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Jill Martin turned her popular perfume into a hand sanitizer — here's how to get it

"It's safe, sanitizing and sexy," says the TODAY lifestyle contributor.
Jill Martin; Nathan Congleton / NBC

Several months ago, before strict stay-at-home orders were put in place and masks were the norm, I attended one of my best friends' wedding. As soon as I walked in the venue, I was met with a beautifully decorated space with flowers and ornate gold trimmings — and a rather jarring bottle of generic hand sanitizer placed on the guestbook table. While I was extremely happy to see that sanitizing and social distancing were already being taken seriously, it was tough not to feel like the giant clear bottle of drugstore sanitizer felt a bit out of place.

Jill Martin's latest release — an elegant hand sanitizer with the same warm, inviting fragrance as her Potion 54 perfume — is looking to change that with a bottle you'll proudly want to display on your vanity, dining room table or even at a small wedding reception.

"When the pandemic began, I knew from day one that we were shifting into a different way of life ... in every way," Martin told Shop TODAY. "I thought to myself, 'Is there a way to make a safe and sanitizing hand sanitizer that is sexy at the same time and won’t dry out your hands?' I basically wanted to turn hand sanitizer into something you would find in the beauty aisle, something that was functional and fashionable."

I got my hands one of the first bottles of the Potion 54 Hand Sanitizer, and it's safe to say Martin delivered on her promise of making a fragrant sanitizer that's actually pleasant to use.

Potion 54 by Jill Martin Hand Sanitizer

Frequent sanitizing has become part of our everyday lives, and the TODAY lifestyle contributor said she wanted to make it feel as uplifting as possible. Though her plans for a hand sanitizer have been in the works since March, a recent socially distant backyard dinner (with expert guidance from Dr. Natalie Nazar about proper social distancing) made her realize how distracting ordinary sanitizer can be.

"I felt like having hand sanitizer on the table felt clumsy. The bottle wasn’t pretty, or it smelled sterile and alcohol-y," she explained. "I thought to myself, 'How do I make this part of our daily routine where it is not distracting to have it on a beautifully-set table or out when someone comes over. I created a bottle that feels organic and beautiful when placed on a table."

While Martin notes that hand hygiene is of the utmost importance right now (especially since she's been spending lots of time with her parents), she also knows how important it is to find moments of positivity when surrounded by friends and family.

"I feel like when we're socializing, we want to forget. I keep saying, 'Let's grab happy moments where we can get them,' because we're all going through some version of trauma during this," she said. "So when we have a distraction, it should be happy and beautiful and elegant and pretty, whenever we can find that."

While the bottle has the signature Jill Martin design touch, the formula inside was just as carefully crafted.

"Safety was my first priority," she said. "I wanted it to be as safe as it was beautiful."

It's clear that safety was a top priority when looking at the ingredients list. You'll find 70% ethyl alcohol (10% more than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended guidelines for hand hygiene) and aloe leaf juice, which gives the sanitizer moisturizing properties.

Jill Martin

And of course, it has the same spellbinding scent as her Potion 54 perfume.

Martin worked with the team Battallure Beauty and QVC to create a blend of vanilla, warm woods, bergamot and water lily. I'd simply describe it as a sophisticated, warm vanilla that you won't be able to stop sniffing.

"I have yet to find a hand sanitizer that could almost double as a perfume," Martin said. "I am sanitizing all day long, and the scent brings me happiness instead of constantly reminding me what we are all going through. It is happy and comforting ... which is what I feel like we could all use right now."

After using it for the past few days, I've found that it works incredibly well as a "sanitizing fragrance" — it's warm, clean and uplifting, yet never too overwhelming. I've been keeping it on my bedside table, and it's quickly joined my ever-growing list of self-care items that I actually look forward to using.

Jill Martin

Though Martin hopes the fragrance is a reminder that there can still be "love in the time of Corona," she also notes that it's important to remain as safe as possible. However, for those looking to find connections during these difficult times, Martin thinks it's still possible to do so while taking the necessary precautions.

"I think being safe and respecting others by being safe is a sign of your personality and character," she told us. "I created this love potion to draw people together ... even during the most difficult times. I hope this helps people come together as the scent is alluring as it is safe ... I hope to hear of many love connections!"

Potion 54 by Jill Martin Hand Sanitizer is available on QVC now. A special two-pack will be featured this Saturday, August 1, during "Saturday Morning Q" beginning at 10 a.m. EST on QVC.

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