What’s It Made From (and NOT Made From)?

FDA guidance for distilleries producing hand sanitizer stipulates that it must be made from the following ingredients ONLY: Alcohol (either ethanol or isopropyl); glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, and water. That’s it. No aloe vera, no exotic botanicals, no vitamin E, etc.

The key “active” ingredient in hand sanitizer, obviously, is the alcohol. The vast majority of hand sanitizers on the market now are being made with denatured ethanol. This is the cheapest form of alcohol available at this time by far. It typically has a “boozy” smell to it, often similar to tequila. The FDA has recently notified several fuel ethanol companies that their product does not meet safety standard for use in hand sanitizer.

Rather than using denatured ethanol, we use only isopropyl alcohol in our hand sanitizer - the form typically found in rubbing alcohol. Why don’t more companies use isopropyl in formulating sanitizer? Initially they did; however, there quickly became a global shortage of isopropyl which drove costs up significantly. As a result, hand sanitizer made from isopropyl alcohol costs significantly more to make than sanitizer made from repurposed ethanol.

Our hand sanitizer contains precisely the ingredients specified by the FDA – no more, no less.

How much alcohol is in it?

Alcohol is the key active ingredient in hand sanitizer, and it must contain enough of it to do its job effectively. The FDA requires that distilleries making hand sanitizer for consumer use adhere to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. That means if it’s made from ethanol, it should be formulated to 80% alcohol by volume. If it’s made from isopropyl, it must be formulated to 75% alcohol by volume. The amount of alcohol in the sanitizer should be clearly stated on the label.

Our hand sanitizer is made using isopropyl alcohol, and as such, is formulated to 75% alcohol by volume.

Is the manufacturer registered with the FDA?

The FDA requires that companies manufacturing hand sanitizer register their facility in the FDA Drug Registration and Listing System (DRLS).

Chuckanut Bay Distillery has registered with the DRLS.

Who is Making It?

In the face of this global pandemic, new hand sanitizers have popped up seemingly everywhere – including our own. Often it’s difficult to find much information about the manufacturer which leads to a sense of unease about the product itself.

Chuckanut Bay Distillery is a real life company with an address and a phone number you can call. It’s located in Bellingham, Washington, just about an hour north of Seattle. Chuckanut Bay Distillery has been in business since 2011 as an award-winning “grain-to-glass” distillery, making spirits like bourbon, whiskey, gin, and vodka from locally grown agricultural products. In March of 2020, in response to the global pandemic, we began making hand sanitizer for distribution in our local community. We’ve since scaled up production, focusing on one gallon jugs and 5-gallon containers.

Who is Selling It?

Chuckanut Bay Distillery’s hand sanitizer is sold exclusively by a long-time seller with over 19,000 reviews and positive feedback.