Hand sanitizer is one of the most prevalent hygiene products available. You see it in hospitals, offices, by the front door of restaurants and stores – it’s used by everyone, everywhere. And that’s all thanks to a Latina named Lupe Hernandez.
Lupe’s idea came to her in 1966 while living in Bakersfield, CA. She realized that doctors needed a quick way to sanitize their hands when soap and water weren’t readily available to them. Her solution was to deliver alcohol via gel for a quick, waterless sanitation. The gel was inexpensive, easily transportable, and easy to place in high traffic areas. Lupe, having thought of everything, made a call to an invention hotline to inquire about a patent shortly after having conceived her brilliant idea. At first, hand sanitizer was used primarily in hospitals, but by the late 1980’s, companies like Purell had commercially available products.
The product has seen a boom in recent years – sales of hand sanitizer rose 71% due to H1N1 concerns, and online opportunists are selling bottles at ridiculous markups with the COVID-19 outbreak. You can’t even find it on Amazon anymore!
So, if you’ve had trouble getting your hands on even a travel size bottle, you’re in luck. The clever people over at the spruce have shared a homemade recipe so we can make our own hand sanitizer! All you have to do is mix together aloe vera, rubbing alcohol, and your scented oil of choice in a dispenser bottle. Easy enough!
Here are some other ways you can stay healthy.
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