Did you know that in March 2020 in Australia, Young Living sold the amount of Waterless Hand Purifier they’d normally sell in in 13 months!!!!

In fact, they’ve temporarily sold out! Oh nooooo!!!!!

We have so many of our friends reaching out for our essential oils and oil-infused products. Fortunately, if you’re waiting for this to come back into stock, there is a simply DIY recipe you can use….

Sanitize your hands regularly

Keeping our hands sanitized is obviously critically important, now more than ever. So many people around the globe (including health professionals) are screaming out for a healthy hand sanitizer – one that won’t harm them while it’s purifying their hands. It needs to have enough alcohol in it to be effective….but be free of toxic additives, and still be gentle on their skin.

Unfortunately, the commercial hand sanitizers often contain nasty ingredients that you don’t want to be exposing yourself to….and certainly not multiple times a day. For example:

Non-alcoholic hand sanitizers generally use Triclosan as their antibacterial agent. Triclosan is :

• A powerful hormone disrupter
• Believed to cause birth defects and cancer

If your hand sanitizer is scented, it most likely contains a plethora of chemicals (mostly phthalates) to create that synthetic fragrance. Phthalates are endocrine disrupters that mimic our natural hormones and could alter genital development. Companies aren’t required to disclose the ingredients that make up their secret scents, but commercially it’s a lot cheaper to use chemical scents than natural scents. Even if it contains essential oils as its fragrance, you can’t be guaranteed that these oils are pure and free of synthetics.

If your hand sanitizer contains Parabens, these are chemicals used to preserve the other ingredients and extend the product’s shelf life. Methyl Paraben has been found to:

• Triple the rate of wrinkling in skin, so it speeds up aging
• Has been found in 18 out of 20 breast tumours (in a scientific study)

The Young Living difference

Fortunately, there are 3 Young Living products that can be used for keeping our hands clean, and all 3 are based on Young Living’s Thieves range.

If you are new to Young Living, you might be thinking “Thieves – what on earth is that?” It’s a strange name, I know. But once you know the meaning of it, it will make a lot more sense.

Why Thieves?

The Thieves essential oil blend was inspired by a story of four Thieves in Medieval Europe, who anointed their body with a vinegar containing various herbs and spices.

This is a great blend to wear under your feet to keep yourself healthy – think of it as your personal bodyguard.

It’s also wonderful to use in the diffuser, or on your kitchen benches, to kill airborne bacteria, viruses and mould, and to purify the air and these surfaces.

Young Living products for healthy, clean hands

1. Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer

This alcohol-based sanitizer comes in a handy 29.56ml pocket-sized bottle for carrying with you when you’re out and about, and in a 225ml dispenser for around the home and office.

It has the recommended amount of alcohol content so that (in the Australian and US markets) it can be promoted as an antibacterial hand sanitizer, for use in all situations.

2. Thieves Spray

This is sold as a single bottle, a 3 pack, and as a 946ml cost-effective refill. Spray it on your hands, or on surfaces you want to clean. It’s even great for removing sticky marks!

I use it to clean the marks off my walls left by my cats when they smooch against the walls and furniture – over time it builds up an ugly brown mark, which is easily cleaned off with the Thieves Spray.

If you want to read more, check out my bulletin about Thieves Spray.

3. Thieves Foaming Hand Soap

This is sold as a single bottle, a 3 pack, and as a 946ml cost-effect refill. I like to have one at every water outlet in my home – my sink, my laundry, and the hand basins.

A hand sanitizer is a good solution when soap and water are unavailable, however the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) still recommend using soap and water whenever possible.

Wildlife Rescue

Artemis writes: When I’m handling pythons as part of my wildlife rescue work, I know they can be carrying parasites and other diseases. I need to be diligent with my hygiene, not only to protect myself from picking any nasties up, but also to prevent the spread of disease from one python to another.

So I always carry my pocket-sized Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier to use when I’m out on a rescue. In my wildlife treatment room I have the 225ml dispenser of Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier, because I’m constantly purifying my hands after handling an animal, before I then go to touch doorknobs, etc.

I also take the extra precaution of walking inside my home and physically washing with Thieves Foaming Hand Soap in between handling the different animals in my care.

Young Living versus DIY

I always like to buy these items from Young Living, because I know I’m getting premium ingredients which have been blended for optimal effectiveness.

In other words, it does what it’s meant to do – sanitize our hands!

However, in these unprecedented times, you might one day find yourself needing some Thieves products and not being able to get them (either because of restrictions in the courier and postal system, or because of stock limits at Young Living, or if Young Living’s temporarily sold out of an item).

If that happens, here’s a great recipe for a DIY hand purifier which was shared by Gary Young’s sister Nancy Sanderson in her newsletter. Nancy has kindly agreed to me including it here (thanks Nancy!!!).

Nancy writes: When the things that used to be essential are getting harder to find, it’s time to break out the supplies and make them yourself! With just three household ingredients, essential oils, and a few minutes of your time, you’ll have a batch of DIY hand purifier ready to stock your shelves.

DIY hand purifier recipe

The key to a DIY hand purifier that works is having the proper percentage of germ-killing alcohol in the mix. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand purifier must have 60 percent or more alcohol content in order to be effective.

The following recipe will give you approximately 4–5 travel-sized containers of hand purifier, and takes only a few minutes to make. Note that other forms of alcohol such as vodka do not have a high enough alcohol content to be considered effective as a hand sanitizer…so source the isopropyl alcohol mentioned below.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup isopropyl alcohol
• 1/3 cup aloe vera gel
• 1 teaspoon jojoba oil
• 20 drops Thieves essential oil blend
• 20 drops Peppermint essential oil

Why these ingredients are so special:

Isopropyl alcohol is the hero of this recipe. Killing germs and taking names, the alcohol is doing the heavy lifting.

Aloe vera gel is a jack of all trades in this recipe! Not only does it thicken the solution so it’s easier to use, but it also helps condition the skin.

Jojoba oil moisturizes your skin for oh-so-soft hands. The best part? Jojoba is a non-greasy carrier oil that will leave your hands moisturized but not greasy.

Essential oils offer their unique properties and special scents, so you can customize your recipe for the aroma you love. Here are some great ideas:

• Thieves oil blend
• Geranium with Eucalyptus radiata
• Tea Tree with Lavender
• Lemon Myrtle with Orange
• Rosemary with Joy

Directions:

1. Add alcohol, aloe vera, and jojoba oil to a bowl.
2. Add essential oils and mix well to combine.
3. Store in travel-sized containers with a lid.

How to use hand purifier

Put a small amount of purifier in the palm of one hand, then rub it all over every surface of both hands. Keep rubbing until it is dry.

Here’s how to order….

If you already have your own wholesale account with Young Living, you can order through the shopping cart on your virtual office, or via phone with your local Young Living office.

If it’s been more than 12 months since you’ve ordered, or if you’ve never set up an account, please reach out to the person who introduced you to Young Living. You will need their member number when you place your first order.

If you have lost touch with them, or need any other assistance, we are here to help. Simply contact us, and we’ll be in touch to assist you and help answer your questions.

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