Lupe Hernández was a nursing student from Bakersfield, California who is credited as the inventor of hand sanitizer. ^[1]

In 1966, a young nurse from Bakersfield, California named Lupe Hernández, had the genius idea to apply sanitizer in a gel form for healthcare professionals, especially those who might not have access to soap and warm water all the time. She wasn't sure about how to market the product herself, so she called an invention hotline she saw on television to patent the idea. ^[1]

Very little is actually known about her, and it isn't clear if she's still alive.

Her name first became widely known when The Guardian wrote a piece about her in May of 2012 called "Hand sanitisers: saved by the gel?". No one knows how she was compensated for her involvement, but since her flash of insight, the global hand sanitizer market cap has skyrocketed, going from $28m in 2002, to $80m by 2006, and even surpassing $2 billion in 2018. ^[1]

Hand sanitizer was first mainly used by institutions like hospitals and care homes, then it was picked up by the armed forces and places in the United States with large gatherings such as restaurants and supermarkets.

The outbreak of the H1N1 virus in 2009 made it a necessity for everyday people. ^[2]

Lupe was acknowledged for her work in a 2019 book about leadership in professional nursing called "The Growth and Development of Nurse Leaders, Second Edition."

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