Make Your Own Super-Charged (and historical) Hand Sanitizer
Hand-sanitizer?! A year ago, you couldn’t pay me to put that stuff on my skin. I would watch in wonder as I witnessed colleagues and Ayurvedic cohorts dousing their hands and feet (after yoga) with the stuff. Laden with a whole slew of seemingly inimical ingredients, I scoffed at the goop. That is, until flu season 2020 hit! Holy smokes, I went down hard, and I mean hard! I was at a point where I was contemplating taking a medical leave. I felt like every bone in my body was broken, old injuries came back to haunt in the wee hours. I’m now a convert and carry hand sanitizer in my work bag, my purse, and wash my hands like Jack Nicholson’s character in As Good as it Gets. But, and there’s a big but, I’m still a Vermont hippie at heart and the Purrell variety makes me shudder. Thus, I favor the natural products, or even better the DIY version.
Essential oils to the collective rescue! doTERRA and Young Living have a similar essential oil blend that works valiantly to ward off pesky bugs. On Guard is doTERRA’s variety and is marriage of virus fighting wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary oil.
Young Living manufactures Thieves Oil, a mythically potent and powerful formula dating back to 1413! For those history buffs, this is the era of the Bubonic (Black) Plague. Legend has it that while the Black Plague was running rampant throughout France, wiping out citizens and doctors, 4 grave robbers were caught stealing from numerous plague victims. Despite their intimate contact with the plague, namely from pick-pocketing the corpses, these men did not fall ill. Intrigued by their robust immune systems, the prevailing judge questioned the thieves about their secret. You see, the men were unemployed perfume and spice merchants, out of work due to the closure of the seaports. Together these men brewed a formula that when applied to the hands, temples, ears, feet and a mask over their nose and mouth, rendered them invincible to the Bubonic Plague. A lucrative endeavor, until they got caught.
Due to the disclosure of their treasured formulation, the judge agreed not to burn the men alive, which was common practice in the 1400’s, rather they were hung for their crimes. I know, bleak but fascinating. With the formula in hand, the judge bestowed this powerful armor to the remaining doctors. From that day forward, whenever treating a patient with the Black Plague, the doctors would sprinkle Thieves oil on their hands, feet, temples, ears and insert a cloth infused with the oil into a creepy beak-like mask.
Save for the citrus variety, Thieves has an almost identical profile as doTERRA’s On Guard – clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary. Bottom line, the essential oils work, and either brand is a stellar choice.
You have a few options here:
Option 1, you can douse yourself with On Guard, or Thieves, before leaving the house each morning, though not ideal if you work in a scent-free environment.
Option 2, you can craft your own On Guard/Thieves hand sanitizer, hipster style.
DIY Hand Sanitizer
·15 ml spray bottle
· 15 ml rubbing alcohol – or any grain alcohol with an alcohol percentage 60% and up.
· 25 drops of doTERRA’s On Guard oil or Young Living Thieves Essential Oil
Blend and carry this spray with you as your protective shield.
PS. Don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds. In lieu of singing the alphabet, or Happy Birthday, I chant this Metta mantra:
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be free from fear.
May all beings lives unfold with ease and grace.
Om shanti, shanti, shanti
Stay robust, eat your plants, sleep, exercise, and love one another.
Ayurveda Lite 