The regular use of hand sanitisers, soapy water and disinfectants may be keeping us safe from corona virus but our hands are paying a toll, one solution is to make or use more gentler soap, free from harsh chemicals and preservatives that can strip our natural oil barrier or otherwise irritate skin surface.

This is really easy one to make, its just a way to amend Castile soap to a more antiviral and aromatic use. You can get castile soap in any local health shop or online – it is a vegetable-based soap, free from animal fats, petroleum by-products and synthetic ingredients. So apart from being more vegan friendly and eco-friendly, it is absent of the traditional soap ingredients that can strip the barrier layer from skin and dry out your hand. It makes a soft lather but is sudsy enough to undermine bacterial and viruses on the surface of skin.

The idea is to simply infuse it with your own antiviral botanicals from the garden or add in some essential oils with antiviral properties – tee tree, lavender, thyme, peppermint, lemon balm etc – as many shakes as you like.

There are several brands of unadulterated castile and several brands that are ‘castile based’ but with extras added to scent or give shelf life. Best to start with the unadulterated and then what you add is in your favour. The essential oil will not spoil so you can make in any quantity and use as quickly or as slow as your needs dictate. If infusing lavender or other plant material from the garden make in smaller batches and remake as you need.