Witch hazel is one of the oldest cosmetic ingredients used. It was widely used by American Indians as a medicinal plant. Today people use it for many different things.
One of the most common uses is as an astringent after washing your face.
It will keep your pores clean and will shrink them. Just pour some on a cotton ball and wipe it gently over your face.
Witch hazel also works great to cool the pain of a sunburn.
It will lessen the healing time and help prevent the peeling and skin flaking which usually accompany a sunburn. Just soak a washcloth in it and apply it to the sunburned area for several minutes.
Witch hazel helps to tighten up the skin and reduce bagginess under the eyes.
Just be careful not to get it IN your eyes. Dab a cotton ball saturated with witch hazel to the puffy skin under your eyes.
In place of using hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on a scrape or cut, pour it over the area and allow it to dry.
It will cleanse and disinfect the cut and encourage quicker healing.
You can also use witch hazel on bruises to help reduce swelling and heal the area faster.
Just apply to the bruise two or three times a day.
It is ideal for treating bug bites.
Just place a cotton ball soaked in it directly onto the bite. It will take the itch away. It even works on the itchiness of poison ivy or poison oak.
You can even make a natural bug repellent
by mixing it with a few drops of peppermint oil in a spray bottle.
Men will like the refreshing feel of witch hazel used as an after-shave lotion.
The anti-inflammatory properties of stop itchy bumps that sometimes form around irritated hair follicles. Since it is an astringent, it will also work like a styptic pencil to stop the bleeding from small nicks.
It works well to lock the moisture in your skin after showering or bathing.
Apply immediately after showering to help treat dry skin.
The astringent properties will temporarily soothe aching varicose veins.
Soak a cloth in it, prop your legs straight out in front of you and apply the cloth to your aching legs.
With so many good uses. Shouldn’t you have some in your medicine cabinet?
The Author:
DL Stalter is a certified parenting class instructor and works for “Focus On Kids Parenting Classes”, an online parenting class.
Early settlers often used the Witch Hazel tree branches as brooms.