“Chique” & Almost Germ Free

I am not a “Germaphobe” and I don’t compulsively feel the need to sanitize, but I do wash my hands every time I come home after being out and about. I believe that in some cases all the sickness and allergies of late are because of our societies overreaction to “killing” germs. I have no scientific research to back up my theory, except I did find this article that quotes a University of Michigan pediatric allergist, so it must be true! But, seriously, there has been a gigantic shift in behaviors, because when we were kids we dug in the dirt and played in the sand, but we were not obsessed with battling bacteria. Now, you see pump jars of hand sanitizer everywhere from the grocery store to the bank. Not to mention the other manic traits like wiping down the carts and placing sticky mats on the restaurant tables, simply to avoid contamination. Maybe, I am contributing to this madness by writing a post about homemade hand sanitizer, but I do sometimes have the urge to clean my hands when I don’t have access to soap and water.  Most of the hand sanitizers on the market are alcohol based, so I tried to find a recipe for an alcohol free one. I wanted to be able to keep it in a miniature spray bottle for convenience, so I needed one that was slightly thinner in consistency than the gel ones you buy in the pump.

Today, I mixed my homemade “elixir” using 4 simple ingredients: Aloe Vera Gel, Witch Hazel, Tea Tree Oil & Eucalyptus Oil.  Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic and I love the scent of eucalyptus, so it was the perfect blend. I recycled an old pump bottle and poured in my new concoction.  It sprays easily and it smells so clean and fresh. I tested it on my boys and they loved it. Matt, on the other hand, wondered if it would kill bugs too. Not sure, but we could always try it as an insect repellent.  What do you think? Maybe it was a little strong, but I think it it is perfectly “Chique”.