A question for all you Thayer's devotees: I know it's the genericized trademark of witch hazels, and I do not wish to commit slander. But is it worth the $5, or closer 10 in most stores I can find it locally? From what I understand of WH it is mostly just an extract. If I don't bother with the scented or super versions, is there anything about Thayer's that makes it worth the price difference compared to the $1.50 or so of the generic?
Thayer's vs. Generic
- Thread starter nrdoty
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According to Thayer's, (consider the source, they would def. support the product they are selling)
it is not distilled, thereby maintaining all the beneficial natural tannins.
It is derived from the bark, 31 times richer than that from the leaf, 87 times richer than from the stem.
Other than these "facts" (who is to say that other companies DO distill their witch hazel? Or use leaf/stem rather than the bark?) I see no need to buy the brand name other than the fact that it has a very nice bottle, has some aloe and other goodness in it, and comes in a variety of scents.
I do not have enough experience with Thayer's vs. generic to say weather there is a quality difference.
it is not distilled, thereby maintaining all the beneficial natural tannins.
It is derived from the bark, 31 times richer than that from the leaf, 87 times richer than from the stem.
Other than these "facts" (who is to say that other companies DO distill their witch hazel? Or use leaf/stem rather than the bark?) I see no need to buy the brand name other than the fact that it has a very nice bottle, has some aloe and other goodness in it, and comes in a variety of scents.
I do not have enough experience with Thayer's vs. generic to say weather there is a quality difference.
I've used both Thayers and T.N. Dickinson's and I can say without a doubt 100% that the Thayers is nicer to use. The aloe makes a difference and the smell of Thayers is far more pleasant. Dickinson's has a rubbing alcohol in an old gym sneaker kind of smell. For the scent alone I would go with Thayers. Not that the Dickinson's stuff won't get the job done but Thayers is just better in every regard.
Thayers works MUCH better than generic. But do you want to know the real reason I'll pay for Thayers?
Smell generic WH. It's enough to make anyone vomit.
Smell generic WH. It's enough to make anyone vomit.
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- #5
Oh I agree it smells like something died and rotted on my face!
I just ignorantly assumed this was what the unscented version of any brand smelled like. I guess I will swing by Wallgreens on the way home from work and give it a sniff!
The smell is horrible for the first handful of uses, however, after many months of daily use I have actually come to enjoy the smell of generic witch hazel.
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- #7
The smell is horrible for the first handful of uses, however, after many months of daily use I have actually come to enjoy the smell of generic witch hazel.
I don't doubt I might eventually at least get used to it, even if I don't every like it. However SWMBO has mentioned on many occasions that she hates the smell. So it could be a win-win: she won't have to put up with the smell and I get to buy new shave stuff!
BTW, how do you guys apply your WH? I saw mantic use cotton pads, so I started out this way. Then I randomly started just thumbing the bottle like AS cause it was easier. But now I seem to be going through it faster.
I've had the same experience. Witch hazel is an acquired taste like many other things in life.The smell is horrible for the first handful of uses, however, after many months of daily use I have actually come to enjoy the smell of generic witch hazel.
I pour it on my hands and rub it on my face.
The smell must not last very long because the wife has never commented on it. Maybe she is being kind..
IMO, Thayer's is a cosmetic toner, rather than the astringent/antiseptic that is traditional witch hazel. They throw in extra ingredients and scents (and/or take out things like alcohol) to concoct a proprietary formula. They price and market it as a value-added product. If you like it, you may consider it a good value, but comparing it to traditional witch hazel is like comparing Entenmann's apple strudel to apples.
I use a cotton pad. It provides a nice even application of WH over the skin and cleans up small nicks and weepers when they unfortunately appear. It also helps to extend the life of the WH bottle.
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- #11
So you're saying Thayer's, even the normal - unscented one is more an AS made with WH as the main ingredient instead just being a bottle of extract like the generic?
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- #12
I probably will go back to using this method if I get the name brand. It seems much easier to conserve the product that way.
So you're saying Thayer's, even the normal - unscented one is more an AS made with WH as the main ingredient instead just being a bottle of extract like the generic?
This is true for their line of astringents, which are made of their proprietary witch hazel extract with added aloe, water, alcohol and sometimes herbal/scent agents. Their alcohol-free toners are mostly water, aloe and glycerine.
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