The Benefits Of Witch Hazel For Your Skin
My first experience of witch hazel was as a teenager when a makeup artist removed my eye (yes, eye!) makeup with it.
It brought my skin out in a rash —and nearly burnt my eyelids off!
It was around this time I realised that my skin was sensitive, and I should probably pay better attention to what was being put on it.
Witch hazel has earned itself a pretty bad reputation over the years. The reason for this, is that witch hazel was typically distilled and formulated using denatured alcohol (ethanol). Resulting in horrifically harsh formulas, more suited to disinfecting wounds than toning your face!
In skincare, there are 'good' alcohols and 'bad' alcohols. Denatured alcohol, also known as alcohol denat., or ethanol, is a bad one. Especially in high quantities.
Unfortunately, formulating with such a harsh ingredient made it difficult to reap the full benefits of witch hazel (which is quite a drying ingredient by itself) without drying out and damaging your skin. Hence the bad reputation.
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KINDER FORMULAS
However, these days you can find alcohol-free witch hazel products. And some, like Thayer's Natural Remedies, even include natural, hydrating ingredients like Aloe Vera.
If, like me, you kept your witch hazel at the back of the medicine cabinet, then allow me to reintroduce you to this amazing ingredient with its seemingly endless skin benefits.
WHAT IS WITCH HAZEL?
Witch hazel is the active extract of the flowering Hamamelis virginiana plant. Once harvested, the bark and leaves are distilled to bring out the active chemical compounds of the plant.
These active compounds are called phytochemicals —"phyto" means "plant". The plant chemical found in witch hazel are called:
Polyphenols
Flavonoids
Tannins
There are many different types of phytochemicals found in plant life that hold powerful beneficial properties for your skin. Such as:
Astringent
Antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory
Antimicrobial
Antiviral
Studies have shown certain phytochemicals to be extremely helpful in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease and aging. A great way of getting your daily dose of phytochemicals is through your diet. They are particularly abundant in colorful fruits and vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, grains, and beans.
DOES WITCH HAZEL HELP OILY SKIN?
Yes! The benefits of witch hazel for the face add up to a trifecta of skin perks that tighten skin/refine pores, reduce inflammation, and treat acne.
Astringent
Witch hazel is a natural astringent, meaning it contains a constricting compound that draws the proteins inside the skin cells together. This has a skin tightening effect, that minimizing pores making them appear smaller. This is especially beneficial for oily and acne-prone skin types.
Antioxidant
Antioxidants are like superman for your cells. They basically protect them by destroying pesky free-radicals that cause oxidative stress to your body.
Oxidative stress is a process caused by free radicals that directly damages your skin's DNA. This damage appears as premature aging; wrinkles, sagging, hyperpigmentation and dull skin. Over time, the effects of free radical damage often grow more and more noticeable.
Anti-Inflammatory & Antimicrobial
Witch hazel acts as a natural cleanser that can help purify the skin, making it a very effective acne treatment. It is capable of reducing and preventing bacteria growth on the skin, speeding up the healing time of breakouts, reducing inflammation, and decreasing redness.
Thayer's Witch Hazel Facial Toner
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
I'm a huge fan of Thayer's Natural Remedies, Witch Hazel Toners. Thayer's is literally the O.G. of witch hazel. Henry Thayer M.D. was the son of a physician and one of the founding families in Massachusetts. He opened a laboratory on Maine Street, Cambridge in 1847 and initially sold his newly developed line of herbal extracts exclusively to medical professionals.
Thayers began using Certified Organic Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera in 2012. In 2013, they entered into an exclusive agreement with a family farm in Fairfield County, Connecticut to grow Thayers Certified Organic Witch Hazel to be used in their proprietary extract.
Update:
Thayer's Natural Remedies were acquired by L'Oreal Group for a cool $400M in 2020. I'm crossing my fingers that the formulas do not change!
Thayer's Facial Mists come in Rose Petal, Coconut water, Lavender, Cucumber, and also unscented. They are all naturally fragranced and formulated with Aloe Vera to prevent the toner from being too drying. The Rose Petal toner is a permanent fixture in my beauty cabinet.
Because they are water-based, these toners contain a preservative called phenoxyethanol, which is considered safer than other preservatives like parabens.
BENEFITS OF WITCH HAZEL FOR DRY SKIN
There's a common misconception that witch hazel toner is only suitable for oily skin. Untrue! I've been using Thayer's for years. But, —and this is big but, witch hazel can be very drying for the skin in the wrong (bad) formula. Therefore, it's important to choose a toner that contains moisturising ingredients. Look for products that also contain hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or aloe vera.
I use Thayer's Witch Hazel toner to help balance my skin's pH levels after cleansing my face. British tap water is generally alkaline, which over time, can throw the delicate balance of your skin's microbiome out of whack.
Just soak a cotton pad and lightly wipe your face and neck to remove makeup and cleanser residue.
Another other brand that offers alcohol-free and hydrating options is Heritage Store's, Rosewater Facial Toner, Rosewater Facial Mist.
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