In addition to staying home and wearing masks while outdoors, keeping your hands (extremely) clean is currently crucial. And while washing your hands with soap and water is ideal, it isn’t always possible. Which is where hand sanitizer comes in — hand sanitizer, that is, with at least 60 percent alcohol, per the CDC. But with hand sanitizers from the usual suspects scarce (bottles of Purell are being resold for hundreds of dollars on eBay and Craigslist), lots of unconventional brands have adjusted their production to meet demands. Distilleries, for instance, have been using excess alcohol from production to make hand sanitizers, and beauty brands have followed suit. While some bigger corporations, like Coty, are making hand sanitizer exclusively for first responders and hospitals, others are making theirs available for purchase through their sites. Here, we’ve rounded those up.
Editors’ note: Given that hand sanitizer is extremely in demand, stock is constantly fluctuating. We’ll be updating this post every day with new places to buy, so if you don’t see an option you like, check in later for more.
Gel hand sanitizers
Known for its anti-chafing sticks, natural deodorant, and bust dust, Megababe also happens to make FDA-approved hand sanitizer (that means it’s alcohol-based and has at least 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropanol). The (vegan) formula kills up to 99.9 percent of germs using plant-based alcohol but is also formulated to be non-stripping, and it includes oils like marula and almond to lock in moisture. It’s made without phthalates, parabens, and sulfates and has a pleasant, citrusy scent. The brand currently stocks two sizes — a 16-ounce bottle that comes with a pump and two-ounce bottle you can take on the go.
If you’re on the hunt for an especially nondrying and soothing option, K-beauty brand Tonymoly is now selling hand-sanitizing gels, which incorporate aloe water and witch hazel, which moisturize and help calm any existing inflammation.
Inspired by local distilleries making hand sanitizer, Saie, a clean-makeup brand, has started manufacturing and shipping hand sanitizer with every order. Their formula, which is made with vitamin E and glycerin to offset the dryness of the alcohol, also contains tangerine oil, which gives it its citrus smell.
Another makeup brand making hand sanitizer is Nudestix, and for every purchase, it will donate a bottle to at-risk communities (in addition to the 20,000 bottles it’s already committed to giving away). Made with 62 percent ethanol alcohol, it also contains glycerin, castor seed oil, and green tea extract to keep hands moisturized.
If you like the gel texture of a traditional hand sanitizer, then this quick-drying one from Maapilim is a good option. The high alcohol content (70 percent) is offset by a dose of aloe and it contains a blend of essential oils (bergamot, jasmine, cedarwood) which give it its pleasant scent.
Green Goo, an all-natural body-care brand, partnered with Colorado distillery Spirit Hound Distillers to produce hand sanitizer for first responders and recently launched hand sanitizer available for purchase on its site. The two-ounce squeeze bottle has an alcohol content of 63.5 percent and is an affordable $4.
In addition to donating $1 million worth of hand sanitizer, CHI — as in the hair-tool company — is manufacturing hand sanitizers for sale, formulated with aloe grown in the company’s organic gardens. In has soothing aloe plus glycerin and amino acids to help lock in moisture. This sanitizer is currently stocked in four sizes, ranging from a portable two ounces to a more substantial 26 ounces.
CHI is also making hand sanitizer for its sister brand BioSilk, which has an identical formula and is available in similar sizes. The biggest difference is the packaging — this one comes in a squeeze tube (similar to its cult-favorite hair serum) instead of a pump.
AG Hair’s version is available in both spray and gel form. This one is vegan, cruelty free, and uses ethyl alcohol to kill germs. It also contains vitamin E, glycerin, and aloe vera to help with dryness.
Skin-care brand Clark’s Botanicals has shifted all of its production to making hand sanitizer. The brand is donating sanitizer to Northwell Health and Montefiore. Right now, for every full-size product purchased on its website, the company will send customers a bottle of hand sanitizer for free.
Another beauty brand making hand sanitizer is Thrive Causemetics, known for its ultra-lengthening mascara. This hydrating sanitizer is formulated with plant-based ethyl alcohol and coconut oil, so your hands feel moisturized without being sticky. 100 percent of the profits from the sanitizer will be going to the Black Women’s Health Imperative, a nonprofit that promotes health and wellness for Black women and girls.
This reloadable hand sanitizer comes in sleek, palm-size packaging and is packed with humectants (which help lock moisture into the skin). You can purchase refills, too, along with an air-free pump option in a slightly larger size.
Another fragrance-free option is this hand-sanitizer gel from clean-baby-care brand Pipette, which has an alcohol content of 65 percent and contains sugarcane-derived squalane oil. The brand is also donating 32,000 bottles of their sanitizer to medical communities in New York and California.
CBD brand Highline Wellness’s sanitizer contains alcohol (70%), aloe vera (to offset the dryness of the alcohol), along with (of course) 100mg of CBD oil.
Real Time Pain Relief, maker of arnica-based pain management creams, is now making hand sanitizer (containing 70 percent alcohol, aloe vera, and glycerin). They come in a range of sizes and are all in stock and ready to ship.
This unscented hand sanitizer from natural-deodorant brand American Provenance has an an even higher alcohol content — 80 percent! — and also contains glycerin and hydrogen peroxide.
Type:A, known for their clean deodorant formulas, is making eucalyptus-scented hand sanitizer. Its gel texture contains glycerin, and is ultra-lightweight, so it won’t gunk up on your hands.
Known for its solid-colored school supplies (like this aqua tape dispenser), Yoobi is now making hand sanitizer that comes in packs of 50 easy to tote around sachets. In addition to its high alcohol content (70 percent), its formula includes moisturizing glycerin. These are currently available and shipping quickly.
If you like the portability of sachets but also want something you can use more than once, this, from K-Beauty brand The Créme Shop (it also makes Eve’s favorite makeup wipes) is a great option. It contains vitamin E and aloe vera along with an alcohol content of 70 percent. These are currently available in two scents (green tea and mixed berries) and two sizes (one ounce and two ounce).
For something that is part hand sanitizer, part objet d’art, consider this collaboration between Australian brand Third Drawer Down, self-care company Zeep, and artists David Shrigley and Magda Archer. The limited-edition bottles of sanitizer (with an alcohol content of 75 percent), are currently available, but the brand is shipping any preorders first.
Fragrance brand Skylar released a hand sanitizer to accompany its new scent Sun Shower, which has notes of lemon leaves and jasmine and contains the CDC-recommended alcohol content of 62 percent. It also comes in an eight-ounce bottle, an ideal size, we think, for a desk.
If you’re in need of a pack of hand sanitizers or want to stock up on a particular scent, then these sanitizers from Earth to Skin, which come in a pack of six, are ideal. While the scents vary, ranging from blueberry to lemon and basil to watermelon, all of them are formulated with aloe, to help moisturize skin and have an alcohol content of 72 percent. They’re also affordable, and cost about $1 per bottle.
Makers of hair creams and oils R+Co recently released a hand sanitizer that’s nondrying but effective. Formulated with the CDC-recommended alcohol content of 60 percent and glycerin, aloe juice, and vitamin E, this hydrating gel is a good option for anyone who’s hoping to both cleanse and moisturize their hands.
Hand sanitizer sprays
After selling out of their 2oz-size, direct-to-consumer lash, brow, and hair growth brand Vegamour released a 6oz quick-drying hand sanitizer spray, which contains aloe vera, marula oil, and 75% isopropyl alcohol. (20% of the proceeds goes to Project Angel Food.)
Sparitual, partnering with its parent company, Orly International, is making hand sanitizer with just four ingredients: 75 percent isopropyl alcohol, glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, and purified water. Each purchase comes with four two-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer, with a convenient pump spray. Sparitual has also donated 5,000 hand sanitizers to the city of L.A., focusing mostly on the city’s at-risk homeless population.
Orly is making hand sanitizer as well and has thus far donated 10,000 bottles to the city of L.A. This one is also made from the same four ingredients as Sparitual’s hand sanitizer and comes in an easy-to-tote spray bottle.
Seaweed-based skin-care brand Repêchage also launched hand sanitizers to keep up with growing demand. The antiseptic and antibacterial formula (this means it targets bacteria and deters bacterial growth) has an alcohol content of 75 percent and comes in a conveniently portable four-ounce size. The brand is also donating 5 percent of production to first responders in New Jersey, where its factory is located.
Purlisse, the maker of Lori Keong’s all-time-favorite BB cream, has both scented and unscented hand sanitizers, each of which comes in a pocket-size bottle you can purchase with larger refills. This three-bottle multipack is a really good deal and contains a green-tea–ginger scent, a watermelon-lemon scent, and a papaya-turmeric scent.
For an unscented option, we recommend this one from SPF-makers Bare Republic. The spray is formulated with glycerin, calendula, aloe, and chamomile.
Oral-care brand EverPure is selling one-ounce hand-sanitizer sprays by the caseload (you can get anywhere from five all the way up to 88), which also have a high alcohol content (75 percent) along with glycerin (for moisturizing) and hydrogen peroxide. The brand has bigger sizes as well (two-ounce and four-ounce bottles).
Nontoxic nail polish brand Zoya is also making a hand sanitizer with a 70 percent alcohol content, available in both spray and pump form.
Personal wellness brand Wellnesse’s formula includes eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and a 62 percent alcohol content. The bottle is recyclable glass, and $3 from every purchase goes toward a COVID-19-related charity of your choice, including Robin Hood Relief Fund, Food for the Poor, and Charity: Water.
Another brand focused on sustainable packaging is Common Good, a household cleaning supplies brand that uses recyclable glass and plastic packaging. Their hand sanitizer has a high alcohol content of 70 percent, and is scented with grapefruit essential oils.
Nala, which makes natural deodorant, is selling vegan hand sanitizer that has an alcohol content of 63 percent and contains a blend of eucalyptus, tea tree, manuka oil, lemongrass, and lavender water. Ten percent of proceeds are going to Covenant House Vancouver, is currently available for pre-order (it’ll ship later this month).
Another essential-oil-infused option is this one from streetwear brand Akings, which outfits rappers like Lil Baby and Wale. In addition to lavender-scented oil, it contains moisturizing glycerin and vitamin E and has a high alcohol content of 70 percent.
Yet another natural-deodorant brand making hand sanitizer: AndyO Organics. Its version only has a few ingredients — alcohol, glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, and water — and is scented with lavender essential oils. The brand is also donating hand sanitizers to Miami-based firefighters in honor of the founder’s late husband.
Skin-care brand Fleur & Bee has shifted a portion of their production to making hand sanitizer, which is currently available for preorder and will ship May 15th. With a high alcohol content of 75 percent and glycerin to help with dryness, this is a good option for anyone who prefers spray sanitizers over gels.
Bathing Culture, which sells bath salts, body washes, and all manner of body brushes and sea sponges, recently launched a sanitizer, made from 72 percent corn alcohol and infused with the brand’s signature, woodsy scent. This sanitizer comes in a two-ounce glass spray bottle and an eight ounce refillable, recyclable plastic bottle. This one is shipping immediately, and $1 from each bottle sold is donated to Dig Deep.
Brooklyn-based Shen Beauty’s formula uses only four ingredients: alcohol, glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, and water. In addition to being unscented, it also has a high alcohol content of 80 percent and comes in a convenient two-ounce bottle.
Unlike most hand sanitizers, this one from natural-deodorant brand OH.SO contains colloidal silver (in addition to alcohol), which is said to help kill bacteria. Available in a two-ounce spray bottle, it’s available immediately and ready to ship.
After creating a bespoke hand sanitizer for their staff, Herbivore Botanicals, known for their minimalist packaging and cultish jade roller, (which writer Mackenzie Wagoner uses to take her sheet masks to the next level) decided to make it available to the public. They’re currently offering it in two scents: pink grapefruit and lavender. This sanitizer has a high alcohol content of 75 percent and also contains hyaluronic acid and aloe vera to help soothe and moisturize hands.
Another nice-smelling option is this sanitizer from Woo Skincare, which uses natural peppermint essence and has a high alcohol content of 70 percent. It’s also easy to tote and comes in a convenient two-ounce spray bottle.
If you’re looking for a scented hand sanitizer that isn’t too fruity or woodsy, then this one from Public Goods is a good bet. Scented with natural ingredients like cinnamon leaf oil and botanical essences like juniper cherry, rosebud, and lavender, it has a pleasant smell and a nonsticky feel. It’s also vegan, cruelty-free, and made without parabens or sulfates. In addition to the gel option, the brand sells a spray formula in a 12-ounce bottle.
Honest Beauty, makers of baby shampoo and body wash, also makes hand sanitizer packed with aloe juice and glycerin to help soothe and moisturize hands. It is quick-drying and won’t leave a sticky film after use.
Zoey Naturals, a baby-care brand, makes a phthalate-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free hand sanitizer that only contains three ingredients: 70 percent ethyl alcohol, water, and fragrance (island hibiscus or English garden).
Hand-crafted jewelry brand AMYO’s hand sanitizer is both organic and jewelry-safe. Lots of traditional sanitizers have additives that can tarnish your jewels, but this one will cleanse your hands and keep your baubles intact. In addition to having an alcohol content of 70 percent it contains glycerin to moisturize hands and is scented with lavender essential oils.
In addition to partnering with Chicago and New York City hospitals, natural-skin-care brand Oars + Alps has made their pocket-sized sanitizers available for purchase. These contain ethyl alcohol and vitamin E and are currently available to ship.
If you’d like hand sanitizer to show up at your doorstep once a month, then this, from Sanitizer.com, might be a good option. This vegan, non-sticky formula comes in a portable two-ounce spray bottle and can be purchased as a single bottle or in a pack of three. In addition to a high alcohol content of 80 percent, it also contains a bit of peroxide, said to be effective in killing bacteria.
For an adorably packaged hand sanitizer, we recommend this option from hand sanitizer brand Olika, which loosely resembles a pink bird. Each bottle contains over 500 sprays (that’s about 250 uses) and uses only four ingredients: ethyl alcohol, water, glycerin, and aloe juice. It also has a built-in locking system, so you’ll never have to worry that it’ll spill in your bag.
Cutter, best known for its highly effective bug-repellent products, recently started selling hand sanitizer, after donating early production runs to its own employees and local community in Blacksburg, Virginia. The four-ounce bottle has a high alcohol content of 80 percent and is one of the few options on this list available at big-box retailers like Home Depot and Amazon.
This preparedness kit from generic pharmacy brand Cabinet includes two small bottles of sanitizer, a pack of daytime and nighttime cold pills, and a bottle of acetaminophen (generic Tylenol).
Liquid hand sanitizers
Made from steam-distilled, organic grape alcohol (a.k.a. grape moonshine), this grape hand tonic from Loli Beauty is a good option if you’re looking for something natural but still effective. It has a thinner consistency than gel-textured sanitizers (more like an aftershave) and contains glycerin for added moisture and sweet-orange essential oil.
The eight-ounce bottle from By Humankind is designed to refill your now-empty travel-size plastic bottles of sanitizer and comes in recyclable aluminum packaging. Along with an alcohol content of 65 percent, it contains hyaluronic acid, which helps the skin attract water and stay hydrated. The company is also donating a dollar from every purchase to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which offers emergency support to people in the New York City area.
“Farm-to-spa” skin-care brand Farmhouse Fresh is selling hand sanitizer in a variety of sizes. While many brands are charging upwards of $10 for two-ounce bottles, Farmhouse Fresh’s eight-ounce bottles are going for only $12. This sanitizer has a liquid consistency, and can be used on hands and surfaces.
Known for its goat-milk bar soaps that are available for purchase at Cracker Barrel, Dionis’s unscented sanitizers have a thin consistency that won’t leave hands sticky and a high alcohol content of 75 percent. If squeezed onto a dry paper towel, this sanitizer can be used to clean surfaces as well.
Larger quantities of hand sanitizer
Palmpalm is fragrance- and dye-free and has an impressively high alcohol content of 80 percent. The fast-drying, liquid formula also contains glycerin, which helps with the drying effects of the alcohol. The brand also sells smaller sizes of gel-textured hand sanitizer, most of which are currently available, though on backorder.
One distillery making hand sanitizer available for purchase is Griffo, a small-batch distillery and tasting bar based in California. Their formulas use 140-proof denatured alcohol (which translates to a 70 percent alcohol content) and are available in a gallon-size jug in liquid or gel form.
Another is Faber Distilling Co. based in Pennsylvania. Its sanitizer’s alcohol content is an extremely high 80 percent, and 2 percent of each sale will go to support the First Responders Children’s Foundation.
If you’re in search of larger quantities, candle company Votivo is selling liquid hand sanitizer by the gallon, with a high alcohol content of 75 percent. This water-thin formula can be poured directly into your hands or used to refill smaller spray bottles you already own.
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