There are many reasons to keep a bottle of witch hazel on hand, from household cleaning solutions to natural beauty cures. For decades, this organic substance has been harvested from witch hazel plants in North America, where it is used for everything from promoting skin health to preventing infections and fighting insects.
Native Americans traditionally used witch hazel leaves and bark as a traditional remedy. Today, witch hazel is available in most drugstores. It is often used as an astringent, binding tissues together and constricting blood vessels. People use witch hazel on the skin for many reasons, such as inflammations, wounds, insect bites, and other skin problems.
How Does It Work?
Witch hazel contains substances called tannins. Applied directly to the skin, witch hazel helps reduce inflammation, restore damaged skin, and fight bacteria.
Surprising Uses of Witch Hazel
- Reduce Stretch Marks: Witch hazel may have some advantages for maintaining healthy collagen fibers, making it an option for stretch mark therapy. Pregnant women use it during their pregnancy to avoid stretch marks on their bellies.
- Purify Oily Skin: Witch hazel is an excellent natural skin cleanser, particularly for managing excess oil. As an astringent with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities, witch hazel can be used efficiently as a cleanser.
- An Effective Acne Treatment: Finding a treatment that works while still being free of harsh chemicals can be difficult, but witch hazel helps to dry up acne due to its astringent properties. Additionally, it is high in antioxidants and combats germs on acne-prone skin without excessively drying it out.
- Anti-Dandruff Treatments: If you have an itchy scalp, dandruff may be the major source of irritation. You can get rid of it with witch hazel oil. Comb your hair, split it into various parts, then massage the oil straight into the scalp. Leave it for a few minutes before shampooing.
- Under-Eye Swollenness: Inflammation of the sensitive skin tissue behind the eyes causes puffiness. Applying treatments containing witch hazel may seem strange at first, but they help reduce puffiness around your eyes.
- Relieves Irritation in the Scalp: People with skin disorders like psoriasis often feel scalp agitation, which causes a burning feeling. Witch hazel may help speed up scalp recovery, mend wounds, and reduce irritation.
- Hair Loss Prevention: When witch hazel is rubbed into the hair, it increases blood circulation to the roots, which improves the health of hair follicles in the scalp tissue and assists in hair loss control.
