So Tell Me About Witch Hazel?

I tend to use WH on every other day after washing my face. I find on shave days AS / ASB works a treat for me but YMMV.

I use Walmart's distilled Extract of Witch Hazel (14% alcohol) after each shave. It seems to work well for me, but I may try either Thayer's or Dickensen's when my current bottle runs out.

I make my own aftershave balm with 1 part witch hazel to 1 part aloe vera gel along with optional essential oils for scent. Very cooling on my face and helps prevent razor burn.

I buy generic at the base exchange for $1.79 for 16 oz. Probably a little over $2 at a drug store. I use it everyday and enjoy the feel and my skin does well with it.

I use WH from Target. Smells like medicine but does wonders after a shave! I put some on a cotton ball and rub on my face. While it dries I rinse my brush and razor and then it aftershave time. Works every time!!!!

Random Shaver said:

I use Dickensen's Witch Hazel after every shave. It's an astringent, which means it's useful for helping to seal up small nicks and cuts (such as the many micro-cuts we get from shaving) as well as helping to tighten the skin up. In what I understand is its typical retail configuration, Witch Hazel also contains 14% alcohol, which of course is an antiseptic.

That's why I use it, at least. I don't claim to be any kind of expert on this topic. What I've posted above is what I've learned from the fine gentlemen here on B&B.

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+1 although I don't always use it after every shave. I shave twice a day, and sometimes after an extremely close shave, I'll use it. Seems to work for me everytime in immediately soothing the skin.

Why does witch hazel seem to be popular overseas mainly? It is listed as an ingredient in certain aftershaves, and other care products, here, but witch hazel itself (Hamameliswater) is hardly sold in the regular drugstores. You can buy it in more specialised stores, but it certainly is not a mainstream product over here. Rose water and chamomile water do seem to be good sellers though.

I am keen to also know the answer if anyone can categorically say why? What is the difference between generic WH and specialist scented or un-scented apart from smell? Do any perform better than generic WH?

DrAwkward said:

Thayer's unscented with aloe works for me.

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+1 after cold water rinse, and prior to balm or talc depending on temps outside, then AS

I use the Thayer's w/ Aloe every night to clean my face (very oily skin). Use Stirling's witch hazel and Aloe as an aftershave. Great stuff!

Eeyore said:

Why does witch hazel seem to be popular overseas mainly? It is listed as an ingredient in certain aftershaves, and other care products, here, but witch hazel itself (Hamameliswater) is hardly sold in the regular drugstores. You can buy it in more specialised stores, but it certainly is not a mainstream product over here. Rose water and chamomile water do seem to be good sellers though.

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Different countries do things differently.

Witch hazel is native to North America but not to Europe. The story goes that the colonists in New England learned about it from the natives, and it became a home remedy. In Europe there would have already been home remedies based on locally available ingredients. Witch hazel grows wild in New England, and the colonists either lacked alternatives or thought witch hazel was better. A century or two later, commercial products arose. These found a viable market with folks who were used to using witch hazel, but found it more convenient to buy than to make at home.

Other New World natives — tomatoes, potatoes, maize-corn, turkeys, sunflowers, etc. — are widespread nowadays. But witch hazel may not be easy to cultivate: as I understand it commercial witch hazel is still harvested rather than farmed. Even if it can be cultivated, there may not be enough demand in Europe to make it worthwhile —.which gets back to history and culture.

I use Thayers (it's alcohol free), after a cold wash and before aftershave splash/balm application. It, along with cold wash and AS, helps to close the pores and I feel it adds to the overall post shave healing/soothing process. Just personal preference, everybody does their thing a little differently, and in the end, it is really what you think helps you individually. I do recommend trying it at least once.

davidbjr said:

I use Thayers (it's alcohol free), after a cold wash and before aftershave splash/balm application. It, along with cold wash and AS, helps to close the pores and I feel it adds to the overall post shave healing/soothing process. Just personal preference, everybody does their thing a little differently, and in the end, it is really what you think helps you individually. I do recommend trying it at least once.

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+1... The Thayer's witch hazel has also replaced my old toner (Keihl's) and I feel like my face has been softer and my hydrated.

From what I am aware of Thayer's witch hazel smells nicer while the generic and dickerson has the traditional medicine-y smell that subsides after a few seconds. I use the Thayer's rose and I don't plan on changing any time soon. One of the better $10 investments I have made to my skin care.

mblakele said:

Other New World natives — tomatoes, potatoes, maize-corn, turkeys, sunflowers, etc. — are widespread nowadays. But witch hazel may not be easy to cultivate: as I understand it commercial witch hazel is still harvested rather than farmed. Even if it can be cultivated, there may not be enough demand in Europe to make it worthwhile —.which gets back to history and culture.

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Thanks for the explanation! I am surprised that witch hazel is not farmed, since several variants in the hamamelis family are sold as decorative plants.

Pete E said:

Just wondering how many apply Witch Hazel following a shave and if they do, what are the benefits?

Looking at the pics in the Shavers Den thread, it seems Henry Thayter is the most popular brand??

Given its around twice the price of generic Witch Hazel bought from the drug store, why is it so popular? Does it work better? if so, in what way?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

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I use it for these benefits:

It feels good on my face after a shave,
It's cheap,
It's one of the only aftershaves that my wife doesn't hate the smell of, because it doesn't leave a lasting smell,
And it's cheap.

sir_mike said:

It looks like Amazon sells it for almost $10 but my local Walgreen's advertises it for only $3.99 a bottle! I think it is the same stuff!

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yea i jus got me a generic bottle for .99 to try it out but I almost bought it for 10 in amazon a little pricey online not sure why...

it's a toner. alcohol aftershaves or balms will do something similar to various degrees. while it's also somewhat antiseptic, it's not reliable enough to really count compared to alum or alcohol.

FireDragon76 said:

it's a toner. alcohol aftershaves or balms will do something similar to various degrees. while it's also somewhat antiseptic, it's not reliable enough to really count compared to alum or alcohol.

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so still use ALUM?

OK so in answer to the OP, and based upon my own experience, I recommend against using alum and WH together. I find it overly harsh and quite superfluous. So I like to alternate between the two and I find that alum is more harsh and sometimes leaves my skin looking rather red.

Same as most, immediately after shave and before AS or balm. If I feel the shave has been a little harsh, I put a couple drops of tea tree oil in my palm first, then the WH.

Bill