What do you do when you need to wash your hands, and running water is unavailable (like the grocery store)? Yes, an alcohol-based hand sanitiser is your best choice. However, alcohol-based hand sanitisers are really harsh on my already dry skin. Needless to say, Covid-19 lockdown destroyed my hands, and that’s when I came up with this recipe.
At first, I started carrying around a juice bottle filled with diluted liquid soap. But it would often spill to the floor when I poured it into my hands. Then I devised a plan to turn my portable soapy water into a more travel-friendly and handbag-friendly gel. So that’s basically what this recipe is – a way to carry around soapy water in your handbag. The same directions as hand sanitisers apply – lather and rub thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.
Waterless Hand Wash
Ingredients
- 70g Distilled Water (boiled)
- 30g Liquid Soap
- 2.5g Vegetable Glycerine
- 0.4g Xanthan Gum (approx. ~1/8 teaspoon)
- Optional: 0.5g Essential Oils (approx. ~10 drops)
- Water-soluble Broad Spectrum Preservative (see notes)
Instructions
- Combine xanthan gum and glycerine to form a paste. Set aside.
- Combine the liquid soap and essential oils (if using). Set aside.
- Boil the distilled water.
- Pour the hot distilled water and liquid soap into a small pot or bowl. Don’t mix yet.
- While the soap solution is still hot, gently stir in the xanthan gum paste until it dissolves.
- Stop stirring when the solution turns into a gel-like consistency.
- Let it cool to at least 40°C (or lower), and then stir in your preservative.
- Transfer into a sterilised tube or pump bottle and use within 6 months.
- Directions: Apply gel to hands and lather thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. Use more gel as required.
Notes
- You may use any water-soluble broad spectrum preservative, but bear in mind that each preservative has different applications and usage rates. So make sure to read the manufacturer’s directions and adjust the recipe accordingly.
- The water must be hot in order for this to work. If your solution cools down before achieving the gel texture, reheat on the stove and stir. Although, if you use boiling water, this shouldn’t be necessary.
- I use my own homemade liquid soap (coconut oil based). You may use any liquid soap, but I cannot guarantee the same results since all soaps are made differently. Your product may have different lather, stickiness, viscosity etc.
- The more concentrated your liquid soap, the more effective it will be as a cleanser.
- My personal antibacterial essential oil blend: 5 drops lavender, 2 drops tea tree, 1 drops eucalyptus, 1 drops camphor, 1 drops thyme.
- Important note: According to current research, essential oils are ineffective against the Covid-19 virus. The essential oils in my blend were chosen for their anti-bacterial properties, which has nothing to do with viruses.
Cost & Shelf Life
Cost Price: R5 per 100ml when you make liquid soap, and R30 if you use Dr. Bronner’s Fragrance Free Liquid Soap. Calculated in 2020, based on the best retail prices I’ve found.
Lasted me about: 1 month using on my hands and forearms multiple times per day.
Estimated shelf life: 6 months if you store away from direct sunlight.
Challenge
Your hands will feel a little sticky when you first apply the gel, but this usually goes away in a minute as the product absorbs. The more concentrated your soap, the sticker it will feel. The ratios in my recipe are ideal, in the sense that it still lathers well and only feels sticky for a short time. Stickiness was a trade-off that I was willing to make in order to stop using alcohol-based sanitisers on my bare hands.
Cherry on top
- Ideal for travelling, or for emergencies when running water or alcohol is unavailable.
- Not as drying to your hands as alcohol-based sanitisers.
- Soap is readily available and affordable for most people.
- Can be stored in a pump bottle in your handbag.
Ingredients
- Distilled water: is a pure form of water without additional minerals, salts and other deposits which typically shorten the shelf life of a product. You can find distilled water at most pharmacies. Don’t confuse distilled water with filtered, spring or purified water – they are not the same thing. (buy here)
- Liquid soap: is the main ingredient in this recipe used to sanitise hands. You can make your own liquid soap, or you can buy a good liquid soap.
- Vegetable glycerine: is necessary to hydrate the xanthan gum in the recipe to prevent clumps from forming. (Buy here )
- Xanthan gum: is a sugar derived from either corn, soy or wheat. It transforms the liquid soap solution into a gel. (Buy here)
Disclaimer: This recipe will not provide adequate protection against a virus as a stand alone measure. The World Health Organization’s standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs, washing fresh produce, and to avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of illness such as coughing and sneezing.
REFERENCES:
[1] Dr. Dan Corbett. How soap kills the coronavirus. Online article accessed from Queen’s University Belfast website at, https://www.qub.ac.uk/coronavirus/analysis-commentary/how-soap-kills-covid-19-virus/
[2] Pall Thordarson. The science of soap – here’s how it kills the coronavirus. Published on 12 March 2020, accessed from The Guardian at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/12/science-soap-kills-coronavirus-alcohol-based-disinfectants
Have you made this recipe? How does this waterless hand wash work for you? Let me know in the comments below.