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Witch hazel is an astringent produced from the leaves and bark of the North American Witch Hazel shrub (Hamamelis virginiana) which ranges from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, and south to Florida, and Texas1. This plant, native to Canada and the United States was widely used for medicinal purposes by American Natives. The witch hazel extract was obtained by steaming the twigs of the shrub.
The essential oil of witch hazel is not sold separately as a consumer product. The plant does not produce enough essential oil to make production viable. However, there are various distillates of witch hazel (called hydrosols or hydrolats) that are gentler than the "drug store" witch hazel and contain alcohol.
Uses
Witch hazel is mainly used externally on sores, bruises, and swelling. The main constituents of the extract include tannin, gallic acid, catechins, proanthocyanins, flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin), essential oil (carvacrol, eugenol, hexenol), choline, saponins, and bitters. Distilled witch hazel sold in drug stores and pharmacies typically contains no tannin.
Witch hazel hydrosol is used in skin care. It is a strong anti-oxidant and astringent, which makes it very useful in fighting acne.1 It has been recommended for psoriasis, eczema, aftershave applications, cracked or blistered skin, for treating insect bites, poison ivy, and as a treatment for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. (It is found in numerous over the counter hemorrhoid preparations.)
Witch hazel is also known to help with speeding the healing of cold sores with several daily applications.
Witch hazel is also traditionally known as a good first reaction against shaving cuts and abrasions for men & women, and it is also recommended by The Doctors Book of Home Remedies as effective for helping sunburns.
Some people have found it to be an effective treatment for athlete's foot.
It is also known to speed the healing of piercings.
Non-medicinal uses
Witch hazel can be used instead of hair spray or other holding products for normal to oily hair when curling one's hair.
The drug store product witch hazel has also been found to be useful in the restoration or renewal of old furniture finishes. When poured onto a flat wood surface with significant crazing in the old lacquer or varnish and left to sit, the witch hazel will essentially "melt" or soften the surface.
Notes and references
- Erdelmeier, C. A. J. et al. Antiviral and Antiphlogistic Activities of Hamamelis virginiana Bark. Planta Medica, 62(1996) (3):241-245
- Foster, S. The Wiley Witch Hazel. The Herb Companion.(January 1989).
- Korting, H. C., et al. "Comparative Efficacy of Hamamelis Distillate and Hydrocortisone. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 48(1995)(6):461-465.
- Lloyd, J. U. and J. T. Lloyd. History of Hamamelis (Witch Hazel), Extract and Distillate. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. 24(1935) (3):220—24.
- Tyler, V. E. Herbs of Choice - The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals, Binghamton, New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.
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