How do you use your witch hazel?

I've been reading about all this witch hazel craze and decided to get some. I go tsome T.N. Dickinson's with alcohol and some Thayer's Lavender without alcohol.

One is an astringent and one is a toner? Whats the difference? also, how do you use it. Do you cold water rinse, apply it and rinse it off? Or do you leave it on and put your AS balm on top of it?

The Thayer's Lavender without alcohol is marketed as a toner, but Witch Hazel is an astringent with or without the alcohol.

I rinse with warm water, because I long ago decided that life is too short to spend any of it purposely splashing cold water in my face. Then, with hands and face slightly damp, I apply Thayer's Medicated Superhazel in the same manner as regular aftershave, rubbed on both hands and then onto the face. After I finish cleaning up my shaving implements and brushing my teeth, I then apply a regular aftershave splash.

Advil said:

I've been reading about all this witch hazel craze and decided to get some. I go tsome T.N. Dickinson's with alcohol and some Thayer's Lavender without alcohol.

One is an astringent and one is a toner? Whats the difference?

Toners are alcohol free and astringents may or may not be. Toners are generally considered to be milder in their action. (This is a professional definition. One of the subject areas I taught when I was teaching cosmetology was Esthetics (skin care).
also, how do you use it. Do you cold water rinse, apply it and rinse it off? Or do you leave it on and put your AS balm on top of it?

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I do a cold water rinse (to start to reduce inflamation) then apply the witch hazel. I let it dry for a few (this is when I brush my teeth) then apply my AS or balm if I am using one that day.

IMHO, the Dickenson's is real distilled witch hazel (as is Humphreys) since the distillate contains alcohol. The Thayer's uses a proprietary extract that they don't give too much info about and it is NOT distilled witch hazel but some other kind of concoction that contains some kind of witch hazel 'tea'.

I do a cold water rinse to seal the pores followed by witch hazel.
Then I apply after shave followed by balm.

I like the T. N. Dickenson's and I use it like an aftershave splash. Excapt I use it liberally all over my face and neck.

Tim

where would an alum block come in with this set up? after cold rinse and before witch hazel?

I do a cold water rinse then towel dry my face followed by a liberal application of Dickenson's which I let dry and then some ASB.
Jeez I'm resting my face today and now I want to shave...

Warm water rinse.
Cold water rinse.
Liberal application of 50/50 mix of Dickenson's witch hazel and alcohol.
Done.

It dries pretty quickly and any scent is gone just as quick. I mix it with alcohol because it can tighten my skin too much by itself.

I'm also working on adding glycerine and aloe vera gel to the mix, but haven't perfected the proportions yet.

~Jeff

What's the purposed of the witch hazel application?

I use Thayer's Lemon, applied modestly with a cotton round. I have oily skin, and if I use my hands to apply witch hazel, I break out. The cotton is useful in picking up dirt, oil, and left behind soap scum from your face.

TorzJohnson said:

The Thayer's Lavender without alcohol is marketed as a toner, but Witch Hazel is an astringent with or without the alcohol.

I rinse with warm water, because I long ago decided that life is too short to spend any of it purposely splashing cold water in my face. Then, with hands and face slightly damp, I apply Thayer's Medicated Superhazel in the same manner as regular aftershave, rubbed on both hands and then onto the face. After I finish cleaning up my shaving implements and brushing my teeth, I then apply a regular aftershave splash.

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I read once that Paul Newman put his face into ice water every day . . . I am no where close to being as good looking but I do like cold water on my face.

warm water rinse
cold water rinse
dry face and hands with towel
liberal application of Thayer's Witch Hazel
let face air dry
apply aftershave

I personally like Dickenson's. After cold water rinse, I lightly pat face dry, splash on the witch hazel and let air dry; while face is still lightly wet, I apply ASB and finally, before face is completely dry I apply AS splash of the day.

Advil said:

where would an alum block come in with this set up? after cold rinse and before witch hazel?

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I do a cold water rinse, alum, air dry, witch hazel, air dry, and then ASB. Its just what I have found works for me, YMMV

I poured mine down the drain. They smell just sickened me.

dgcrell said:

I poured mine down the drain. They smell just sickened me.

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I also don't like the scent of the drugstore brand (CVS?) I tried.

Although some (*cough* clubmanrob *cough*) will deny that it really is "witch hazel", I like Thayers Unscented Witch Hazel. It also comes in other traditional scents that I haven't tried.

Thayers is alcohol free because the witch hazel plant itself is processed differently than that of other manufacturers. Thayers does have witch hazel that contains alcohol but I am pretty sure it is because they add some, not because it is a "left-over" from their processing.

Thayers also contains aloe and for all I know that may be the main reason I like it as I have never tried any other Thayers product. It does have an astringent quality that aloe wouldn't provide and must come from the witch hazel content.

Warm water rinse, cold water rinse, Thayers with Aloe, then I do any clean-up needed. Thayers is slick and will greatly assist cleaning up any rough spots. After shave splash, clean up around the sink, balm during the winter. Summer is the same except I tend to use Proraso AS splash and Proraso balm for the menthol cooling.

After my nightly shower I splash a few handfuls of Dickinson's Witch Hazel over my face, neck etc. Seems to condition my skin after a long day. Been doing it for the past few months. My lady barber complemented me that my complexion looked great. Ask me what I was doing.

David

Advil said:

where would an alum block come in with this set up? after cold rinse and before witch hazel?

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I do cold water rinse, leave face wet apply alum, clean my stuff, cold water rinse, pat dry, witch hazel, while still a bit wet Corn huskers lotion, let dry AS balm sometimes.

David in Boston said:

Ask me what I was doing.

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OK, what were you doing?