera gel (I like Whole Foods’ 365 Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Gel), pictured below.
• Two thirds cup ethyl alcohol (Get your alcohol by the gallon at amazon.com)
• Essential oils of your choice (I like to use ten drops each of lavender, eucalyptus, rose, geranium, sage, and sweet orange, plus a dash of antimicrobial tea tree oil).

Pour the ingredients into a shaker bottle and mix together thoroughly. Decant into smaller, portable containers with flip-style lids or a spray bottle with a pump mechanism, available at drugstores and pharmacies.

Now you are prepared for any eventuality…even, God-forbid, a global pandemic. Sorry, can’t do a thing about the toilet paper shortage.