Alternative to store-bought hand sanitizer being made locally

With hand sanitizer disappearing from store shelves nearly as quickly as it's being restocked, some residents are turning to alternative sources.

In March, the Food and Drug Administration issued guidance on how to compound hand sanitizer. That guidance recommended isopropyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol of 94.9% strength or higher. That's getting harder to come by, said Brian Thompson, pharmacist at Jones Drug Store in uptown Jackson.

But, thanks to Joe Hobbs at Barrel 131, also in uptown Jackson, hand sanitizer production could continue, after he provided some cases of grain alcohol.

Thompson said the drugstore staff has compounded more than 100 gallons since they began making it just a couple of weeks ago. "It's a good thing, too, because people can't find it, and people need it."

Thompson said people working in high-risk situations are especially in need of a reliable source of hand sanitizer, and he's glad to have an opportunity to help out.

Charlotte Eftink, owner of The Natural Way Soaps and Herbal Products who has a booth at the Cape Riverfront Market, said she got started making hand sanitizer because her daughter is a nurse at a hospital in Cape Girardeau. "When this started, she said ... hand sanitizer was flying out the door. I thought, 'OK, I need to look and see of some alternative that could be available, at least to keep her safe.'"

Eftink found recipes online, she said, and many of them call for rubbing alcohol, but since that wasn't readily available in stores, "I found an alternative: using 190 proof grain alcohol."

Since it has a 95% alcohol rating, Eftink said, that's actually higher than 90% isopropyl alcohol, and it doesn't dry out skin as badly.

Eftink added some essential oil for scent, and the sanitizer is stronger than the recipe calls for. Eftink is selling the concoction to some of her market customers, she said.

Becki Gray of Jackson said she and her husband John aren't selling the hand sanitizer, but they are happy with the results for their personal use. She found a recipe online, and happened to have the needed ingredients at home. "We couldn't find any in stores," Gray said. Her husband mixed the ingredients, and "it worked out!" They've added aloe to the mix to help with the alcohol's tendency to be harsh on the skin, Gray said.