These non-toxic hand sanitizers will keep your skin free of toxic chemicals and germs!
Killing germs has been a pretty sensitive topic these days. As they should be! But did you know that a natural hand sanitizer is just as effective?
Let me phrase it this way: Did you know that your traditional hand sanitizer is doing more harm than good? And get this, it might not even be killing any germs! That’s why I’m here to tell you everything you need to know about proper hand sanitization through safer options.
How Can I Sanitize My Hands Naturally?
The first thing you need to know about sanitizing your hands naturally is that the CDC recommends you use an alcohol-based sanitizer of at least 60% to be effective. Anything that does not use alcohol will kill bacteria, but not the dreaded virus, or any virus for that matter.
That’s why you will only see alcohol-based natural hand sanitizers on this list. I would love to recommend a natural hand sanitizer with no alcohol because it can dry out hands. But I only want to show you products that I know will work in this current climate.
With that said, finding a natural hand sanitizer is only half the battle. The other half is how you do it.
The CDC says to apply an amount of hand sanitizer that can fill the center of your palm, then rub all that goodness on your hands for a solid minute for best results.
If your hands are already dirty or greasy, then you might not kill as many germs as you think. Sanitizer can only do so much! Washing with soap and water is the best alternative if your hands are noticeably dirty.
If you remember anything from this post, remember these effective sanitizer tips! And washing with soap and water is always best.
Toxic Ingredients in Traditional Hand Sanitizer and Why It Doesn’t Work Anyway
Back in the days when I was a regular at Bath and Body Works, I would live for their little pocket hand sanitizers. But when I looked at the ingredients when I first started my clean beauty journey, I was appalled!
At the time (Which was 2013-ish), the alcohol content was only 32%! That’s not gonna kill anything. I have noticed that they bumped it up to 68% at the time of writing this post, which is good adapting in this current climate.
However, the other ingredients were so bad that even my beginner-level clean beauty guru self could see it was no bueno. The first ingredient was fragrance, and if you’ve read any other part of Essential Moves to Wellness, you know that I deplore this term!
“Fragrance” is a loophole in the cosmetics industry that lets companies use this one word in place of the ingredients that make up the “scent” part of the product. Since companies don’t have to disclose those ingredients, they can use whatever they want!
This one word can be a coverup of hundreds of illegal ingredients I’m sure you wouldn’t want to touch with a 10-foot pole. And you’re putting it all over your hands several times a day!
Even More Toxic Ingredients in Hand Sanitizer
In addition to inevitably finding “fragrance” on a traditional hand sanitizer’s ingredient list, there are other ingredients that are just as bad. They are:
PPG’s and PEG’s—A thickening agent that run rampant in sanitizers to give them that “gel” consistency. Although the ingredients themselves are fine, both make carcinogens, or cancer-causing chemicals, as a biproduct, so you won’t see those ingredients on the label.
Artificial Dyes—Commonly found on ingredient lists with a color and a number after it, like red#40. Artificial dyes are found in everything, despite the fact that they cause skin reactions and hyperactivity when ingested. Children are especially susceptible to mental health disorders when exposed to artificial dyes.
Parabens—You can find this chemical in just about anything these days. Parabens are a preservative that can be found with a long word before it, like Isobutylparaben. They are a hormone disruptor that mimic estrogen when absorbed into the body. Many experts suspect this chemical is a leading cause of infertility in both women and men.
Triclosan—This chemical has been banned in most household items, but hey, you never know. Triclosan is a very aggressive germ killer that has been proven to create more resistant strains of illness. It’s also a heavy-duty skin irritant.
These are the biggest offenders to look out for when it comes to finding the best natural hand sanitizer, but this is only scratching the surface. If you want to become an ingredient list guru and take control of your health, check out my eBook on how to switch to clean beauty the easy way!
What is the Best Natural Hand Sanitizer?
I always like to start off my product lists by saying that there is no “holy grail” product, because everyone is different! One person may like a certain product but hate another, while someone else could be the exact opposite.
Just keep in mind that none of these non-toxic hand sanitizers are alcohol-free. However, they do contain ingredients to help keep your hands moisturized. Let’s get into it!
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizer | Best Hand Sanitizer with Essential Oils
Looking for a good natural hand sanitizer spray? Look no further! Dr. Bronner’s makes my personal favorite hand sanitizer because you can get it anywhere, it works and smells amazing!
You can get Dr. Bronner’s hand sanitizer spray in peppermint or lavender, both of which contain essential oils. These are great options because both oils can be antibacterial as well!
The only downside of this natural hand sanitizer is that you can just barely smell the alcohol, but the essential oils do a good job of covering it up! And the size of the sanitizer is small enough that you can take it anywhere.
Just keep in mind that if you’re sensitive to essential oils, this might not be the best hand sanitizer for you. It’s worth mentioning because there needs to be more education on essential oil safety.
I keep a small bottle in my purse and on my desk. Believe it or not, this natural hand sanitizer spray also makes a great air freshener! I love to spray some of the peppermint around myself if I need a quick pick-me-up at work.
The Honest Company Hand Sanitizer Spray
Another great option for natural hand sanitizer spray is this one by The Honest Company. It doesn’t use as many essential oils as Dr. Bronner’s and contains a good amount of nourishing ingredients.
But if you want a natural hand sanitizer spray without essential oils, this is your product! The Honest Company has three different scents: Coastal Surf, Grapefruit, and Unscented. The unscented option has all the nourishing ingredients, and no essential oils!
This hand sanitizer spray also does a good job of keeping your hands moisturized to help combat the drying effects of the alcohol. All three options contain aloe, calendula, and chamomile extract, which help soothe and moisturize skin.
I personally prefer the unscented version because I find most blends a bit annoying in addition to the scent of the alcohol it’s trying to mask. I can handle one essential oil scent just fine, but not several at once. That’s just me though.
Everyone Hand Sanitizer Spray
The last natural hand sanitizer spray on this list is by one of my favorite clean beauty brands. Everyone truly has something for everyone! 😉 They’re one of the few brands that you can find almost everywhere, and all their products have good ingredients.
The moisturizing ingredients for this hand sanitizer is jojoba and glycerin, which get an A+ in my book. Jojoba oil mimics your skin’s natural oils, and glycerin helps to lock that moisture in. I’ve even used it in my DIY makeup setting spray.
The amount of ingredients in this sanitizer spray is minimal, which can be good or bad, depending on what you want. There aren’t as many moisturizing ingredients, but there aren’t as many essential oils either.
If you see this hand sanitizer spray at the store, be sure to pick some up! Or you can click to button below to shop it on Amazon.
EO Products Hand Sanitizer Pump
Here’s one of my favorite options for a good old hand sanitizer pump to keep on hand wherever you need it most. I’ve even seen this particular hand sanitizer in the front of holistic grocery stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods!
While that doesn’t attest to how natural this hand sanitizer is, it definitely attests to how well it works, and I totally agree. Not only does it smell lovely, but this hand sanitizer also doesn’t dry out my hands at all.
In fact, this hand sanitizer wins the award for zero residue. There’s nothing worse than a sanitizer that refuses to dry on your hands, leaving you with a sticky, awkwardly moist feeling for the next 10 minutes.
With this natural hand sanitizer, you can apply and go about your day without any weird feelings. Plus, the lavender scent isn’t overpowering in the slightest. I get the right amount of aromatherapy that leaves my hands feeling soft and clean.
Everyone Hand Sanitizing Wipes | Best Natural Hand Sanitizer Wipes
Last but definitely not least, this natural hand sanitizer wipe option from Everyone should be a staple for anyone who doesn’t have regular access to soap and water. Because sometimes, you just need the feeling of a good sanitizing wipe.
My favorite thing about these wipes are the smell! I get major lemongrass vibes from this product and I’m not mad about it. You can also find the same nourishing ingredients we’ve seen on other products, like chamomile and aloe vera. We’ve gotta keep those hands moisturized!
The only downside for these wipes is that they’re a bit on the expensive side. Getting 30 wipes for roughly $10 isn’t very much. If you’re looking to find some natural wipes that you would be using constantly, I would try to buy these in bulk.
But for the occasional camping trip, or any kind of excursion out of the house, these are the perfect option! Plus, this is the only hand sanitizer that you can use to clean any real dirt off your hands. Once your hands are clean, they’ll be nice and sanitized too!
How Effective is Natural Hand Sanitizer?
If applied properly like I mentioned earlier (rubbing a palm’s worth on your hands for one minute), then an au natural hand sanitizer should kill all those dangerous germs! You can get the job done just fine without any nasty chemicals.
That’s what bugs me about clean beauty sometimes. Or about the whole natural lifestyle scene in general. There’s a stigma that natural alternatives don’t work as well as their traditional counterparts.
To some extent, that’s true. But the clean beauty space has been thriving and more effective products are coming out. And when it comes to germs, you don’t need heavy-duty bleach to feel clean.
Over-cleaning is (usually) the culprit behind more resistant strains of bacteria and viruses. Some exposure is good! So let’s keep using what we know works instead of creating more potent stuff that ultimately wrecks our health.
What is an Alternative to Hand Sanitizer?
The only other safe and effective alternative to hand sanitizer is soap and warm water. Period. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, they’re lying.
While natural hand sanitizer benefits are totally legit and work well for killing germs, always wash your hands if you have that option. There’s no margin for error if you use plain old soap and hand washing methods!
Soap and water are the best things for disinfecting your hands. And if you do it constantly, a natural moisturizing soap is best. This is one of my favorite natural soaps if you’re curious for new options.
Homemade Hand Sanitizer with Essential Oils
If you’re curious on how to make your own natural hand sanitizer, it’s totally possible! All you need is some 60% proof alcohol and a few ingredients to make it easier on your hands.
You can check out my DIY natural hand sanitizer recipe to get the full scoop. And the best part? You can make it under five minutes! It’s seriously one of the easiest DIYs on my site.
Final Thoughts on Natural Hand Sanitizer
No matter how you decide to disinfect your hands, make sure you’re sticking to CDC guidelines and always use soap and water if it’s available. But if you must use sanitizer, always use and natural or non-toxic option!
My top five favorite natural hand sanitizers will get you through anything life throws at you. You’ve got wipes, sprays, and traditional style sanitizers that won’t inject harmful chemicals into your bloodstream.
Which natural hand sanitizer is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
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