Jao Refresher

Spritz or pump to apply Jao Refresher on anything or anywhere that needs to be refreshed — hands, underarms, makeup brushes, surfaces and more!

Jao Refresher has many uses, which means less waste. When one product does many things, we buy less and consume less.

• Portable Spa
• Aftershave
• Zit Zapper
• Hand Sanitizer
• Face Toner
• Body Splash
• Under Arm Deodorant…and more!

Jao Refresher is industry standard in makeup artist kits for both hand sanitizer and cleaning brushes.

98.5% Natural. No parabens, sulphates, PEG, propylene glycol, TEA, DEA, phthalates, mineral oil, silicones.

Made in the USA with US and imported ingredients.

ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Ethyl Alcohol 65% (Alcohol Special Denatured)

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis, Aminomethyl Propanol, Calendula Extract, Chamomile Extract, dl-Panthenol, Essential Oils (~Lavender, ~Tea Tree, ~Eucalyptus, ~Geranium, ~Clary Sage), Glycerin and Glyceryl Polyacrylate, PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether Distearate, Water.

*Our glycerin is vegetable based.
~less than 0.01% in final product.

Back in 1994, when there was no such thing as hand sanitizer in the marketplace, I asked my dad how I could wash my hands when I was on the go while traveling. He mentioned “gelled alcohol”. And from there, we formulated Jao Refresher™, our very first product. I wanted it to feel clean, like you were carrying around a portable sink. I wanted our formulation to smell like an herbal soap. And since we took such care formulating it, I began to use it for other purposes: as a zit zapper, aftershave, deodorant, bathroom spritz, diaper bag must have, etc. Thus, the ethos of the company was born — multipurpose products, supporting our guiding principle: “When one thing does many things we buy less, and make less waste.”

THE FDA DOES NOT ALLOW SANITIZERS TO MAKE VIRAL CLAIMS

Changes to FDA Sanitizer Regulations

Prior to Covid-19, Hand Sanitizers in the US were manufactured following strict guidelines and procedures in FDA certified labs. Categorized as OTC (over the counter) drugs, sanitizers require drug fact box labeling. Each batch is assayed for alcohol content to prove the amount of alcohol on the label is actually in the bottle for the stated years to expiration and product is put on stability with an outside laboratory, not affiliated with the manufacturing company. We are glad that people came together to make hand sanitizers available across the country during the pandemic. Now that distilleries went back to making whiskey and rubbing alcohol is back to being used for paper cuts, Jao Refresher is still here. We’ve been doing this for more than 25 years.

The CDC recommendations state, “The best defense against the spread of germs & viruses is to frequently wash your hands with soap & water for 20 seconds." However, if soap and water are not an option, this is what we found: “In fact, COVID-19 appears to demonstrate a similar pathology as other coronaviruses; most notably Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the endemic human strain (HCoV). All of the viruses listed above can remain infectious on glass, metal and plastic surfaces for up to ten days at a time and are weakened by temperatures reaching 30 or 40 degrees Celsius (roughly 86 degrees Fahrenheit and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively).

The viruses studied were also successfully enfeebled by common household disinfectants. Products composed of 62-71% ethanol, 0.5% hydrogen peroxide or 0.1 % sodium hypochlorite deactivated infectious bacteria in under 60 seconds.

Jao Refresher kills germs with 65% plant-based Ethyl Alcohol

+ Is Jao Refresher made with safe ingredients?

Our Jao Refresher is made with 65% Natural Ethyl Alcohol, plant-based, which kills germs safely using no bacteriostats that weaken over time and can grow resistant germs. Alcohol kills germs by drying out their cell wall. We do not use Benzalkonium Chloride or Triclosan, which are bad for humans and the environment, and are known marine pollutants!

+ Does it actually work?

Jao Refresher was tested against seven of the most likely hand contaminants, specifically: Escherichia Coli, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Staphylococus Aureus, Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Candida Albicans, Salmonella Choleraseous and Streptococcus Pneumoniae. In all cases, the "kill rate" was less than one minute.

+ How does it work?

Glycerin and Glyceryl Polyacrylate are humectants. They begin with natural glycerine which is a byproduct of soap and is thickened with .2% mix of Amino Methyl Propanol and Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer which are safe and have to be used together to thicken the glycerine to become a much better moisturizer. D-Panthenol is a vitamin good for healing skin. Aloe is soothing. Methyl Glucose Ether Distearate is derived from corn sugar. It is an emollient to protect the skin from the drying effects of the alcohol. Plus, we have Chamomile, Calendula, Lavender, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Geranium and Sage in our boutique blend.

+ Why hand sanitizer vs. anti-bacterial soap?

"FDA believes that there should be clearly demonstrated benefits to balance any potential risks. There currently is no evidence that over-the-counter antibacterial soap products are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water"- fda.gov Jao couldn't agree more. This is why we do not use chemical antibacterial ingredients. Only alcohol and essential oils. Safe and effective. We have been aware of this problem for over 15 years.

+ Why does my new product smell slightly different than before?

Because we only use essential oils and not synthetic fragrance, you might notice a slight fragrance variation from batch to batch. This is because the essential oils are made from plants and each growing season there are changes due to weather, moisture, and sun.

+ Why can't I order Jao Refresher if I'm in Canada?

Because Jao Refresher contains alcohol, it is not permissible by law for us to send by air. You can purchase our Jao Refresher directly in Canada. Click here to find a local retailer.