With flu season coming, and H1N1 on the horizon, now is the time for hand washing and sanitizing. But sanitizers often leave your hands chapped and dry. Plus, they smell icky. But you can make your own, and modify the scent to please your own personal scent palate.

This is an easy, non-emulsified sanitizer:

Blend together:

• 2 cups aloe vera gel (100% pure, none of that weird blue stuff, or stuff with lidocaine in, or any other chemicals…just pure aloe.)

• 2 tablespoons 90% SD40 alcohol. Ask the pharmacist if she has perfumer’s alcohol. You can use isopropyl, but it has a distinctive smell, and is not as effective.

• 1 tsp peppermint or eucalyptus oil

• 1-2 tsp tea tree oil (more is better, but some people have issues with the mediciney smell.)

(I also add a little basil or rosemary oil because I think it makes the other oils blend better from a “nose” standpoint. It gives the fragrance a top, middle and bottom note. Rose, lavender, lemon, or Geranium oils also work well with this blend.)

If you’re not sure where to get any of those things, let me know. I can recommend some suppliers.