Thayers Witch Hazel- Which one?

[rickshah]

Hi Gents,

While skimming through Thayer's website, I noticed that they have quite a selection of different types of Witch Hazel. There are the alcohol free ones w/ or w/o scent, the original, the medicated superhazel, etc. Regarding their efficacy, is there any discernible difference from one to the next?

Thanks,
Rick

[Wil]

At the highest level- sting quality or not- Alcohol based or not-

After that would be scent quality-

I know there is a lot more to this- but when choosing- I chose the alcohol free product and Lavender- Seems to do what it is required to do and not sting- the Alum bar is enough for me:eek:

[htownmmm]

Sadly, I cannot help you choose- i bought the lemon,lavender, and the rose in one fell swoop. :drool: Resistance is futile!


Marty

[perry]

This (http://www.thayers.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=15) is the one I have because it was the only one the store I went to had.

[Wil]

http://www.thayers.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4&zenid=bc05f9b131eca9b43e970b79a2264f0f

this may be best- a sample pack to choose from... :detective:

[Razorburne]

I have the alcohol rose b/c that's what my local health food store had the last time I went in.

Has anybody tried any of the ones with alcohol in them? How much do they sting?

I am interested in the superhazel, but I don't want to feel the sting of alcohol, and unfortunately I think the ones with alcohol have about ~20% alcohol.

[Ricardo]

Hi Gents,

While skimming through Thayer's website, I noticed that they have quite a selection of different types of Witch Hazel. There are the alcohol free ones w/ or w/o scent, the original, the medicated superhazel, etc. Regarding their efficacy, is there any discernible difference from one to the next?

Thanks,
Rick

Witch Hazel is a formulation with the 2 most prominent manufacturers being Thayer's and Dickinson.

Thayer's
Thayer's formula for the astringent version (white label with a picture of Henry Thayer on it) is 10% alcohol + witch hazel extract + water + aloe + fragrance.

Note #1: This astringent version is called the "original witch hazel". and the witch hazel extract is listed as the first ingredient followed by water, which implies that it has more extract than water.

Note #2: I currently use this version and the 10% alcohol does not cause any sting for me. If I follow up the witch hazel treatment with an alcohol based aftershave, I do feel the alcohol sting, which tells me the 10% in the witch hazel had no burn. The alcohol does not dry out my skin either.

Thayer's formula for the Toner (non-alcoholic) versions (colored label with a picture of Rose Thayer on it) is water + witch hazel extract + aloe + fragrance. It also contains vitamin E which I suspect is used for its antioxidant properties (helps preservation since alcohol is not used), grapefruit seed extract, butylene glycol (humectant), polysorbate 20 (emulsifier) and paraben (a preservative used to keep the product alcohol free.

Note that this version does not have the word "original" on it and witch hazel extract is listed second on the ingredients (after water) which implies that it has more water than extract. It also contains paraben which may be a concern for those trying to use paraben free products.

Dickinson's
The only difference with the Dickinson Astringent Formulation is that it contains 14% alcohol + witch hazel extract. It is advertised as "combines extracts of the witch hazel plant to thoroughly cleanse and condition your skin. Unlike other astringents, our gentle formulation cleans deeply to remove the last traces of make-up, soap residue and excess oil - without the use of artificial ingredients that may overdry your skin".
http://www.witchhazel.com/skincare_yellow_astrigent.htm

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=37272&catid=47742&trx=PLST-0-SEARCH&trxp1=47742&trxp2=37272&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-SEARCH

The Dickinson Toner Formulation contains 14% alcohol + witch hazel extract plus botanicals (Glycerin, Aloe, Chamomile, Verbena, Elder Flower, Woodruff, Lemongrass, Rose, Lavender, Orange Flower, Clary Sage, Davana, Periwinkle, Rosewood). It is advertised as "blends the cleansing properties of witch hazel, together with the moisturizing qualities of glycerin and aloe to rejuvenate and revitalize"
http://www.witchhazel.com/skincare_blue.htm

My observations are:

The Thayer's White Label Astringent and both the Dickinson's Astringent and Toner seem to have the most natural ingredients.

Dickinson's seems to have a more strict interpretation of what "natural" means.

If you are sensitive to alcohol, the Thayer's 10% alcohol astringent may be more appropriate than the 14% Dickinson's astringent.

For more background on Witch Hazel, see the following thread (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18749&highlight=witch+hazel)

Question
It is interesting that the Thayer's astringent features a picture of Henry Thayer and the toners feature a picture of Rose Thayer (Henry's neice). Not that it makes a difference, but does anyone know if the Henry Thayer version was intended to be the male (alcohol based) formulation for witch hazel and the Rose Thayer version was intended as a lighter (alcohol-free) version for women? Since the Thayer's toner is advertised as based on Rose's 120 year old secret recipe, It is hard for me to imagine a gun-slingin' cowboy getting off of a horse in the late 1800's, walking into a drug store and asking for a bottle of Rose's Toner.:blink:

[johnniegold]

I use the Lavender and the After Shave witch hazel

[Limey]

Thayer's Lavender is the best. It is the one product that I use everyday with every shave and again in the evening. Everything else is rotated.

[Gafer]

Did a review on this a while back:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=T&t=15607
Still love it. Some guys can't take the rose scent but come on, what's a little rose smell under your nose? No one else can smell it. It's not like you're wearing a pink shirt. :biggrin:

[mksmith3]

I use the Thayers Original Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Formula Toner. It seems to work and avoids any "less-than-masculine" aroma issues.

[farace]

Is there any difference between the regular Thayer's Witch Hazel and the Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave, aside from more alcohol (20%) and a bottle one-third the size?

[Ricardo]

Is there any difference between the regular Thayer's Witch Hazel and the Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave, aside from more alcohol (20%) and a bottle one-third the size?

It appears that the extra alcohol is the only difference. The intent might be to give that sting so familiar with alcohol based after shaves.

[Jim]

Ems place (http://www.emsplace.com/products.htm) carries a bunch of hydrosols (http://www.emsplace.com/grooming/hydrosols.aspx)including Witch hazel that are just that. Nothing else.

[rob burnett]

Hi Rick
I use the alc. free rose and the lemon thayers.Although it contains 10% alc. I can feel no sting from the lemon and it is very refreshing.However if you require more moisturising properties the alc. free rose is superb and I can quite happily use it without any extra balm.
The rose scent is quite strong initially but soon fades.
These products have enhanced my shaves and will be trying more of the range a.s.a.p.
Rob

[latheredup]

Thayers Alc. Free Lavender is a must-have product. I find that most After Shave balms make any razor burn worse. Thayers Lavender soothes it and heals it. Add in a little Proraso Pre/Post, and you've got a cooling healing combo that can't be beat.

[addicted]

I've bought a sampler and liked 4: rose, lavender, medicated and peach. Rose and lavender go well with like shave soaps/creams. I think medicated works well with tabac soap. Well, at least I don't think rose and lavender would work well with it. And I use peach as a toner on Sun when I don't normally shave.

[rek981]

I have the Thayer's aftershave and sampler pack on it way right now. Can't wait to get em and try them all.
Ross

[orpheus]

I have the Thayer's aftershave and sampler pack on it way right now. Can't wait to get em and try them all.
Ross

I'm curious to know which ones you like. Been thinking of getting the sampler pack myself. All I've used is the "Original Formula Toner" (green label; no alcohol.) It doesn't advertise any particular scent, but I LOVE how it smells. Very subtle, evaporates quickly, but for a few moments it's a really nice scent.

Plus my skin seems to like it a lot. :biggrin:

[MichaelB]

Thayer's Superhazel is one of my favorite products. I never experience alcohol burn. It is the most soothing splash-on I have ever used, and it has a great scent.

Michael

[Rufus]

I love the smell of Thayer's Rose, but the drawback for me is that it is alcohol-free. Bought some ethanol today and will be adding (15%) it to some of my Thayer's Rose; hope it works as this will make it ideal for me. I don't feel refreshed after a shave unless I experience alcohol on my face; I just love Pinaud Bay Rum for this reason.

[rek981]

I received my shipment of Thayer’s Aftershave and Sampler pack a couple of days ago. Here are some comments:

- As a general comment, the natural “witch hazel” smell of all these products is MUCH better than Dickinson’s Witch Hazel which I think smells like a nursing home.

- Aftershave : Despite what the website says, the aftershave is greater than 20% alcohol. In fact, grain alcohol is listed as the 1st ingredient. Also, it passed the ole' flammability test (so it’s probably at least 50% alcohol). It is unscented and the smell is of witch hazel. Overall, I really liked this product as an aftershave because I enjoy aftershaves with a lot of alcohol. Also, because it is unscented and neutral, I can use it with any cologne I want. It’s the best of both worlds, alcohol and witch hazel.

- The Supermedicated: This one is only 20 % alcohol. However, it is still very cooling on the face as an aftershave since it has menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus, etc . This one will make it into my rotation for sure, especially if I don’t want to dry my face out too much.

- The original and original alcohol-free: not much to say here. One has alcohol, one doesn’t. It’s just great witch hazel, and it smells much much better than what you can buy at CVS

- Lavender Alcohol-free: Vaguely resembles lavender. Not bad, not great either.

- Lemon: Smell like lemon dish soap, yuck.

- Peach: Smells like Peach Schnapps. Double yuck.

- Rose Alcohol free: Smells like a nursing home mixed with rotten roses and cheap old woman perfume. This one is just awful. I have the Art of Shaving Rose Hydrosol which smells like real fresh roses, and I just love it. The Thayer’s smells nothing like the hydrosol. Yuck x1000.

All in all, I really like the aftershave, the supermedicated, and the originals (alcohol and alcohol-free). Those are the ones that will make it into my rotation. As always, YMMV.

Ross

PS I will probably be using the original alcohol free to make my own alcohol based aftershave in the future (see http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20168).

[galpman]

Thayers Alc. Free Lavender is a must-have product. I find that most After Shave balms make any razor burn worse. Thayers Lavender soothes it and heals it. Add in a little Proraso Pre/Post, and you've got a cooling healing combo that can't be beat.

+1 This indeed is a great product. IMHO better smelling than the Rose scent. Radily available in Health Food/Vitamin Stores.

[rek981]

- Lavender Alcohol-free: Vaguely resembles lavender. Not bad, not great either.

- Rose Alcohol free: Smells like a nursing home mixed with rotten roses and cheap old woman perfume. This one is just awful. I have the Art of Shaving Rose Hydrosol which smells like real fresh roses, and I just love it. The Thayer’s smells nothing like the hydrosol. Yuck x1000.


After having spent some more time with the sample pack, I feel compelled to revoke my previous comments about the above two varieties of witch hazel. I was way to harsh, especially on the rose, and both scents have really grown on me. They are gentle, refreshing, and non-trying, and they do smell quite good. Both the lavender and rose scents are very nice, and I have been using them everyday as a toner (especially excellent in the Miami weather). I highly recommend all the Thayer's products except for the lemon and peach.

Ross

[Rufus]

Ross, good for you to hang in there with the Rose. As I said in an earlier post, it is one of my favourites, its only drawback being a lack of alcohol. I'm currently experimenting with it by adding ethanol to a small batch, but I don't want to dilute the rose scent. Nothwithstanding its being alcohol-free, I still use it because of the rose scent, which I find very subtle and refreshing. In this regard, I've just returned from Whole Foods where I picked up a bottle of Heritage Rosewater & Glycerin, which too is alcohol free; I'm also going to experiment with it by adding ethanol to a small batch. With respect to the Thayer's Aftershave, I am intending to experiment with this by adding some lavender essential oil, as lavender is another scent I enjoy. Not sure what SWMBO thinks of all my experimenting; she just gives me a quizzicle (sp.?) look and mumbles something about my having too much time on my hands since I retired.

[rek981]

Rufus,

I too have been experimenting with my own aftershave. The problem with putting EO in witch hazel is that it will not dissolve; you need a solution that is at least 60% alcohol. I have successfully made aftershave using 75% Everclear and diluting it down to 60% using witch hazel, any less than 60% and the EO did not stay dissolved.

I am trying a new batch/experiment right now though. I have put the EOs and olive oil in the alcohol (75% Everclear) 1st, and I am going to let that sit for about 2 weeks. Then I will try adding witch hazel to see if I can dilute it down to less than 60% without the EO coming out of solution. To be honest, it make for a pretty nice aftershave as is.

Ross