In this article:
What is witch hazel?
What is witch hazel used for?
Is there an alcohol-free witch hazel?
Can witch hazel dry out skin?
Is witch hazel a good toner?
Witch hazel as a makeup remover or cleanser
Does witch hazel get rid of puffy eyes?
Is witch hazel good for blemishes?
Witch hazel benefits
The exaggerated list of skin concerns and issues that witch hazel can tackle seems endless. When applied to skin, it’s said to fix everything from blemish-prone to oily skin and puffy eyes to sunburn. For the body, witch hazel is said to lessen varicose veins and reduce hemorrhoids. But just how effective is witch hazel for skin and other problems?
Aside from the anecdotal information you may have read, the research is mixed. Witch hazel can indeed help skin when used as a short-term remedy, but long-term use is a problem, no matter your skin type or concern.
Here’s everything you need to know about witch hazel...
What is witch hazel?
The witch hazel plant, Latin name Hamamelis virginiana, is a flowering shrub that grows wild throughout a good portion of North America and Asia. The leaves, bark and twigs are processed to create a clear liquid that’s sold commercially as witch hazel.
The extract itself is used in topical ointments, although the toner-like liquid form is far more common for skin care and home remedies. Witch hazel contains antioxidants and while some of its antioxidant components are beneficial, specific antioxidant tannins in witch hazel (such as hamamelitannin) are sensitising and present in higher amounts than many other plants. Witch hazel naturally contains between 8% and 12% potentially sensitising tannins, depending on which part of the plant is used to make the extract or liquid (1).
What is witch hazel used for?
Witch hazel is commonly used as an astringent for skin due to its tannin content. It’s for this reason that it’s touted as a way to tackle excess oil, breakouts and enlarged pores.
Research demonstrates that when applied to skin, tannins can have a constricting and drying effect (2). They compress proteins in skin, creating an invisible “film” that can, to a minor degree, temporarily de-grease skin, helping to balance oil and minimise the look of enlarged pores.
Witch hazel is also used for its anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows that witch hazel can soothe some forms of irritation and does have value in this application– but only for short-term use (1). So, does this mean it’s good for sensitive skin? Not particularly. The tannins, fragrance components and alcohol content present all make this one to avoid for its potential to make sensitive skin concerns even more of a problem.
Worse yet, the chemical components of witch hazel could contribute to skin sensitivity even if this isn’t usually an issue for you. Repeatedly using irritating products can lead to sensitisation, which can trigger a cascade of other skin issues.
While witch hazel works well in the short-term, the long-term side effects of witch hazel usage are another story, and it doesn’t have a happy ending.
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Is there an alcohol-free witch hazel?
Yes, however most types of witch hazel are distilled using denatured alcohol (ethanol), with the final extract for use on skin usually containing about 14% to 15% alcohol (3). Although the distillation process destroys some of the tannins (which ironically is a good thing, given that these tannins are irritants), applying this kind of sensitising alcohol to your skin is always a bad thing because it generates damage and can impair the skin’s surface.
While a 14% to 15% alcohol content might seem low, studies have shown that even lower amounts of alcohol can damage skin. Why bother with that when there are irritant-free ways to reduce the appearance of pores and tackle oily skin?
Alcohol-free witch hazel can be achieved through water-steam distillation of the recently cut and partially dried dormant twig and bark portion of the plant, but it comes with a tradeoff. The downside is that you don't get the complete spectrum of beneficial compounds that you would from alcohol-distilled versions of witch hazel. Simply put, the effort to minimise irritancy results in compromising efficacy.
Can witch hazel dry out skin?
Witch hazel can cause skin dryness through a few different mechanisms of action. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman warns that, “though witch hazel may initially improve oily skin, when used for long periods of time it can damage the skin barrier.” Studies show skin barrier damage or sensitisation can result in increased water loss, meaning skin loses hydration (4).
Dr. Hartman adds, “Also, tannins can be overly drying when used in excess. The tannins are sensitising as well. The alcohol distillation process ironically destroys some of the tannins but incorporates alcohol and alcohol is always a bad idea for the skin because it generates free radical damage and further destroys the skin barrier.”
Is witch hazel a good toner?
Using witch hazel as a facial toner is not recommended because of this ingredient’s potential to irritate and dehydrate skin.
A well-formulated toner with research-backed ingredients, like hydrating ceramides and glycerine, should deliver replenishing substances that keep skin hydrated while reinforcing its barrier— the opposite of what witch hazel does.
If witch hazel toners or astringents appeal to you because of their ability to temporarily “shrink” pores and wrangle oil, seek out a pore-normalising niacinamide toner.
Witch hazel as a makeup remover or cleanser
Should you use witch hazel as a makeup remover or cleanser? No, please don’t!
As we covered, the tannins and alcohol content present in witch hazel pose a risk of sensitising skin, especially delicate skin around the eye. In fact, one study found that after analysing 178 different types of facial wipes, witch hazel ranked in the top potentially sensitising ingredients (5).
There’s also the fact that witch hazel isn’t really that effective at removing most types of makeup, especially today’s long-wearing formulas. This poor performance might lead to you pull, scrub and tug at your skin, which is quite unlike how a gentle, efficient makeup remover works. All that extra pulling can hasten skin sagging.
What about witch hazel as face wash? Well, it doesn’t have much cleansing ability for skin, not when compared to a well-formulated, water-soluble cleanser. Using a witch hazel face wash shortchanges your skin of all the benefits a gentle facial cleanser can provide—and such products are much easier to use.
Does witch hazel get rid of puffy eyes?
If you’re curious about how to get rid of puffy eyes, there’s some truth to the idea that witch hazel can help with puffiness. However, the plant extract’s astringent properties can only temporarily help if fluid retention is the cause of your puffiness. It cannot reduce or eliminate undereye puffiness that has occurred due to undereye fat pads shifting with age (what some refer to as undereye bags).
In either case, witch hazel isn’t something we recommend applying on a regular basis as the resulting daily irritation will be pro-ageing and pro-damaging. Remember, the tannins and alcohol in witch hazel can sensitise the delicate eye area.
Is witch hazel good for blemishes?
A lot of people wonder if witch hazel can clear up blemishes on the face or body. It’s commonly thought that because witch hazel has astringent properties, it can “dry up” blemishes and oily skin. In truth, the irritation that witch hazel causes can make blemishes worse. Drying out skin with astringent ingredients, like witch hazel, and applying toners with sensitising alcohols (like many witch hazel products have) can lead it to create more oil to compensate, triggering breakouts and leaving skin even oilier than before.
You may have also read that witch hazel’s astringent action can help control the microbes on skin that play a role in causing blemishes, but research hasn’t shown that to be conclusively true. For certain, witch hazel is not a replacement for benzoyl peroxide, one of the gold standard anti-blemish ingredients. Stick with what years of research has shown benefits blemish-prone skin.
Witch hazel benefits
Witch hazel is truly a mixed bag. On one hand, we now know that this popular plant-derived ingredient can sensitise skin, particularly when used in cosmetics. However, it can come in handy in certain situations.
Keeping a bottle of witch hazel around the house for occasional home remedy use for certain circumstances can make sense. Research has shown that witch hazel may reduce visible symptoms and skin discomfort from the following (1):
- Bug bites and stings
- Hemorrhoids
- Bruises
- Poison oak and poison ivy
Keep in mind: Just because something is good for acute short-term situations doesn’t necessarily make it good for long-term use. The claims for witch hazel’s skin care benefits are misleading; you might see short-term results, but ongoing use is likely to cause problems.
To sum up, witch hazel has its place (albeit in limited uses explained above), but it’s not the skin care solution it’s often touted to be.
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References for this information:
- Annals of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, July 2020, ePublication
- The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, May 2014, pages 36–44
- Journal of Inflammation, October 2011, ePublication
- Skin Health and Disease, June 2022, ePublication
- Dermatitis, November-December 2017, pages 353–359
