Witch Hazel on Your Face as a Toner
Witch hazel solves an array of medicinal and cosmetic problems. As an astringent, it’s used in facial toners to tighten skin, so it can be helpful for those who suffer from acne. Witch hazel also serves as a topical anti-inflammatory, which means it can be used to allay bruises, rashes and other skin irritations. Does this Spark an idea?
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Witch Hazel Background
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The witch hazel plant is a shrub, commonly found mostly on the east coast of North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida. Although the shrub isn’t a producer of hazel nuts, the leaves of the two types of plants do resemble each other. Native Americans used witch hazel for its medicinal properties, and the shrub is found in the earliest books on botanicals for health. The Witch Hazel plant offers fragrant blooms in winter.
Astringent vs. Toner
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Witch hazel is known for its astringent properties. This means that it tightens the skin, which is one of the reasons that it’s known as an acne fighter – it helps the pores purge impurities. Some facial toners contain astringent for shrinking pores and eliminating blemishes, while some facial toners have gentler ingredients that help to balance Ph levels, or add light moisture to the face. Witch hazel is a harsher ingredient, so prepare for a more bracing experience upon application.
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Witch Hazel Skin Benefits
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The witch hazel plant is said to have benefits beyond use as an astringent. When used in concentrated form or as an ingredient in a skin care product, witch hazel is known to help with decreasing swelling and soreness for bruises and cuts. It can also assist with healing and soothing of burns. Finally, it’s believed to lessen the symptoms of more extreme skin irritations such as eczema and psoriasis.
More Use for Witch Hazel
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Beyond its many applications for skincare health and beauty, witch hazel has been used to cure a variety of other maladies. Externally, witch hazel is used to treat various ills including insect stings, calloused feet, bloody nose and poison ivy. As a tonic taken internally, witch hazel is known to sooth laryngitis and even quell the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
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References
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