They are also included in some medications to give those products the ability to slow down or stop bleeding. Make your own DIY spot treatment by whisking together a tablespoon of pure aloe vera gel, a teaspoon of witch hazel, 10 drops of tea tree oil, and five drops each of frankincense and lavender essential oil. In manufacturing, witch hazel leaf extract, bark extract, and witch hazel water are used as astringents to tighten the skin. It can also be added to herbal teas and ingested orally in small amounts as a natural treatment for other conditions.

The FDA has approved all strengths of witch hazel formulations for sale as skin protectants and concentrations of 10–50% as rectal astringents.As a medicinal ingredient and topical agent, witch hazel water is considered an over-the-counter drug. Just use it as a toner immediately after you finish washing your face and you’ll notice a decrease in black- and whiteheads.

Witch hazel gets its medicinal properties from the tannins, flavonoids, essential oils, choline, and saponins. Per the FDA, labeling should note that products may be applied externally as often as needed for up to seven days. Boots Witch Hazel Gel is a soothing gel that helps keep the skin clear and helps prevent spots and pimples.S. Though it's a plant, you shouldn't eat it because it does contain some ingredients that may be toxic to the liver or kidneys. Those medications are used for treating insect bites, stings, teething, hemorrhoids, itching, irritations, and minor pain. Once again the anti-itching and anti-inflammatory properties are beneficial, helping soothe the irritation and blisters caused by chicken pox. Most people use witch hazel for skin irritations of all kinds and find it effective as an astringent and tonic. In addition, taking witch hazel orally may cause stomach irritation due to its high tannin content, so it’s important to proceed with caution and consult your doctor if you have any concerns.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Like hydrogen peroxide, witch hazel with astringent properties dries the skin, and its disinfectant properties kill microbes that cause infection. Studies in rat models also showed no toxic effects when the animals were given 100 milligrams per kilogram per day (mg/kg/d) of witch hazel for 90 days.

Though there is little evidence to prove it works, healthcare providers still advise patients with minor hemorrhoid problems to try it. Applying a cream containing witch hazel to the skin for 14 days does not seem to improve itchy and inflamed skin in people with moderate eczema.Similarly, another small study found that a topical preparation containing witch hazel was able to provide relief for sensitive or irritated facial skin ( 8). The leaves or bark are boiled in water to make witch hazel water which contains all of the medicinal properties of the plant. It also contains antioxidants that help prevent widespread inflammation and neutralize free radicals, which are disease-causing compounds that can build up in your body ( 2, 3).