Witch hazel (astringent)

Witch hazel (astringent)

Witch hazel is an astringent produced from the leaves and bark of the North American Witch Hazel shrub ("Hamamelis virginiana") which ranges from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, and south to Florida, and Texas [http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/witchhazel.html Steven Foster Group article] ] . This plant, native to Canada and the United States was widely used for medicinal purposes by American Natives. The witch hazel extract was obtained by steaming the twigs of the shrub.

The essential oil of witch hazel is not sold separately as a consumer product. The plant does not produce enough essential oil to make production viable. However, there are various distillates of witch hazel (called hydrosols or hydrolats) that are gentler than the "drug store" witch hazel and contain alcohol.

Uses

Witch hazel is mainly used externally on sores, bruises, and swelling. The main constituents of the extract include tannin, gallic acid, catechins, proanthocyanins, flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin), essential oil (carvacrol, eugenol, hexenol), choline, saponins, and bitters. Distilled witch hazel sold in drug stores and pharmacies typically contains no tannin.

Witch hazel hydrosol is used in skin care. It is a strong anti-oxidant and astringent, which makes it very useful in fighting acne. It has been recommended for psoriasis, eczema, aftershave applications, cracked or blistered skin, for treating insect bites, poison ivy, and as a treatment for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. (It is found in numerous over the counter hemorrhoid preparations.)

Witch hazel is also known to help with speeding the healing of cold sores with several daily applications.

Witch hazel is also traditionally known as a good first reaction against shaving cuts and abrasions for men & women, and it is also recommended by "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies" as effective for helping sunburns.

Some people have found it to be an effective treatment for athlete's foot.

It is also known to speed the healing of piercings.

Non-medicinal uses

Witch hazel can be used instead of hair spray or other holding products for normal to oily hair when curling one's hair.

The drug store product witch hazel has also been found to be useful in the restoration or renewal of old furniture finishes. When poured onto a flat wood surface with significant crazing in the old lacquer or varnish and left to sit, the witch hazel will essentially "melt" or soften the surface.

Notes and references


* Erdelmeier, C. A. J. et al. Antiviral and Antiphlogistic Activities of Hamamelis virginiana Bark. Planta Medica, 62(1996) (3):241-245
* Foster, S. The Wiley Witch Hazel. The Herb Companion.(January 1989).
* Korting, H. C., et al. "Comparative Efficacy of Hamamelis Distillate and Hydrocortisone. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 48(1995)(6):461-465.
* Lloyd, J. U. and J. T. Lloyd. History of Hamamelis (Witch Hazel), Extract and Distillate. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. 24(1935) (3):220—24.
* Tyler, V. E. Herbs of Choice - The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals, Binghamton, New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.


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  • Witch hazel — is the name of:*Witch hazel: Hamamelis , a genus of decorative shrubs in North America and east Asia *Witch hazel (astringent): the astringent topical medicine derived from the Hamamelis plant *Witch Hazel (Disney): a Disney cartoon and comics… …   Wikipedia

  • witch hazel — (Amer.) n. wychhazel, type of flowering tree; astringent solution containing an extract from the witch hazel tree …   English contemporary dictionary

  • witch hazel — (also wych hazel) ► NOUN 1) a shrub with fragrant yellow or orange flowers. 2) an astringent lotion made from the bark and leaves of this plant. ORIGIN for wych, see WYCH ELM(Cf. ↑W) …   English terms dictionary

  • witch hazel — noun 1. any of several shrubs or trees of the genus Hamamelis; bark yields an astringent lotion • Syn: ↑witch hazel plant, ↑wych hazel, ↑wych hazel plant • Hypernyms: ↑shrub, ↑bush • Hyponyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Witch-hazel — Taxobox name = Witch hazel image width = 240px image caption = Hamamelis virginiana regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Saxifragales familia = Hamamelidaceae genus = Hamamelis genus authority = Gronov. ex L.… …   Wikipedia

  • witch hazel — SYN: hamamelis. * * * witch ha·zel wich .hā zəl n 1) any small tree or shrub of the genus Hamamelis esp one (Hamamelis virginiana) of eastern No. America that blooms in the fall 2) an alcoholic solution of a distillate of the bark of a witch… …   Medical dictionary

  • witch hazel — /wich hay zeuhl/ 1. a shrub, Hamamelis virginiana, of eastern North America, having toothed, egg shaped leaves and small, yellow flowers. Cf. witch hazel family. 2. a liquid extraction from the leaves or bark of this plant mixed with water and… …   Universalium

  • witch hazel plant — noun any of several shrubs or trees of the genus Hamamelis; bark yields an astringent lotion • Syn: ↑witch hazel, ↑wych hazel, ↑wych hazel plant • Hypernyms: ↑shrub, ↑bush • Hyponyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • witch-hazel — n. (also wych hazel) 1 any American shrub of the genus Hamamelis, with bark yielding an astringent lotion. 2 this lotion, esp. from the leaves of H. virginiana. * * * witch hazel /wichˈhā zl/ noun 1. Any of a number of trees, such as the wych elm …   Useful english dictionary

  • witch hazel — noun Etymology: witch, a tree with pliant branches, from Middle English wyche, from Old English wice; probably akin to Old English wīcan to yield more at weak Date: circa 1760 1. any of a genus (Hamamelis of the family Hamamelidaceae, the witch… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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