Health Benefits of Witch Hazel
Health Benefits of Witch Hazel – all you need to know
How much do you know about the health benefits of witch hazel? Most people are pretty familiar with witch hazel, but how many know what it actually is?
Witch hazel is a plant that has leaves, bark and twigs that are used to make medicine. The liquid that comes from distilling these dried leaves, bark, and twigs is witch hazel water.
Witch hazel is typically used topically for a variety of holistic or homeopathic treatments thanks to its medicinal properties. The tannins in witch hazel make it useful for reducing swelling, reducing itching, helping repair broken skin, reducing inflammation and fighting bacteria.
Keep reading to learn about the health benefits of witch hazel and how it can help your every single day.
Reduce Oily Skin with Witch Hazel
Want to reduce the amount of oil on your face? Use witch hazel as a toner!
One of the health benefits of witch hazel for skin is that it makes a great toner for oily skin. Witch hazel is commonly used as an astringent on its own or with other ingredients in commercial products. Astringents help encourage skin tissue to contract which means your pores will tighten and the excess oil will dry up thanks to the alcohol content.
Using witch hazel on your face is incredibly easy to do as well. Pour a small amount on a cotton ball and rub it on your face 1-2x a day. If you’re unsure of how oily your face is or have slightly dry skin, try it every other day at first. Gradually move up to 1x a day and then 2x a day. Witch hazel can easily dry out your face if you use it too often. Avoid getting it in your eyes, nose and mouth when applying.
Reduce Itching with Witch Hazel
Suffering from itchy bug bites or rashes from things like poison oak or poison ivy? One of the benefits of witch hazel for skin is how it helps ease the itch. Simply apply this the same way that you would if using it as a toner on your face and you’ll experience the cooling effect of witch hazel shortly after.
There are other health benefits of witch hazel for skin rashes such as eczema or psoriasis, too. You can use witch hazel to help repair your skin so it doesn’t continue to peel. When using witch hazel on skin for this purpose or if you have sensitive skin, use it in bath water so it’s not full-strength. Pour in a small amount to your bathwater and soak to enjoy the soothing properties of witch hazel.
Soothe Skin and Prevent Ingrown Hairs with Witch Hazel
Witch Hazel can often be found in aftershave as it can aid in reducing razor burn while also helping prevent ingrown hairs. Witch Hazel is also good for stopping bleeding, making it a prime choice for using after shaving or waxing. You can buy distilled witch hazel and it goes a long way
Help Bruises Heal with the health benefits of Witch Hazel
Tired of waiting for your bruises to heal? One of the health benefits of witch hazel is that it can help bruises heal faster. The same astringent properties that make it the perfect toner for oily skin make it great for aiding in fading bruises.
To use witch hazel to help bruises fade, pour some on a cotton ball or cloth and apply a few times a day until the bruise goes away.
Luckily, the health benefits of witch hazel don’t stop here. Witch hazel can also be used to stop minor bleeding from scrapes, soothing diaper rash, for hemorrhoid relief, cooling down sunburns, relieving other skin irritations, cleaning wounds to remove bacteria, preventing swimmer’s ear, and more. Use witch hazel in conjunction with other natural remedies such as aloe vera, coconut oil, and essential oils for even more holistic relief.
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I hope you have enjoyed this post on the health benefits of witch hazel. You might also like my post on how to heal your body with your mind
