Early this morning I was on the Martha Stewart Sirius Radio Show discussing all natural hand sanitizers. Since it’s officially cold and flu season, we’ve been busy testing all natural “germ busting” recipes that you can take on the go! Our goal is to share natural recipes that you can make in your own home without most of the chemicals that are in most sanitizers on the market. Here’s what we’ve been working on. Enjoy!
3 tablespoons water
2 ml Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil or Cinnamon Leaf
4 ml Lemon Essential Oil
4 ml Eucalyptus Essential Oil
*Directions: Mix all of the ingredients together. Shake and use.
This type of recipe is dated back to the 15th century. Thieves covered themselves in something similar to this oil so they could steal from plague victims and dead bodies without catching the disease. Studies about ‘Thieves Oil’ have also tested essential oils like Oregano & Thyme and shown they are effective against a host of bacteria (Journal of Essential Oil Research [J. Essent. Oil Res.]. Vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 517-523. Sept-Oct 1998.). With this recipe, you’ll need to shake the bottle each and every time you use it because essential oils and water don’t naturally mix. Cinnamon Bark and Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil can be irritating to skin. If any irritation occurs, double the water (use 6 Tablespoons) to decrease irritation. If irritation continues, switch out the Cinnamon Leaf EO with Tea Tree Essential Oil.
1 tablespoon rubbing alcohol
3 tablespoons Aloe Vera Water/Juice
2 ml Cinnamon Leaf EO
3 ml Tea Tree EO
3 ml Lemon or Lemongrass EO
*Directions: Mix all of the ingredients together. Shake and use. Since Alcohol is a natural emulsifier, this recipe will turn white and not require shaking each and every time before use. Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil can be irritating to skin. If any irritation occurs, double the liquid (use 6 Tablespoons) to decrease irritation. If irritation continues, switch out the Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil with Tea Tree Essential Oil. This blend is based on the research in the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery (2009) available online at www.sciencedirect.com
3 tablespoons Aloe Vera Gel or Liquid
5 ml Lemon EO
4 ml Tea Tree EO
Optional: 2 ml White Thyme Essential Oil
*Directions: Mix all of the ingredients together. Shake and use. Can also be used on furniture (but do a small test patch before you spray it all over your grandma’s heirloom antique chest of drawers).
1 ml White Thyme Essential Oil
1 ml Litsea Essential Oil
2 ml Orange Essential Oil
1/2 C. Aloe Vera
1/2 Teaspoon Lecithin
*Directions: Combine the lecithin and the essential oils together in a small container. Slowly pour the essential oil mixture into the aloe vera while stick blending the mixture. This will naturally help emulsify the mixture (think salad dressing). Lecithin is typically found in health food stores and is a natural emulsifier. It has a shocking yellow color. This blend will go salad dressing thick and will not easily spray unless the spritzer is very hearty. Because of its lotion like texture, this recipe is best used on hands and body rather than furniture.
If you have favorite recipes to share, let me know. This is an area we could all use helpful tips and tricks in to keep us as healthy as possible this holiday season.
Here are some great links that really helped me with my research: Thieves Blend, Fungus Killed by Essential Oils, Antimicrobial Essential Oils, Antibacterial Soaps, Tea Tree oil antimicrobial, Tea Tree Oil & Fungus, Tea Tree Oil.
Just wondering about the lecithin…I am able to get granules. Is this suitable for the last recipe?
Thanks.
You can try adding the granules to the essential oil blend and seeing if they will mix in completely (ie: totally re-hydrate and disperse into the essential oils). We’ve never tried it with granules but it’s worth a shot! 🙂
-Kristen with Bramble Berry
I have been perusing the blog and found this post, and was wondering about using just the Aloe Vera Gel in place of water/alcohol, with any combination of the essential oils that you have above.
Thanks.
Alcohol is important to killing bugs and has proven efficacy at doing so. That’s why many hand sanitizers have it as a prominent ingredient. But the flip side is that it can be irritating to skin and drying so many people prefer not to use it. If you’d like to utilize Aloe Vera Gel as a carrier in place of the water or alcohol, that should work well – though alcohol will give that extra germ busting ‘umph!’
Ok great….thanks for the reply. Makes sense. Is the recipe fairly watery with the alcohol? I want more of a gel consistency.
Thanks again.
Hi Natasha! If you do add the alcohol the consistency of the recipe is fairly watery. I hope this helps! 🙂
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Thank you! Will look into possible thickeners.
Thank you for the great info i definitely share this info to my close friends.
Love this! What a great idea!
cool! I'll try this 🙂
thnx
Hi Rose,
It just takes a good shake each time you use it. It would be like putting olive oil in water – they just don't mix great. =)
But, a good shake 'n' spritz and you should be good to go for that round.
A-M
Hi AM –
wow…interesting comments from all
I do have a question in regards to the Thieves Oil – of course I can defer to the other recipes.
Would mixing the essential oils and water be difficult? Or a good shake is all I need to insure proper dispersion?
Thnx!
that is so neat. I have never heard of thieves oil. Going to have to try it out.
Thank you for the recipe
First Anonymous,
I'm sure you've seen me say it but it bears repeating: I really appreciate discourse and if I'm wrong, I try to be a person of integrity and admit it. One thing that would really help me is if you signed your name. I put myself out on this blog every single day and it's hard for me to connect with readers that don't sign their name.
That said, great points and I appreciate you going through and really doing the in depth research on the one piece. It's probably one of the weaker ones for sure.
And, I agree, soap and water with a good thorough hand washing is the best way to go always. I'm a big fan of the common sense, mom-told-you-so way of improving immunity: regular exercise, limit sugar and alcohol, get 8 hours of quality sleep, eat a healthy, nutrient dense diet. And, of course, wash your hands! =)
My Dad is a doctor and his health is incredibly important to me. I watch him squirt his hands with the antibacterial gel stuff (the special stuff for hospitals) and agree that alcohol is the tried and true method to helping prevent the spread of disease and germs.
Having said that, I'm a big fan of trying more natural remedies and feel good about the research in all of the studies I listed. They didn't all come from trade journals – American Journal of Infection Control, Journal of Family Practice, Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery – and yes, I did give some credence to anecdotal information from aromatherapy and trade journals.
This makes me think of cell phones; after all the studies upon studies upon studies, scientists still don't agree about what the data means. So, that means that some people will hold the phone up to their ear when they talk, others will only use ear pieces and still others won't use them at all.
Ultimately, it is a personal preference and I sincerely appreciate your perspective. You clearly have an analytical brain that can process dense data and explain it in an easy to understand manner and I value that ability and am thankful you shared your thoughts.
Happily Handwashing,
=) A-M
Hi Team –
I'm back in Bellingham after an incredible day planning 2010 with a group of advisors. I'm tired but also so excited to get all this wonderful feedback.
I say 'wonderful' because I love robust discussion and learning more.
Marge, You are a dear for popping in. I'm a huge fan of yours and think that you are one of the top minds in aromatherapy. Please don't be shy and tell us how we (I) can change and improve.
I mainly based my one recipe that used it on safety data on the Cinnamon Bark from the IFRA-44 regs on Cinnamaldehyde. The current IFRA-44 regs that went into effect in January 2009 (manufacturers have two years to get into compliance) have a small .05% usage rate because you are right, it is a skin sensitizer.
But, I also scoped around the internet and checked out what other sites were saying too.
*This study has resources that say DON'T use it directly on the skin (duh). =)) See Precautions.
http://www.answers.com/topic/cinnamon-bark-2
*WebMD- They are saying that it is "possibly safe" and "possibly unsafe". That doesn't really help in either way but it certainly covers all the scopes!
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-330-CINNAMON+bark.aspx?activeIngredientId=330&activeIngredientName=CINNAMON+bark&source=3
*Natural Green Essential Oils says never use it on skin…
http://www.naturalgreen.ca/Product/Cinnamon-Bark-Essential-Oil.html
*New Directions says use in small doses…
Cautions: Cinnamon Bark essential oil can be irritating to the skin and mucous membranes – particularly in large doses. It should always be used in dilution.
Disclaimer:
Please note, the International Federation of Aromatherapists do not recommend that Essential Oils be taken internally unless under the supervision of a Medical Doctor who is also qualified in clinical Aromatherapy.
http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/cinnamon-bark-essential-oil-co2-extracted-p-1346.html
*Aroma-Pure Essential Oil says dilute it…
http://www.aroma-pure.com/cinnamon.htm
I 100% want to improve these and make them the safest and effective they can be so I would be honored to have your feedback (if you have time) =)
Thank you for signing your name too, Marge. I really appreciate it.
A-M
Sorry AM for the rant but…
On the link offered by "anonymous" above it reads:
"Strong federal safety requirements govern cosmetics and personal care products sold in the U.S. It is a crime to market an unsafe cosmetic product."
The link posted by "anonymous" spreads a lot of bogus information. Clearly a site run by the FDA or the Cosmetic Industry.
Unsafe cosmetics are marketed to the public every day. If people want to really know what the ingredients in their cosmetics are doing to them they should visit: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
There you will see thousands of ingredients given the "thumbs up" by the FDA that are bad for our health.
FACT: Nearly 90% of ingredients used in cosmetics/personal care products have not been safety tested by the FDA.
Many essential Oils have been "time tested" over centuries, something the FDA can't lay claim to doing. Cinnamon alone has been used for several thousand years in Eastern and Western cultures.
Thyme oil has been very well researched. It is great for strengthening the immune system. Excellent choice AM for your recipe! I hadn't used this one for my girls but I should.
oh my
how the comments fly
come into my parlor
said the spider to the fly
come out
come out
whoever you are…..
i am so glad to know that our friend Anne-Marie
is a verifiable bonafide daughter of a very reputable notable MD, owner and founder of a number of clinics.
I trust she has done her homework and would not lead us amiss.
If so, her dad will surely write a post, with documentation and mediate this little snafu.
If I were an LPN, I would not use these recipes to replace Purell in a hospital setting.
Furthermore, it would be irresponsible to produce and market these recipes as hand sanitizers since hand sanitizers considered a drug by the FDA.
For further information please read this page: http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/HBI/13
Hi Marge – Anne-Marie is so thrilled that you took the time to comment on this post! She is looking forward to continuing this dialogue when she is back in front of a computer this evening.
Hi Anonymous – Thanks for your comment.
Anne-Marie is in Seattle today but she asked me to post a short note for her.
I do know that Anne-Marie primarily referred to the recent study published in the Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery on the antimicrobial properties of essential oils
http://www.6minutes.com.au/common/contentmanagement/6min/vault/pdf/oils.pdf
I know these studies are dense but you may want to check this one out, too. It actually compares Hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, and other common disinfectants to a variety of essential oils. It was this study that Anne-Marie based most of her recipes on. But we completely agree with you, no hand sanitizer should be a replacement to washing your hands.
-Amber
You're awesome! Thanks for the recipes!!!
I love your blog.
But I have to disagree that this product is a "hand sanitizer". I found one of the studies you referred to and actually read it. They are published by a trade journal and as far as I can tell they are not subject to any critical peer review for their methods or conclusions. The impression I got from reading (specifically) the thyme study from Algeria is they wanted to establish this particular species of thyme from Algeria creates a higher concentration of carvacrol. They also try to establish that carvacrol has anti-microbial properties.
They tested 6 microbes and found carvacrol had a "significant" (which means it killed the vast majority of the microbes) effect on 4 of them:
Staphylococcus aureus – significant 92%
Proteus mirabilis – significant 96-98%
Escherichia coli – significant 96-98%
Candida albicans – anti-fungal 100%
Enterobacter chacea – significant 96-98%
Pseudomonas aeruginosa – inactive (which means it failed to kill the microbes)
Also, they used Tween 80 to create a solution. Tween 80 has been studied for it's own anti-microbial properties.
Also, their solution was incubated for 24 hours. Not a realistic test of carvacol's effectiveness as a hand sanitizer.
Your recipe calls for thyme oil, but not the specific thyme oil that was studied. I think you could honestly use this study to point people towards the "possibility" of antibacterial properties in your recipe, but it is far from conclusive proof of that claim or worthy of the effectiveness of the title "hand sanitizer". Hand sanitizers usually claim they will kill 99.9%.
It would be easier, more effective and cheaper to just wash your hands with soap and water.
In light of all this I am VERY concerned to read a LPN is considering using your recipes in a hospital setting rather than an ACTUAL hand sanitizer. I will be much more diligent in the future to make sure staff members who treat me wash their hands or use an clinical hand sanitizer.
Thanks for these awesome recipes. I love listening to you on Martha Stewart Radio.
I am an LPN at the local hospital and had always read that hand sanitizers needed to be 60-90 percent alcohol to be called sanitizers. I guess I was wrong.
I am excited to make these for the holidays and pass them out to the staff. With all of the H1N1 coming through the ER doors we need all the help we can get. These will smell better than the Purell we use now!
Julia
@Marge
Although Cinnamon leaf is the less irritating of the two Cinnamon bark oil can be used on the skin if the dilution rate is .1% and no more than that.
Sorry… but some of your formulas called for Cinnamon BARK oil, not cinnamon leaf. Cinnamon Bark is both a very strong irritant, AND a strong sensitizer and should never be used on the skin. It can be very effective as an anti-bacterial in a room spray or diffuser blend, but PLEASE not in a hand sanitizer!
We are all so excited, Anne-Marie!
There has been so much controversy over the hand sanitizers. Truly, some children have either died or almost died ingesting some kid friendly ones recently. I fully expect there to be governmental trouble over those.
This is a refreshing alternative. I for one really really hate antibiotics in all forms; understanding of course, that they are necessary, in life threatening situations, but also knowing the inception of the super germ in hospitals etc are brought about largely by the overuse and abuse of such. It is hard nowadays to even find dish or hand soap in the supermarket that is not antibacterial. This is a dangerous phenomena for all of us.
Thank you and I cannot wait to use this as well!
Very nice mixes AM! Thank you so much for sharing. I've been sending my kids to school with a blend and having them spray their hands and face all day. LOL! The teachers think I'm crazy but it is so much better to use the EO's than it is that nasty sanitizing gel the school supplies.
Very nice mixes AM! Thank you so much for sharing. I've been sending my kids to school with a blend and having them spray their hands and face all day. LOL! The teachers think I'm crazy but it is so much better to use the EO's than it is that nasty sanitizing gel the school supplies.
I own a supplemental education facility.
OK, an after-school learning business.
REALLY, a Kumon Math and Reading Center.
We mandate that all students use available hand sanitizer before selecting a "restaurant-approved as sanitized" pencil before entering the classroom. Some children have health/skin issues with the alcohol based sanitizers I buy from retailers. Is there a "universal/inexpensive/non-alcohol" hand sanitizer recipe that you might be able to recommend?
Kindest regards~
~~~Anne
i love the idea of thieves oil – great ideas
Jennie, We are SO all over this. It's going to be a group of projects that are all designed for the last minute DIY giver. We're doing two gift sets, just like last year, along with labels. Look for it to debut next week! =)
Cool Dude, Thanks for the smile. It's great that you find value in my blog and it makes me very happy.
Ayesha, Aw, you are so sweet. Make your click through on the links showing the actual clinical studies to really wow everyone with your heavy duty research =)
OH.MY.GOD.
My entire school of public health and my work office will absolutely adore me after I make this concoction! I just wrote an article on the misconception of 'natural ingredients' in cosmetics and I was totally wondering about this. Also, someone in my health policy class was curious about creating a natural hand sanitizer to have available throughout our school.
Yay!! Thanks again!! Seriously, how can I repay this favor? You've give me (us) so many awesome tips!
-Ayesha
The history of the thieves oil is very interesting.
OMG, i am so glad to have those!! i can't wait to try, because i buy a base now and am almost out and with things going to slow down for me after xmas i don't want to buy any! LOL Thanks so much!!
hi…….
I m sure many of you are like me and one of the first things you do in the morning is head here and check out the new post. Along with seeing the new posts, I’m also always checking out the blog roll rss feed and watching them grow, or shrink sometimes. In one of my past …but all in all excellent site. Keep it up!
thanks.
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This has nothing to do with hand sanitizers (sorry, not my thing. I'm not much of a germaphobe.) Just wondering if you're going to do another awesome series on gifts for the holidays. Loved it last year!