The difficulty in finding hand sanitizer

[PlainJane]

I've twice been able to catch Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer in stock by checking their site between 6-7am eastern time. That seems to be when they load their inventory each day. I've seen it generally stay in stock for an hour or two. Its not the cheapest, but better than nothing!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

We don’t need any right now, but it was comforting to go to their website a minute ago and see that buying some was an option.

Thanks!!! Scored a 5 pack! Now we can smell like An optimistic blend of fresh raspberries, sparkling pear & pink lily petals!

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My husband went to Bath and Body Works weeks ago when everywhere was out of hand sanitizer. I hadn’t bought anything from the store in years, but this was one of the hand sanitizer scents he grabbed. It is the best smelling hand sanitizer. Seriously, every time I use it my husband comments on how nice I smell. I know where I’m getting my hand sanitizer when all of this is over

 

[nkereina]

We don’t need any right now, but it was comforting to go to their website a minute ago and see that buying some was an option.

I have found that what's in stock now will sell out by mid-late morning every day, but they have been pretty consistent with re-stocking it every morning on their web site, usually around 6-7am EST.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I’ll have to try and order. I can’t handle floral scents because I have allergies. The rose vanilla and Ginham have floral scents right? The Japanese blossom kills me! Anyone with floral scents allergies , which scent do you recommend that’s not floral or to strong?

You might want to try the ArtNaturals brand. They are unscented. (Be careful because they do have scented versions -- I think coconut/tropical is one.) I have perfume allergies, and the ArtNaturals we use is unscented. We have cats and have hand sanitizer around the house all the time (got a pump in every room). ArtNaturals doesn't aggravate my allergies or wreck my hands.

 

[Meteora]

Thank you so much for the tip about bath and bodyworks! I haven’t bothered looking there since they were sold out weeks ago. i just ordered a few packs of the travel size sanitizers and some soap as well!

 

[Hikergirl]

I just ordered some from a local distillery. They were making it for first responders and healthcare workers first but I got the email this morning that they were filling orders for the public now.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Did she comment about the smell? I saw some comments from people who said the type of alcohol used had an odor and they wanted to use essential oils to cover it. Hand sanitizer usually has a strong alcohol smell anyway (which dissipates quickly) -- any ideas on what this product smells like and if the smell disappears fast?

No, she didn't but I don't think she was in the shop when they opened it and started portioning it out. She did give them some essential oils to add in if the guys felt the need to. She also bought some aloe gel that they could use with it as well.

 

[Christine]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

We don’t need any right now, but it was comforting to go to their website a minute ago and see that buying some was an option.



My husband went to Bath and Body Works weeks ago when everywhere was out of hand sanitizer. I hadn’t bought anything from the store in years, but this was one of the hand sanitizer scents he grabbed. It is the best smelling hand sanitizer. Seriously, every time I use it my husband comments on how nice I smell. I know where I’m getting my hand sanitizer when all of this is over

Just a comment about the BBW's hand sanitizer. The smell is STRONG. I bought some right at the start of this and tried to get the least "smelly" fragrance they had. It's called Fresh Water/Aloe. OMG, I used that stuff and I swear I got a chemical taste in my mouth about 2 minutes after. Now I am sensitive to scents and always use unscented stuff. My kids are not sensitive. They tried it this weekend and we all had laugh over how strong it is. DD then got a headache.

If you don't like odors clinging on you then you've been warned. If you love that stuff, then you'll enjoy it. I couldn't even pawn the stuff off on my kids when they left on Sunday so it's been relegated to the emergency drawer.

 

[waltonmkb]

def a bit pricy but i‘ve ordered a few small bottles from megababe for friends and family & they now have larger pump bottles i’m unable to link but their website is megababe beauty and I believe they’re also carried at ulta

Thanks for this. I just ordered a bottle. I’ve been stalking Bath & Body Works for days and keep missing it, so I was glad I could get this.

 

[Jasper07]

Jack Daniel has starting producing hand sanitizer and distributing to first responders, local essential businesses, etc around TN. It is helping maintain our essential business purpose as well.

 

[PlainJane]

Just a comment about the BBW's hand sanitizer. The smell is STRONG. I bought some right at the start of this and tried to get the least "smelly" fragrance they had. It's called Fresh Water/Aloe. OMG, I used that stuff and I swear I got a chemical taste in my mouth about 2 minutes after. Now I am sensitive to scents and always use unscented stuff. My kids are not sensitive. They tried it this weekend and we all had laugh over how strong it is. DD then got a headache.

If you don't like odors clinging on you then you've been warned. If you love that stuff, then you'll enjoy it. I couldn't even pawn the stuff off on my kids when they left on Sunday so it's been relegated to the emergency drawer.

It might depend which one you get. French Lavender smells awful. That’s the only one we have that is truly terrible. I would rather smell regular sanitizer any day over that one. I’ve never tried the one you have. I, actually, had a protein bar after using the one I like and there was no taste, but it had been more than two minutes.

I can concur though that after I use the Daydream one I smell like I put on perfume, so if people don’t like perfume it’s not the best choice.

 

[Christine]

It might depend which one you get. French Lavender smells awful. That’s the only one we have that is truly terrible. I would rather smell regular sanitizer any day over that one. I’ve never tried the one you have. I, actually, had a protein bar after using the one I like and there was no taste, but it had been more than two minutes.

I can concur though that after I use the Daydream one I smell like I put on perfume, so if people don’t like perfume it’s not the best choice.

Oh it wasn't that I had it on my hand and ate something. I put it on my hands and then I actually got a weird taste in my mouth and my tongue started to burn. I tried it a few days later and it happened again so no more for me. But I'm pretty sensitive to things. There's is something in the scent that bothers me because regular hand sanitizer doesn't give me that effect. I once had to apply this particular ointment to my dog and my vet told me to ensure that I always used gloves because the ointment absorbed very quickly through the skin and it would give you a taste in your mouth within a minute or so of having it on your hands. He wasn't wrong!! I think that whatever they are using as an aromatic at BBW is having the same effect on me.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Just a comment about the BBW's hand sanitizer. The smell is STRONG. I bought some right at the start of this and tried to get the least "smelly" fragrance they had. It's called Fresh Water/Aloe. OMG, I used that stuff and I swear I got a chemical taste in my mouth about 2 minutes after. Now I am sensitive to scents and always use unscented stuff. My kids are not sensitive. They tried it this weekend and we all had laugh over how strong it is. DD then got a headache.

If you don't like odors clinging on you then you've been warned. If you love that stuff, then you'll enjoy it. I couldn't even pawn the stuff off on my kids when they left on Sunday so it's been relegated to the emergency drawer.

I've given away a bundle load of their hand sanitizer over the years. People like to give it for gifts & I can't stand it. It's not only the smell that I don't like. I could probably deal with that. It's the taste it leaves on foods you eat with your hands that I can't handle. That said, I sure wish I had held onto some of it now. We could suck it up & eat food that tasted like chemical flowers.

 

[RangerPooh]

I haven't seen any since the end of February. Antibacterial hand soap and wipes are just as scarce. The local vodka distillery is producing hand sanitizer for those on the front lines, homeless, and low income populations. I'd gladly pay for it.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

The dolla rtree near me gets 8oz bottles of germx every so often, go early in the morning when they get a truck and go by the register. They are holding it up there and you have to ask for it, limit 2 in my store. My mil's store is limit 4, she lives a few hours away from me.

I don't mind the Bbw stuff sometimes but the scent is so strong that on days I have to use it a lot (running more than one errand or going somewhere extra germy like a pharmacy for meds) my throat starts to bug me from the excessive perfumes!

 

[Nox]

It's hard to mess up 65% alcohol though.

Not true. Stabilizing gel alcohol solutions is actually pretty difficult. You need a polymer and a neutralizer to crosslink with the polymer to form the gel.

All of the polymers commonly used for this purpose are on an outrageous backorder. You'll see these on the bottle listed as "carbomer" or "acrylates/C10-30 alkyl crosspolymer", and every manufacturer of these has been wiped out and is now desperately trying to ramp up production to meet demand.

Getting alcohol in large amounts is also an issue. And while distilleries can make ethyl alcohol (the most popular form of alcohol in hand sanitizers), according to the Code of Federal Regulations, alcohol in cosmetics/pharmaceuticals should be denatured (so people won't drink it). There are actually strict guidelines about this, and many distilleries that are producing alcohol are requiring manufacturers to agree to denature the alcohol themselves.

Even manufacturers are having a hard time getting hold of isopropyl alcohol (PS: 70% isopropyl is actually better for disinfecting than 99%, for a number of reasons.)

The only thing going smoothly is that the FDA released an emergency protocol that allows manufacturers to make hand sanitizers without having an approved drug monograph or applying for new drug approval. The alcohol they use technically SHOULD still be denatured appropriately.

 

[bcla]

I've given away a bundle load of their hand sanitizer over the years. People like to give it for gifts & I can't stand it. It's not only the smell that I don't like. I could probably deal with that. It's the taste it leaves on foods you eat with your hands that I can't handle. That said, I sure wish I had held onto some of it now. We could suck it up & eat food that tasted like chemical flowers.

Many hand sanitizers have bittering agents to discourage consumption as a beverage substitute. Germ-X and Purell use that. I’ve eaten a sandwich and accidentally tasted the residue on my fingers. It’s pretty nasty stuff.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Many hand sanitizers have bittering agents to discourage consumption as a beverage substitute. Germ-X and Purell use that. I’ve eaten a sandwich and accidentally tasted the residue on my fingers. It’s pretty nasty stuff.

Have you tried BBW hand sanitizer? I've never had a problem with a lingering taste from most sanitizers, including the ones you mentioned. Even if I had, I would take a bitter taste over the long lasting, artificial flavors of BBW sanitizers.

 

[Victoria3]

Many hand sanitizers have bittering agents to discourage consumption as a beverage substitute. Germ-X and Purell use that. I’ve eaten a sandwich and accidentally tasted the residue on my fingers. It’s pretty nasty stuff.

This.

I never use hand sanitizer in substitute for handwashing especially before eating.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

This.

I never use hand sanitizer in substitute for handwashing especially before eating.

I wash my hands a lot. I don't choose to use hand sanitizer, before eating, but there are times that you can't help it. For example, we go through a drive-thru. I jump out to wash my hands, while DH drives around to pick up our food. I use my elbow to get out of the restroom & restaurant, but I still have to get into the vehicle & put my seatbelt on. For me to feel safe eating, I need hand wipes or sanitizer, after touching those things. Another example, we go out to eat at a sit down restaurant. I wash my hands, before being seated. I'm seated & touch the menu, so I need to wash my hands again. After returning, if I pull up my chair, my hands need to be cleaned again. Next, I may need to touch the butter wrapping (if it's wrapped). I can't touch the bread knife or bread, without cleaning my hands. If I need salt, pepper, ketchup, A-1, etc., I'm going to have to clean my hands again, because many people have touched those at most restaurants. It's easier to use hand sanitizer for some of those steps rather than disrupting everyone to go wash my hands 3+ times for every meal.

 

[bcla]

Have you tried BBW hand sanitizer? I've never had a problem with a lingering taste from most sanitizers, including the ones you mentioned. Even if I had, I would take a bitter taste over the long lasting, artificial flavors of BBW sanitizers.

Depends on what’s in it. FDA requirements for hand sanitizer include a requirement that it be denatured, and the most common way is with the most bitter substance in the world - denatonium. This is aalso a requirement for the ethanol that’s blended in fuel. I guess that’s probably a reason why most distilleries making it aren’t selling it, but giving it away. If they made an FDA approved product, they have a hard time clearing out the bittering ingredient from their equipment.