
“It can also rid your hair of dandruff, working to relieve scalp sensitivity and provide relief for itchiness or tenderness.”

“Witch hazel can also relieve sunburn, soothe bug bites, and calm inflammation from poison ivy,” says Taylor. Its soothing powers make the ingredient a versatile treatment for various other afflictions. “It is now a mass-marketed product regularly used in toiletries such as cleansers and toners and is one of the only medicinal plants that is FDA-approved.”
Thayers witch hazel skin#
“The Osage used it to treat skin ulcers and sores, the Potawatomi for soothing sore muscles, the Iroquois to treat dysentery, colds and coughs, and in more recent times, for many skin concerns,” says Stephanie Taylor, a health and wellbeing expert at StressNoMore. The leaves, bark, and twigs of the shrub are used to create a liquid that is marketed as witch hazel in medicine and skincare. Witch hazel is derived from a flowering plant (Latin name Hammamelis virginiana) native to North America and Japan.
Thayers witch hazel how to#
Here's everything you need to know about the all-natural ingredient, how it works, and how to use witch hazel as a toner in your beauty routine.

In fact, witch hazel has been used both medicinally and to treat an assortment of skin ailments for centuries. Nope, this is certainly not your latest buzzy skin care discovery still in its infancy on the market (looking at you, never-ending list of skin acids). It has antibacterial activity, decreasing staphylococcus bacteria, candida, and antiviral activity.”įor all the fuss over one little botanical, it makes sense that it’s been around for quite a while. It is an astringent solution that tones and constricts the pores on the skin, removes makeup leftovers. “It cleans the skin and removes the excess oil without drying the skin. “It is very safe for the skin,” she tells Bustle.

Mariana Vergara, NP-C, has no qualms over using witch hazel as a toner. But if the ingredient isn’t consistently looked at favorably, is it even safe?Ĭosmetic dermatologist Dr. A longtime staple of the beauty industry, witch hazel has gone in and out of favour with the experts, volleying between being thought of as too harsh and drying or a holy grail acne-busting toner.
