Make your own hand sanitizer

  • Herald staff
  • Friday, September 7, 2012 1:37pm
  • Life

Door handles, desks, toys and monkey bars — it’s a battle to keep children’s hands clean during cold and flu season.

But rather than buying store-bought hand sanitizer, which often contains alcohol and harsh chemicals, parents can make a gentle but effective blend to fight germs this season.

Homemade hand sanitizer

3 oz. filtered water

1 teaspoon aloe vera gel

10 drops cinnamon essential oil

10 drops clove essential oil

10 drops rosemary essential oil

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil

20 drops lemon oil

Mix ingredients in a 4-ounce spray bottle and shake gently. Spray on children’s hands and teach them to massage the spray into their hands for 30 seconds.

Find this recipe and other natural remedies in “Treatment Alternatives for Children” by pediatrician Lawrence Rosen and parent Jeff Cohen.

The book has remedies for close to 100 common childhood ailments, from acne to urinary tract infections. It’s aimed at parents who want alternatives to prescription antibiotics and other conventional treatments.

See www.lawrencerosenmd.com for more information.

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