How To Use Witch Hazel For Bv

Top 10 Uses For Witch Hazel

Top Ten Uses For Witch Hazel | Personal Care | Andrew Weil, M.D.

What Is Witch Hazel?

Witch hazel has a long, impressive history as an anti-inflammatory, topical excerpt useful for skin toning, cleaning, calming and healing. The outset successful mass-produced American skincare production, debuted in 1846, was "Golden Treasure," later renamed Pond'due south Cold Foam. It was based on wild-harvested witch hazel, which company chemists learned about from Native Americans in New York state.

Today, witch hazel has many uses which makes it the most popular topical botanical in the world. It is part of the base used in toners, cleaners and makeup removers made by large skincare companies including Revlon, Neutrogena, 50'Oreal and Estée Lauder.

The North American shrub known as witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) grows abundantly in the eastern and Midwestern U.Southward., and in southern Canada. Information technology is characterized by a brilliant orange or yellow blossoms that resemble exploding fireworks, and a unique, aggressive method of propagation: its seed capsules erupt explosively in autumn, flinging seeds up to xxx feet.

Apart from its medicinal uses, the Mohegan tribe taught English settlers how to use witch hazel saplings for dowsing – the sticks, Native American lore has it, bend downward to indicate underground water sources.

Historians believe the name witch hazel probably derives from some combination of "wicke" the former English term for "lively"; and "wych" the traditional Anglo-Saxon term for "bend."

About of the U.S. supply comes from wildlands in the northeast U.Southward., collected past harvesters who have gathered information technology for generations. The twigs are collected during the winter, and then steamed in factories to release and concentrate the pungent extract.

This extract is then usually mixed with alcohol and purified water, often along with other skin-conditioning ingredients such as aloe and rosewater. Alcohol-free h2o-based preparations of witch hazel are available too. It is also sold in ointments and creams. All of these versions are usually bachelor over-the-counter in drug stores and online.

Uses For Witch Hazel

The skin is our largest, most exposed and well-nigh environmentally abused organ. Witch hazel tin can be a powerful ally in its defense and healing.

Witch hazel tin can alleviate a wide diversity of skin conditions, including:

Swelling and discoloration: Witch hazel extract is a rich source of severe compounds that can brand proteins in skin cells draw more tightly together, shrinking pores and constricting capillaries virtually the peel's surface. It likewise inhibits production of IL-8, a claret-borne inflammatory factor that increases as we historic period (1). Puffiness or "bags" under the eyes can be treated by dabbing the area before bedtime with a cotton ball dipped in a water-alcohol solution of witch hazel.

Varicose veins: The High german Commission East, which evaluates herbal medicines for effectiveness, has approved the employ of witch hazel to treat varicose veins (two). The Commission suggests applying an ointment at least three times daily for two or more than weeks to see noticeable results.

Hemorrhoids: Committee E has too canonical treating the swollen veins characteristic of hemorrhoids with witch hazel (2). Disposable pads pre-soaked in a witch hazel solution are created specifically for this purpose.

Irritation: A report in the European Periodical of Pediatrics (3) compared witch hazel to dexpanthenol ointment, a mutual synthetic topical medication, to care for minor peel injuries, diaper rash or local inflammation in children. While both ointments provided relief, the witch hazel was judged by both physicians and parents to have fewer side furnishings. The authors concluded that witch hazel is "an effective and safe treatment" for "certain skin disorders" in children up to historic period eleven. (Adults might accept experienced similar results, merely this study was of children merely.)

Sunburn: A study in the journal Dermatology (4) found that a 10 percent witch hazel lotion reduced sunburn irritation roughly twice as well equally other commonly used sunburn lotions. And a German study (5) concluded that witch hazel'southward "antioxidant polyphenolic compounds" appear to protect the skin from "sunburn and photoaging."

Scalp bug: The International Periodical of Trichology published a study (6) that examined the effects of a witch hazel-based shampoo on subjects with "sensitive scalps" including inflammatory atmospheric condition known as "red scalp" and "scalp exhaustion." Researchers found reduced inflammation after 4 weeks in a majority of patients.

Bug bites and stings: Herbalist James Duke reported (7) that Native Americans typically practical witch hazel extract to insect bites and stings to reduce both itching and swelling. Today, some herbalists recommend making a paste with a small amount of baking soda and applying this directly to the irritated area. A safe, constructive insect repellant can be made from a one-half-and-half solution of a witch hazel water-alcohol solution (the kind commonly available in drug stores) and distilled water, forth with roughly 30 drops of an essential oil such as citronella, clove, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender or mint. Combine in a spray bottle and shake well before applying.

Stretch marks: Witch hazel has traditionally been used to both lighten the color and reduce the skin puckering characteristic of post-pregnancy stretch marks.

Bleeding: Witch hazel'southward peel tightening and blood-vessel-constricting effects brand it a quick, effective remedy to stop bleeding from minor cuts and abrasions. A dab of witch hazel can be an constructive, natural alternative to a styptic pencil, which uses aluminum sulfate to stop blood flow.

General skin issues: Unfortunately, at that place are relatively few loftier-quality studies on the utilize of witch hazel to care for specific skin weather. Just considering that it is cheap and mostly safety, there'southward no impairment in trying it to alleviate a diversity of other skin problems for which information technology is traditionally used. These include acne, bruises, ingrown hairs, oily skin, toxicant ivy inflammation and razor burn.

Possible Side Effects Of Witch Hazel

The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database lists witch hazel water equally "Probable Safe" when it is used "topically and appropriately." If you take unusually sensitive pare, apply a small amount of a water infusion or ointment and wait 12 hours to see if irritation develops.

Some herbal guides recommend drinking diverse dilutions of witch hazel to care for throat or stomach conditions. But tannin-rich severe extracts tin can be irritating to the digestive tract, and some sources have even suggested they could be carcinogenic. Exercise non have witch hazel orally without consulting a physician who has preparation in herbal medicine.

Dr. Weil'south Thoughts About Witch Hazel

It's no wonder that Native Americans prized witch hazel so highly. I too regard information technology as indispensable. This time-honored topical agent can help alleviate many pare weather condition. Whenever the skin is cut, abraded, irritated, itchy or burned or just in need of refreshment, a witch hazel lotion, alcohol-water solution or alcohol-free toner tin can unremarkably provide relief.

If you enjoy creating your own medicinal concoctions, you tin can try mixing a commercial witch hazel liquid product with a "carrier" cream such as coconut or jojoba oil, experimenting with proportions until you detect a combination that's to your liking.

If y'all desire to make your ain witch hazel skin tonic from scratch, ethnobotanist Dawn Combs recommends harvesting and drying bark and twigs from wild plants in the early spring or late fall, or purchasing the dried bark online.

Then, in a saucepan, combine ½ pound witch hazel bark and plenty distilled water to cover the bark with an inch of h2o. Simmer xx minutes, then let cool. Strain, and mix with vodka or pure grain alcohol at a ratio of ii to one; for example, 2 cups witch-hazel water to a cup of vodka. This tonic lasts upward to 2 years if stored in an airtight bottle in a cool, dry place.

Y'all can utilize this as you would a commercial witch hazel preparation: splashing or spraying onto problematic skin, or mixing it with a carrier oil to make an ointment.

If you want to apply witch hazel on large areas on a regular basis (as opposed to, say, equally occasional starting time assistance on insect stings or small-scale cuts), it'southward worthwhile seeking out an booze-costless version to avert excessively drying out the skin. These are widely bachelor online.

Reviewed by Russ Greenfield, M.D., May 2017

Primary sources:

Thring TS, Hili P, Naughton DP. Antioxidant and potential anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and formulations of white tea, rose, and witch hazel on primary homo dermal fibroblast cells. Journal of Inflammation (London, England). 2011;8:27. doi:10.1186/1476-9255-8-27.
"Witch Hazel" Kaiser Permanente, Updated 28 Apr. 2015. Web. Accessed 19 Apr. 2017.
Wolff HH, Kieser Grand. Hamamelis in children with skin disorders and skin injuries: results of an observational study. Eur J Pediatr. 2007;166(9):943-eight.
Hughes-formella BJ, Bohnsack G, Rippke F, et al. Anti-inflammatory event of hamamelis lotion in a UVB erythema test. Dermatology (Basel). 1998;196(iii):316-22.
Reuter J, Wölfle U, Korting HC, Schempp C. Which constitute for which pare illness? Part 2: Dermatophytes, chronic venous insufficiency, photoprotection, actinic keratoses, vitiligo, hair loss, cosmetic indications. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2010;viii(11):866-73.
Trüeb RM. Due north American Virginian Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana): Based Scalp Care and Protection for Sensitive Scalp, Red Scalp, and Scalp Burn-Out. Int J Trichology. 2014;6(three):100-3.
Duke JA. CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1985, 221.
Korting HC, Schäfer-korting M, Klövekorn West, Klövekorn G, Martin C, Laux P. Comparative efficacy of hamamelis distillate and hydrocortisone cream in atopic eczema. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1995;48(half-dozen):461-v.