Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists and the medical community zeroed in on handwashing as one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of coronavirus. Soap and hand sanitizer disappeared from store shelves.
The thought of frontline workers not having access to something as essential as hand sanitizer inspired me to take action and find a way to help. My brother is a firefighter and I know the sacrifices our police and firefighters make every day to keep our communities safe. I wanted to give back and do my part.
When I read stories about hand sanitizers being recalled for unsafe ingredients, I knew I could come up with something safe and effective. And I knew I wanted to donate the sanitizer to our frontline workers right here in Racine.
The product development was led by Dr. Michel Combe, a member of CKM’s Scientific Advisory Board and a world-class flavorist and perfumer. We developed and manufactured a hand sanitizer made with all-natural ingredients - Ethyl Alcohol (80 vol%, from corn), purified water, glycerin (from vegetable oil) and lavender oil (from flowers). People will use this sanitizer multiple times a day, so it only made sense to use natural ingredients since it will be used frequently. Lavender was chosen as the fragrance due to its scientifically documented “calming” effect - something we could all use in these unprecedented times.
CKM, Inc’s all-natural hand sanitizer
While CKM is no stranger to developing and manufacturing fine chemicals, it took many hours to develop this hand sanitizer. It’s not a product we typically make. From sourcing the materials and packaging, to consumer testing to reach the final formulation, we are proud of the product we developed specifically for the City of Racine.
CKM ultimately donated 750 bottles of all-natural, alcohol-based hand sanitizer to the City of Racine in August. The bottles were donated to the police and fire departments to be included in safety kits to be distributed to Racine citizens. I’m proud of the work our team did and couldn’t be happier that this product will be shared with community members to help them stay safe. It’s our way of saying “Thank you” to our police officers and firefighters who do so much for Racine every day.
CKM, Inc’s CEO Carl Sheeley with the City of Racine Police and Fire Chiefs