From what we have heard from the CDC, regular handwashing with soap and water is really your best bet during our management of Covid-19. We greatly encourage everyone to keep it up! And remember, to prevent or repair your hands from drying and chapping from all the soap, keep a bottle of HobaCare Jojoba by your sink. Just a couple of drops on the backs of your hands after washing really helps to combat the effects of our current, necessary routines. Or if it's easier, a bottle by the bedside can be a reminder to slather on some of the golden goodness and let your skin soothe and soften while sleeping!

However, if your job takes you out into the world, or you temporarily do not have access to a handwashing station or supplies, hand sanitizer can step in to help minimize risks.
We have been glad to see some hand sanitizers become available again for purchase online and in some stores, but if you are lucky enough to have some ingredients at home, you can make your own for yourself or a friend.

Isopropyl alcohol, aloe vera gel - either from the plant or store-bought and jojoba make a great, simple hand sanitizer. In order for it to be effective, you must adjust your recipe depending on the strength of your Isopropyl Alcohol. There are several resources online to help with proportions, so we encourage due diligence with fact-checking. From what we have seen, it appears you need a minimum proportion of 60% alcohol in order to kill the germs alcohol kills.

This means you'll need to check the strength of your Isopropyl Alcohol and adjust your recipe below:

In general, it is a 2:1 measurement of alcohol to moisturizer.

• 99% Isopropyl Alcohol - 2 parts alcohol to 1 part moisturizer (2/3 cup to 1/3 cup)
• 91% Isopropyl Alcohol - 3 parts alcohol to 1 part moisturizer (3/4 cup to 1/4 cup)
• 70% Isopropyl Alcohol - 9 parts alcohol to 1 part moisturizer (9 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon)

For that nice gel feeling, using mostly aloe vera for the moisturizer with some generous splashes of jojoba for extra softening and conditioning works nicely. *Please note: Pure aloe vera can turn a brown color due to oxidization, however, from what we've researched, it doesn't cause harm from turning brown, it just looks.. surprising! If you can refrigerate your mixture, this may help the browning from happening.

If you only have Isopropyl Alcohol and Jojoba, you could try using just Jojoba as the sole moisturizer and see how it feels. It wouldn't be your typical sanitizer texture, but your hands sure would feel soft after using the mixture!

With clean hands and utensils, simply mix your ingredients together - you can even add a few drops of your favorite essential oils for extra antibacterial or aromatherapeutic benefits (please be sure to do full research on essential oils and possible side effects before using and use minimal amounts). Allow a bit of space in the bottle you pour your mixture into, so you can give your sanitizer a shake before using it. As with store-bought sanitizers, give your hands about a minute to dry (while rubbing it in) for best efficacy.

*We do not advise use on children - best if they stick to proper hand washing instead.

We are thinking of all of you and wishing you much wellness amidst these current challenges. Please keep in touch with us as we make it through to the next chapter together.