What's new

How does Witch Hazel smell?

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.
 
Last edited:
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.

Maybe I shouldn't have used the term "European". In fact I only know our British friends to use Witch Hazel per se. You can find an enormous quantity of medicinal and cosmetic products here in France where Hamamelis Virginiana is part of the components, but no pure Witch Hazel's around. It is perhaps that that is implied in your quote. European chemists seem to use the Hamamelis extract in the ingredient list, so maybe it is prepared differently from the American (or should I say Anglo-Saxon?) way.
 
I think the aroma is very mild and like was said, it's gone in 5-10 minutes.

I'm using a store brand that matches up to Dickensen's.

I liken it to a cross between a tea and a relative to mint.

hard to pinpoint.
 
Witch Hazel does have a distinct smell but it is usually gone in about 5-10 min. The smell is very earthy, kind of like the smell from cutting branches off trees. I didn't like it at first but now it kind of just grew on me. It is a smell that I imagine the Native American Indians got used to in their medicines and balms. I usually cut my aftershaves with WH.
 
I think the aroma is very mild and like was said, it's gone in 5-10 minutes.

I'm using a store brand that matches up to Dickensen's.

I liken it to a cross between a tea and a relative to mint.

hard to pinpoint.
Very. I suppose it depends on the brand, but Dickinson's, smells to me like a cross between stale tea and cheap vodka.
 
There are so many scents I dislike, can't stand or will leave an elevator over but witch hazel is not one of them. Go figure. To me it has almost a hint of wood smoke or maybe a doused wood fire but only very faint. I enjoy it and also have a small bottle with a few drops of bay rum mixed in which gives a whole new slant to things. Very refreshing and toning.
Tom D.

I bought my first bottle of witch hazel today. I hope it eliminates the last little bit of my irritation. As for the smell I bought a generic brand for less than $2 US at walmart and I get the campfire smell too! Brings back memories! :biggrin:
 
Very. I suppose it depends on the brand, but Dickinson's, smells to me like a cross between stale tea and cheap vodka.

Yep, that's pretty close -- wet leaves and a hint of alcohol. Feels great and the smell is gone so quickly I barely notice it. I splash it on, then go to an ASB 2-3 minutes later. Any WH scent is long gone, at least as far as I can detect.
 
I have found that Family Dollar Witch Hazel is basically odorless as well as cheap. 14% Alcohol. I use it as a toner between cold water rinse and AS - works really well.

Thayer's Lavender is nice too. Wife uses it on her legs.
 
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



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.

Gentlemen, thanks a lot for your advice and opinions on Witch Hazel. I quoted above post to touch bottom on the production process of "European" WH. I learned that the result of the production-process is referred to as a Tincture. Below quote from the manufacturer (Biover from Belgium) describes the process in detail:

QUOTE--------------------------------------------------

Tinctures are concentrated hydro-alcoholic plant extracts.

Biover tinctures are mainly produced (> 70%) from fresh plants (1) picked in the wild (in non-polluted areas of countryside) or grown in biologically-controlled conditions (2). Dependent upon the fluid levels and the species, as much as 750 grams of plant material can be required to make 1 litre of tincture. These tinctures are total extracts, which contain very high levels of active ingredients.

Production process:

After harvesting, the fresh plants are finely chopped and cold soaked in alcohol (3) for a minimum of three weeks (maceration). During this period, the mixture is stirred daily, to promote the further diffusion of the active ingredients.

At the end of the soaking period, the maceration is decanted. The remaining plant residue is further pressed under a pressure of 100 bars, until only a compact fibrous mass (mainly cellulose) remains.

The resulting fluids are then filtered, to produce a clear solution containing a minimum of 45° alcohol. After a period of time, this alcohol level can sometimes drop: this is a natural phenomenon, which has no effect on the quality of the tincture.

Finally, all the tinctures are analytically controlled, to ensure that they meet the standardised norms.

* (1) If a plant is fresh, this means that its swollen cells will be rich in plant juices and important active ingredients. A fresh plant is also best suited to yield up its contents when soaked in solution. The drying of plants reduces their levels of active ingredients, such as enzymes and essential oils. In some cases, however, the use of fresh plants is neither possible nor desirable. A good example of this is the buckthorn tincture, which is made with two-year old dried bark (since tinctures made with young bark can sometimes cause irritations).
* (2) Wild plants are harvested in the correct seasons by experienced pickers. This happens in selected areas where the plants in question occur naturally in the wild, but with proper care that the ecological balance is not disturbed. However, the large demand for plant extracts has resulted in the increased growth of plants in biologically-controlled conditions, as an alternative to denuding the countryside of its native flora.

Alcohol is the ideal solution for the extraction of active ingredients. It is a technically pure medium and also an excellent natural preservative.


UNQUOTE----------------------------------------------

On their website:

http://www.biover.be/html/eng/

You will find that Hamamelis Virginiana is used to treat swollen legs and veins and such. They don't say it's an aftershave!

Therefore I want to ask one final question if I may:

Can I use this stuff as an Aftershave? (I am almost certain I can, but I need to hear it from somebody else to be 100 % sure).


Thanks so far and happy shaving!
 
Safeway house brand has a definite urinary odor to it.

You could do what I did and pour out about 1/3 of it, and fill the space up with some cologne or after shave (I used dollar-store Regatta Old Spice clone).

Smells better, works as well as before. Seems like a good idea to me!
 
I use T N Dickinsons and to me it smells like a bottle full of badger **** mixed with the urine of a diseased crack whore.
Not very nice, just saying.
Good thing it lasts less than a few minutes.
Old thread, but I don't care! REBEL!!
 
... To me it has almost a hint of wood smoke or maybe a doused wood fire but only very faint. I enjoy it and also have a small bottle with a few drops of bay rum mixed in which gives a whole new slant to things. Very refreshing and toning.
Tom D.
That's the scent. Almost reminds me of a Reposado tequila. I like the Bay Rum idea.
 
Top Bottom