Dr. Retno Sari, MSc., Apt. - Head of Pharmaceuitcs Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga (Foto: Esti Widiyana/detikcom)
The presence of masks and hand sanitizers in Indonesia are now rare in the market. The price is even more soared to make people more difficult to buy them.
However, now people do not need to worry anymore because the hand sanitizer can be made at home. This was demonstrated by the Head of Pharmaceuitcs Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Dr. Retno Sari MSc Apt.
To make a hand sanitizer, it requires ingredients such as 96 percent alcohol (for anti-bacteria), glycerol (functions as an anti-bacterial and moisturizer to keep hands dry), and aquadest.
"Its composition for alcohol is around 70 percent, 15 percent of glycerol, and the rest is aquadest. If calculated alcohol is 73 milliliters, glycerol is 15 milliliters, and aquadest is 12 milliliters. This composition will produce 100 milliliters of hand sanitizer," Retno Sari told AFP in her office on Wednesday (3/4/2020).
In order to make it, first, a little thick glycerol must be diluted with aquadest. After it becomes a little runny, new alcohol is added little by little while stirring gently until all the ingredients come together.
"Then, the results of the mixture can already be used for hand sanitizers. To be easier to carry, it can be put in a spray container. So it will just stay in the spray," said the lecturer of this Sterile Preparation Pharmacy.
However, these ingredients can somehow not be found on the market since it is reported that the community has also begun to buy up alcohol.
It does not stop there, Retno also offers alternative materials that can be used for hand sanitizers, namely with betel leaf extract decoction.
"If you want it easier, people can use betel leaf for anti-bacterial or hand sanitizer," she said.
To make hand sanitizer from betel leaf itself, first, the leaves are chopped roughly and put in a container. Then take another pan, fill with water, then boil it. Place the container containing the betel leaf on the boiled water and heat it up to 30 minutes until the betel leaf extract comes out.
"The extract does not have to be used all. Just take as needed, for example, take 10 milliliters and then diluted with water. This solution can already be used as a hand sanitizer. Just spray it," she explained.
Hand sanitizer itself is useful for reducing the risk of infection because the use of hand sanitizers can reduce micro-organisms that attach to our hands.
