Witch Hazel smells medicinal; there's no other way to put it. Most people don't seem to like its scent, but I quite enjoy it. And if you appreciate Swiss Pitralon something tells me you might find Witch Hazel interesting.
If you want to try some European WH there's a good English brand (Bell's) that is available through some British Internet pharmacies, like this one. It's cheap and does the job well.
That is very interesting. I have been looking for a "European" Witch Hazel since I read that it is made with a different process, more like a tea infusion, that retains more of the essential WH ingredients (tannins, oils). Here is a quote from http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/witchhazel.html
Witch hazel "extract" is a steam distillate of the recently harvested twigs of the shrub, with about 14 percent alcohol added. This is the witch hazel "water" that reaches most pharmacies in America. In Europe, however, a water-alcohol extract of witch hazel twigs and leaves is more commonly used.
Note that it seems to imply that the European Witch Hazels are not a steam distillate. There are other references on the internet which I have lost track of that seem to imply the same thing.
So, I was quite interested in your mention of "European" Witch Hazel. But the product description you link to calls it a "Distilled Witch Hazel" so it is apparently not really different from the standard American version.
Thayers claims that it is NOT a distillation, but Thayers Witch Hazel leaves my skin with a tacky feel so I prefer not to use it. I guess that is the Aloe Vere. A note from Thayers confirmed there is no Thayers WH product without Aloe Vera.
NOTE: The reason for the scare-quotes around the word "extract" in the above quote is because the author makes a distinction between distillation and extract and the Witch Hazel he is referring to at that point is the American-made distillation, not the original (1800's) extract. The point being that originally it was (in his terms) an extract but very early on the manufacturing process changed to a distillation.
P.S. I have also learned to at least not dislike the scent. It is pungent and that just lets you know you have *something* besides water and alcohol! Besides, the scent dissipates almost immediately so it isn't really an issue in any case -- love it, hate it, or somewhere in between.
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