How to Use Witch Hazel Safely On Skin

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By RachelB
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Witch hazel, in distilled, purefied form, is safe and beneficial for use on skin.

Witch hazel is a liquid with gentle cleansing and astringent properties. It can be created by using the leaves and bark of the witch hazel plant. Witch hazel, which is typically sold in distilled form in pharmacies and other stores that sell health care products, has various safe uses for the skin. Read on to learn several different tips for using witch hazel safely on skin.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Pure, distilled witch hazel

Step 1

Because it is a mild, all natural astringent, many people like to use witch hazel on their faces to reduce acne and the greasy appearance of oily skin. So, if you are looking for an astringent for your facial skin that is not too harsh or abrasive, you might want to consider using witch hazel for this purpose. (You can apply it straight from the bottle, using a cotton ball or cotton pad.)
Step 2

Please note, however, that just using witch hazel (or any other astringent substance, for that matter) cannot take the place of your usual skin care routine of cleansing, toning, exfoliating, and moisturizing. In other words, which hazel is not meant to be a substitute for other aspects of your facial skin care routine. Rather, it should only be used to complement the other aspects of your regular skin care regimen. (Just make sure that all of the products you are using on your face are mild and gentle, because using harsh products over a prolonged period of time tend to do more harm than good, even if you do have acne and/or oily skin.)
Step 3

Also be sure to read the label on each witch hazel product that you consider using very carefully, because some witch hazel products are not pure and may contain alcohol and/or other harsh substances, which can be considerably harder on the skin than using pure, distilled witch hazel.
Step 4

Another important point to consider regarding witch hazel and acne is that different acne sufferers benefit from using different acne treatments, meaning that while witch hazel may work wonders for one acne sufferer, it may hardly help another one at all. So don’t put all your eggs into one basket when seeking the specific acne treatment(s) that might work best for you. If witch hazel does not work for you as an acne treatment, don’t give up trying. Keep researching, and also be sure to talk to your dermatologist about other acne treatments that might work better for you.
Step 5

In addition to using witch hazel safely on your face for the treatment of acne and/or oily skin, you can also use it safely on cuts, poison oak, poison ivy, cold sores, bug bites, and skin abrasions as a gentle way to soothe and treat the affected area. Just as you would with your facial skin, simply apply the distilled witch hazel directly to the affected skin using a cotton ball or cotton pad.

Comments

RachelB said

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on 8/31/2009 Thanks for your comments. I agree with you DATDeb that witch hazel is particularly effective and soothing on bug bites.

DATDeb said

on 8/6/2009 Only discovered the many uses of witch hazel recently. Especially soothing for skin issues, for instance, bug bites!

Must share with family and friends as a preferable alternative to over the counter medications.

Great stuff!