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Hand Sanitizer Dilemma
Started
by bkgirl
on December 10, 2012
Hello fellow vegans! I have a question about hand sanitizers... I used to use them frequently before becoming vegan and following a more holistic lifestyle. Since then I have also tried not to use harsh chemicals on my body. I don't believe in antibiotics either, only in very extreme cases. I figure, if you get sick, be sick, and you will build up a natural resistance in your system and thats good, right?
However, I live in NYC and travel daily and come in contact with so many germs, I'm sure. But, I recently contracted a really terrible stomach virus that landed me in the hospital which made me re-think the use of hand sanitizers. But I have heard so many conflicting information, such as anti-bacterial doesn't kill viral germs, etc. Can anyone weigh-in on this? I would love to hear your comments,recommendations, and/or thoughts. Thanks!
I don't use them either and agree with all your reasons above re it's better to build up some resistance. If you wanted something as back-up though, apparently there are some 'natural' ones out there that you could search for that I think aren't filled with all the rubbish of the commercial ones??? Not sure what's in them, you'd need to check but they would have to be better than the others. eg; Jurlique ...
Just checked the ingredients of my pocket hand sanitizer...it has aloe vera and ethyl alcohol in it. Looks pretty safe! According to wikipedia, ethyl alcohol is "[b]est known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages..."
Also, using hand sanitizer often is for others around you like a doctor always him/her wash hands and put on sanitizer first before examining you. I think it is courteous and considerate to use hand sanitizer and wash hands often.
U can do a search for "diy hand sanitizer" to make a less toxic one. My favorite is the one by Gorgeously Green on utube. If u love the scent of cinnamon & cloves like me, u will find yourself eagerly using this stuff several times a day. But there r other recipes out there using different essential oils. I feel better having a healthier alternative to the chemical-laden ones for sale.
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