O wise man, wash your hands of that friend who associates with your enemies.

Saadi

Okay, I know. We all have to wash our hands and use hand sanitizer now and clean counters and surfaces … and everything else. This is all good. HOWEVER, most of the hand sanitizers out there in the market have some nasty chemicals in them that you should be aware of.

Beware of endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Triclosan is a common chemical found in our everyday products. It is an endocrine disrupter, which means it interferes with the hormones that regulate all our bodily functions, and that can create havoc with our health. Triclosan can be found in toothpaste, liquid soap, dish detergent, and hand sanitizer, as well as many other household products. 

A variety of these and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals have been proven to cause cancer and other diseases. And on top that, they affect fat accumulation, disrupting metabolism and increasing the number and size of our fat cells! These chemicals are referred to as obesogens. They affect thyroid function, can affect appetite and satiety (feeling full), and they accumulate in the body where they get stored in our fat cells. With these chemicals in so many of our household cleaning supplies, personal care products, and cosmetics, what are we supposed to do? 

Read the label! 

If you see an ingredient list with super long words that you can barely pronounce, no less understand, be very suspicious. These chemicals are often sneaky and sometimes hidden in fragrance or perfume.

There are safer alternatives, and you can even make some of them yourself. Hydrogen peroxide is an effective spray cleaner (see recipe below). Most of us are home a lot right now so we can easily wash our hands and skip the negative drying aspects of a gel sanitizer, but you still need to check your products for safety. 

Don’t make yourself sick

I’m serious. Right now during this pandemic, we are super exposing ourselves to these chemicals. Do we really want to inflict a secondary health risk because of all the cleaning and washing going on? We certainly do not need to be creating more toxic fat cells. (That’s one good reason why it’s important to do cleanses every few months!)

If you want to find out whether the products you are using now are safe, visit the Environmental Working Group website: www.ewg.org. They have a comprehensive list of household and personal-care products and rate them according to safety. 

Check out some of my favorite resources:

My Greenfills 

The best laundry soap ever! They also sell other household cleaning supplies.

HerbDoc.com 

In addition to herbs, they make a spray for hands and also a great room detox spray that I love.

Vitality and Valor

My friend Jaime Jean Klocek, who carries Young Living products, sells a product called Thieves, a hand sanitizer that’s really nice.

Norwex

They make all kinds of natural cleaning products.

Beauty Counter

Safe personal care, skincare, and body products that I have been recommending for a while.

Make Your Own DIY Hand Sanitizer and Disinfectants

Use a strong alcohol. I use 190 proof grain alcohol that I buy in bulk from www.organicalcohol.com. It is expensive, so if you only want a small amount you could go in on a gallon with a few friends. Everclear is another option. You can find it in a store where they carry liquor, but you will have to ask for it. Rubbing alcohol is the next best alternative. Vodka is not really strong enough, and it’s iffy as far as killing off viruses is concerned. But if vodka was all I had, I’d use it.

Hand Sanitizer

1 & 1/2 cups alcohol (3 parts)

1/2 cup aloe vera gel (1 part)

Add 10 drops essential oil of tea tree and 10 drops of lavender and mix thoroughly. 

Pour into a BPA free plastic or glass container with a pump or spout.

Makes 2 cups

You can also try other combinations of essential oils, such as thyme, oregano, eucalyptus, rosemary, oregano, ravensara, and clove, but use fewer drops of these especially if your skin is sensitive.

Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant

The hydrogen peroxide usually available in stores is 3%, but you can purchase a 35% food-grade H2o2 from the health food store or online and then dilute it with distilled water to 3-4%, The ratio’s are on the label. It’s cheaper in the long run, and it’s safe.

A glass container is ideal, but a hard plastic spray bottle that is BPA-free is fine too.

Stronger Disinfectant

6 oz alcohol

2 oz distilled water

add a few drops essential oil

Pour into a spray bottle. Shake before using.

General Surface Cleaner

You can mix alcohol with distilled water to make a strong disinfectant. Make small batches to ensure potency. Add essential oil if desired, especially if you are using rubbing alcohol. 

1/2 cup alcohol

1 & 1/2 cups hot distilled water

1 tsp liquid castille soap

15–20 drops of essential oil (tea tree is best but you can use any combination)

Pour into a hard plastic container and shake well.

You can also use plain distilled vinegar, and it is a decent sanitizer. However, 

I’m not sure if it’s the best at disinfecting at the level we want, plus it has a peculiar odor. Use your own judgment, and work with what you have.

Stay safe, stay sane, and be gorgeously healthy,

Gay