Why We Leave Alcohol Out of Our Essential Oil Towelettes

When someone asks me why our towelettes don’t contain alcohol, I usually find myself talking about what they do contain: essential oils!

They’re the reason I made these in the first place. I wanted to enjoy their aroma and the feeling of using them on my skin, without alcohol’s smell or potential for dryness.

If you’ve been traveling for hours, you know that feeling of wanting to do something, anything, to feel a little more like yourself. For me, opening a peppermint towelette is one of those things. There’s the invigorating aroma first, then that cool, tingling sensation as I wipe it across the back of my neck.

Yes, I’m wiping away some of the day’s perspiration and residue. But the peppermint essential oil is what leaves me feeling refreshed and ready to continue on my journey.

The Essential Oils Are the Point

I think it’s easy to look at a little packet and assume you know what’s inside. A wipe. Something for your hands. Something you use and forget about.

But what I wanted you to experience was the essential oil and how it could make you feel. The towelette was simply my way of making that easy to take with you.

Sometimes I want to sit with lavender for a minute at the end of a busy day. Sometimes the bright smell of orange is simply a pleasure I want in the middle of an ordinary afternoon. Choosing one is part of the enjoyment.

I didn’t create Herban Essentials because I thought the world needed another way to wipe sticky fingers. I wanted to make the essential oils I loved easier to bring into everyday life.

Why I Didn’t Want Alcohol in That Experience

When I open a lavender towelette, I want to experience the aroma of lavender. I didn’t want the smell of alcohol arriving first, even if it would eventually disappear.

That first breath matters to me. It’s often the moment I stop thinking about whatever I was doing and notice what’s right in front of me.

I’m just as particular about what I put on my skin. Alcohol can be drying, and I preferred to leave it out of something I wanted to reach for throughout the day.

I understand that alcohol has useful roles in formulation. But an ingredient being useful doesn’t answer the question of whether I want it in this particular product.

Are Our Essential Oil Towelettes a Replacement for Hand Sanitizer?

People ask me this, and I understand why. When you see individually wrapped, alcohol-free wipes, it’s natural to wonder whether they do the same job as sanitizer.

I do use our towelettes to clean my skin. After lunch, when I have something sticky on my fingers, I want to wipe it off. I don’t feel the need to use an alcohol-based sanitizer for that particular job.

What I question is the habit of reaching for hand sanitizer every time we want to freshen up. Sometimes my hands just feel sticky or sweaty, and I want to wipe them clean. For that, I prefer a moist towelette without alcohol. The cloth lifts away the residue, and the essential oil gives me the aroma and experience I enjoy so much.

Our towelettes don’t replace proper handwashing or hand sanitizer when needed. I made them for the essential oils. Being able to cleanse my skin at the same time is a much-appreciated added benefit.

What I Hope You Notice

Think about peeling an orange and catching that first burst of aroma. You may find yourself pausing just because it smells so wonderful. That comes from essential oil in the peel. I explore this more in What Are Essential Oils, Actually?

That kind of pleasure is what I wanted to make portable.

You might choose eucalyptus for its fresh, woodsy aroma, or lemon when you want something bright and lively. You don’t need to have something on your hands to wipe off. Wanting that moment with the essential oil is reason enough.

Leaving alcohol out was a deliberate choice about both the aroma and what I wanted to put on my skin. From that first breath to the moment I wipe the cloth across the back of my neck, I want to enjoy the essential oil I chose.

That little shift in how I feel afterward is why I reach for another packet. And it’s what I hope you’ll find in yours!