Why You Can Trust CNET The best places to buy hand sanitizer right now
Turn to online retailers instead of your usual grocery store.
Can't find hand sanitizer in stores? Try these online storefronts instead.
Editor's note, March 8, 2023: The recommendations provided in this article are out of date and will not be updated going forward. These picks were the best options available at the time, but you may find some of these options have either changed or are no longer available. Please refer to the CDC and WHO, linked above, for current COVID guidelines.
Ordinary household hygiene items like hand sanitizer and hand soap have become hot commodities thanks to the coronavirus -- and, unlike toilet paper, which is reliably in stock, hand sanitizers are still flying off of store shelves months into the pandemic. Now, with school starting up again in many parts of the country, the need for hand sanitizer is greater than ever. Many online retailers have hand sanitizer in stock, with offerings in both gel and spray forms. And because many of these online hand sanitizer suppliers are related to a lifestyle or beauty brand, we have moisturizing hand sanitizer, hand sanitizer made with essential oil, CBD hand sanitizer and other departures from your typical hand sanitizing fare.
Many of these brands didn't make hand sanitizer before the coronavirus pandemic, but as demand for the product rose, they saw an opportunity to start manufacturing it. Typically, the active ingredient in a hand sanitizer is either ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol, but buyers beware, because there are now some hand sanitizers on the market made with a toxic ingredient called methanol, which can be fatal if ingested. Check the FDA's database of unsafe hand sanitizers to make before you buy. The following hand sanitizer sprays and gels and their ingredients are all deemed safe.
Because of the pandemic, we don't blame people who want an extra bottle or two of your own hand sanitizer to throw in your bags for situations when soap and hand washing aren't an option. If you're willing to wait a couple of days for those bottles to arrive at your doorstep, but are wondering where to buy hand sanitizer, we have the list for you.
Read more: How to actually wash your hands properly
All sanitizer products on this list are in stock as of Aug. 31. Pricing and availability may change day to day.
Wellnesse is a hair care company that started making hand sanitizer to meet the growing demand. For $10, you get a two-ounce spray bottle of sanitizer that contains 62% ethyl alcohol and is said to kill 99.99% of germs. There's free shipping on your first purchase.
Maapilim is a beauty company that specializes in hair care, skin care and facial skin care, but recently released a new gel aloe vera hand sanitizer. Formulated with 70% alcohol, Maapilim hand sanitizer kills 99.99% of germs. Get it in a 3.4-ounce bottle of sanitizer for $10, plus $7 flat rate shipping.
Biosilk, another hair care company, is selling a variety of moisturizing hand sanitizers with up to 77% ethyl alcohol. These hand sanitizers kill 99.99% of germs. Note that Biosilk does not ship these products to Alaska or Hawaii.
The Chi brand lives under Biosilk, its parent company, and is also selling various hand sanitizer products. You can choose the Chi Organic Gardens Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer or two Biosilk hand sanitizers that you can also find on the Biosilk website. Like above, these contain 77% alcohol and kill 99.99% of germs.
Hempz is a skin care brand that makes hemp-based moisturizers, some with CBD. They now offer a 17-ounce pump bottle hand sanitizer with 63% ethyl alcohol, which kills 99.99% of germs. The online store limits one bottle of sanitizer per customer, and standard shipping is $11.
Cabinet, a new digital direct-to-consumer storefront, sells over-the-counter medications for less than you might pay at a traditional drugstore. Their cold and flu preparedness kit includes two 2-ounce hand sanitizer sprays that contain 70% alcohol. Cabinet doesn't yet ship sanitizer to all states -- you'll get a notification if you try to check out and live in a state the company doesn't ship to.
A beauty store known for lash, brow and hair care, Vegamour has also turned to making sanitizer. A 6-ounce, 75% isopropyl alcohol hand sanitizer spray is available online.
Humankind, a personal care store with a focus on sustainability and reduced plastic waste, has hand sanitizer available in both grapefruit and unscented varieties. Get the 8-ounce aluminum bottle of sanitizer with 65% ethyl alcohol for $15.
Muse Health is a branch-off company from Muse Intimacy. The parent company, CC Wellness, saw an opportunity to start producing hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 outbreak. You can purchase an 8-ounce bottle of Muse hand sanitizer on the Muse Health website. With 65% denatured ethyl alcohol, the sanitizer meets the CDC's formula guidelines to kill 99.99% of germs. Shipping time is three days.
If you need or want a lot of miniature, portable hand sanitizers, check out Yoobi, a crafts and office supplies retailer, which has added hand sanitizer to their product roundup. Get a 50-pack of 1.5ml mini-hand sanitizers, which consist of 70% denatured ethyl alcohol.
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