1. Reduce Acne
As a natural home remedy for acne, applying witch hazel to acne-prone skin can help slow down inflammation, redness, oiliness and bleeding. As a natural cleanser, it’s capable of reducing bacteria growth on the skin and speeds up the time needed to heal infections or scabs.
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Another benefit for sensitive skin is that it reduces the look of pores (although no product can actually shrink pores) and helps stop excess oil production, sweating, and development of blackheads or whiteheads, which can contribute to breakouts and tempt you to pick at your skin!
Instead of opening up a pimple and making the problem worse, apply witch hazel directly to the skin wherever you notice a zit forming or tend to break out. It’s even more effective when used in combination with other antibacterials like tea tree oil, coconut oil or apple cider vinegar.
Skip irritating acne products and turn to witch hazel to lower the severity of blemishes forming under the skin, prevent blackheads caused by dried sebum buildup in pores, and stop swelling and redness if you already picked at your acne. Witch hazel can curb signs of past irritations and deal with skin infections gently.
Apply witch hazel with a clean cotton ball up to several times per day anywhere you experience irritation, starting slowly and giving your skin time to adjust.
2. Fight Signs of Aging and Damage from Sun Exposure
If you’re looking for a natural way to tighten the skin and slow down signs of aging like scars, redness, discoloration, dryness and puffiness around the eyes, then look no further than witch hazel. Witch hazel is protective against skin cancer, melanoma and other damage caused by UV light because of its protective polyphenols and tannin antioxidants. These inhibit the proliferation of melanoma cells and help protect healthy skin cells into older age.
Keep your skin free from irritating chemical products that can alter oil production and increase dryness. Witch hazel has been shown to help protect collagen and skin elasticity as well as many commercial beauty products. You can easily make your own Homemade Anti-Aging Serum by applying witch hazel to discolored skin, bruises, old acne marks and bites to help fade their appearance and reverse damage. Combine it with other skin-saving oils like evening primrose, frankincense and tea tree oils for even better results.
Witch hazel’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great way to preserve skin’s elasticity, saving your complexion and helping you deal with the effects of environmental stress on your skin. To lower eye puffiness and inflammation, apply diluted witch hazel to the area around the eyes before bed, being careful not to get any in the actual eyes. To prevent varicose veins from developing, add witch hazel to a cloth or swab and rub it into the skin wherever you see bruising and veins forming.
3. Treat Insect Bites
Many bug repellents and commercial products used for treating insect bites contain witch hazel. Wondering how to get rid of mosquito bites? People turn to witch hazel to reduce the effects of bug bites, such as pain and swelling from stings, allergies and irritations.
Certain studies have found that applying witch hazel cream to skin irritations can curb symptoms just as well as synthetic chemical creams, including dexpanthenol, which is often used to fight skin irritations in children. It can also be used to help speed up healing in scabs or minor cuts because witch hazel extract contains isoproply alcohol, which is another natural disinfecting ingredient that kills bacteria and helps prevent infections.
4. Cleanse Hair and Protect the Scalp
Use witch hazel on your hair to help reduce oil buildup — which leaves your hair shinier, healthier and more volumized. It’s also great for removing hair odors, helping with an irritated scalp, or speeding up healing from any bites or acne at the base of the neck when you’re prone to sweating.
One study conducted by the Center for Dermatology and Disease in Zurich, Switzerland, found that shampoo containing witch hazel extract helped soothe patients’ irritated scalps, redness, itching and inflammation. After testing the effects of witch hazel on 1,373 patients, a percentage of patients reported improvement in symptoms and better tolerance of other hair products.
Add several drops to your shampoo or make your own hair wash using coconut oil, argan oil, witch hazel, and other cleansing essential oils like lemon or orange oil.
5. Prevent Ingrown Hairs and Rashes
After shaving, you can apply witch hazel to any part of the body to slow bleeding from nicks or cuts, prevent bacteria growth and infections within hair follicles, soothe razor burn, and prevent ingrown hairs from forming. Some people also like to apply witch hazel toner along with other healing essential oils to skin after waxing to reduce pain, swelling and bleeding.
Witch hazel uses – Dr. Axe
6. Stop Ear Infections from Developing
Since witch hazel is an effective ant-bacterial and “swimmer’s ear” or other ear infections are usually caused by bacterial infections, witch hazel is a natural way to treat irritations within the ear canal. To make a natural ear infection remedy, try adding witch hazel extract to an eye dropper to insert several drops into each ear several times a day.
Witch hazel helps clear up bacteria overgrowth and infections within the ear; dry up oil, pus and excess sweat; break up wax; and even remove odor. To clean the outside of the ears, apply several drops to a swab and rub around the inside of the ears.
7. Soothe a Sore Throat
Some people like sipping on witch hazel tea (not witch hazel water or a drink made with extract, which contains alcohol) to soothe an irritated, infected or sore throat. The natural astringent properties of witch hazel make it beneficial for fighting illnesses that affect the throat, while its soothing properties lower pain and discomfort caused by coughs, strep throat, sore throat, sinus infections, tonsillitis or other throat problems. You can add pure witch hazel (alcohol-free) to a tea mixture with honey to further soothe an inflamed throat.
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