MARTHA'S BATH AND BODY
  • Home
  • Winter Clearance Sale
  • New Scents
  • Our Story
  • Find Us
  • Reviews
    • Lotion Reviews
    • Deodorant Reviews
    • More Reviews
  • Blog
Picture

Will Martha's Make Hand Sanitizer?

7/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Many of you have asked us if we will have a hand sanitizer soon. We've been working on formulating a hand sanitizer for a while now, even before COVID-19. Then when the demand increased we couldn't get the raw materials to further experiment with our formula. The good news is now we have the perfect supply of the raw materials needed to make a really awesome hand sanitizer! But here's the bad news -- we can't do it. Although it is physically possible for us to make hand sanitizer, we can't manufacture or sell hand sanitizer. Here's why.

Upon further research, we learned that hand sanitizer is considered an over-the-counter drug. It's not a cosmetic like lotion. It's not soap. It's in another class altogether. This means there's another whole set of rules. Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are involved in regulating hand sanitizer. The bureaucratic and legal processes we'd have to go through to be able to sell hand sanitizer are staggering, and it just doesn't make sense for our small business. Even with the FDA's temporary policies for hand sanitizer in response to COVID-19, it's still not do-able for us. The FDA's temporary policies allow for facilities such as distilleries to switch to making hand sanitizer to meet the current demand. The FDA also regulates the exact formula distilleries should use for their sanitizer. More about that in a bit!

What's In Your Hand Sanitizer?

​This is where our frustration comes in -- we know we can make a cleaner, purer hand sanitizer than what's commonly out there. Each formula for each manufacturer has to be approved by the FDA as part of the process. Here's a snippet from the label of a typical hand sanitizer. This particular hand sanitizer boasts of having Vitamin E and Aloe added, which makes the consumer feel like they are getting a superior product. Let's take a look at the ingredients.
Picture
Obviously the active ingredient of ethyl alcohol is the key thing here. This is what is doing the sanitizing. So what are all the inactive ingredients for? They are there to thicken the sanitizer into a gel form, to make it smell a bit better, and to stabilize the formula. Here's a look at a few of the inactive ingredients that you may not recognize.
  • Triethanolamine is made by reacting ethylene oxide with ammonia. It is used as a pH adjuster and as a surfactant. It can also act as an emulsifier and thickener, giving the product a more homogeneous appearance. Although it is commonly used in personal care items, there are concerns about its safety, especially with prolonged contact with skin. 
  • Propylene glycol is a synthetic solvent found in a wide variety of products. It can be a food additive (in the U.S), and it is commonly used in cosmetics and medicines. It absorbs water and can help maintain moisture in products. There is debate on whether it is harmless or not. Dr. Axe talks more about this ingredient here. 
  • Tocopheryl acetate is a synthetic form of Vitamin E. 
  • Carbomer is a trade name for polyacrylic acid. This is a synthetic polymer made from acrylic acid. It's a thickening agent that absorbs water and also helps to stabilize and resist spoilage. Fun fact -- carbomer is also used in disposable diapers! That's how they can hold so much liquid without leaking!

When Distilleries Make Hand Sanitizer

Picture
In conjuction with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the FDA allowed for increased of production of hand sanitizer by loosening their restrictions. This is allowing production facilities such as distilleries and breweries to make hand sanitizer. This is a temporary policy during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The FDA dictated the formula (which is WHO approved) for these hand sanitizers. Here's what's in them.
  • Ethanol Alcohol (80%) or Isopropyl Alcohol (75%) This is the only active ingredient. 
  • Glycerin (1.45%)
  • Hydrogen peroxide  (0.125%)
  • Purified water
That's it! This formula does not contain any thickeners, so it will be a liquid hand sanitizer, not a gel. If it's put into a spray bottle, it would be convenient to use. We like the looks of this ingredient list much better than the previous ingredient label we discussed. ​
Picture
If you are looking for this type of hand sanitizer, a Columbus-based company, Middle West Spirits, is currently making hand sanitizer. You can check out their website here. We aren't associated with this company (and I'm sure they have no idea who we are), but we thought you might be interested in knowing about them. Let us know if you have any other hand sanitizer sources we should know about. ​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Our Passion

    This blog is an interactive place where we can share more about natural skin care and how we create what your skin craves!

    Archives

    November 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Winter Clearance Sale
  • New Scents
  • Our Story
  • Find Us
  • Reviews
    • Lotion Reviews
    • Deodorant Reviews
    • More Reviews
  • Blog