During our most recent meeting, the Denver Medicinal Plant Society had a brief discussion on Witch Hazel. Many of us have under our bathroom sinks, but perhaps you bought it in 2004, and the bottle is dusty. Today is a good day to give it a little more attention.
Like many medicinal plants, Witch Hazel has its own unique story. Native North American people valued this highly tannic and astringent shrub. Once collected, Native Americans would make a poultice or a decoction out of the bark, leaves and twigs to treat a variety of ailments including inflammation, burns, rashes, and even tumors. Eventually, this knowledge was shared with European settlers and throughout the world.
Witch Hazel has coarsely toothed, oval leaves, that are slightly hairy on the undersides. It's autumn blooms, the most unique feature of Witch Hazel, consist of four bright yellow, thread shaped petals. Not many shrubs bloom in the fall, so this plant stands out amongst the many plants inhabiting the New England forest. Another amazing feature of Witch Hazel is how it spreads its seed. The fruit, in the form of a capsule, splits open with so much force, it can eject the seeds up to 33 feet.
Habitat: Native to Canada and Eastern United States. Witch Hazel is a small deciduous tree growing to 15 ft. Grows in moist, light woods and along rocky streams
Constituents: High amounts of tannins, flavonoids, and bitter principles. Leaves contain volatile oil.
Parts Used: Bark, leaves, twigs
Medicinal Actions: Astringent, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, hemostatic
Medicinal Uses: Use externally for rashes, bruises, insect bites, diaper rash, eczema. Excellent facial toner. Helps tighten veins and useful for damaged veins, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids. Less commonly, it is taken internally to alleviate diarrhea and helps tighten mucosal membranes.
Preparations: TWIGS AND LEAVES. Tincture [Fresh Herb, 1:2] 10-60 drops as needed, and diluted for topical use.
BARK Serviceable as Standard Decoction topically.
Precautions: When used properly, no side effects.
As stated above, Witch Hazel is an excellent toner for the skin. It cleans, tightens pours, loosens blackheads, eases razor burn and may even help reduce wrinkles. Most drugstores and supermarkets sell Witch Hazel. Please read the back of the bottle carefully. Avoid Witch Hazel products with unnatural ingredients or an excessive ingredient list. Most over the counter Witch Hazel products contain alcohol. And more than likely, it's not Vodka, so if the label says "For external use only", do not take internally.
If you are itching to make your own Witch Hazel products, try a decoction (strongly brewed tea) of the bark. Please note that the decoction will spoil after a few days. To preserve the Witch Hazel extract, alcohol must be added.
½ pound witch hazel bark
distilled water to cover 1-2 inches above bark
Add the first two ingredients to a stockpot on the stove. Bring the water to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Remove from heat and keep the stock pot covered until your tea is completely cooled. Strain. This is your decoction. Use within a few days.
To make this more shelf stable, add alcohol. Add half the total volume of tea in vodka. (If you have 18 ounces of tea, add 9 ounces of alcohol.) Witch Hazel purchased from the store typically contains about 14% alcohol.