Hazel, the Best Witch of Them All

Do forgive me for cheesing out on you with the title, I couldn't help myself. I'm sure a lot of you have heard of and/or tried using Witch Hazel as an astringent for your face but I am just so impressed with the improvement in my skin! The alcohol content is 14% which significantly less than that of most branded toners, making it extremely gentle. I am prone to hormonal breakouts but this has somehow kept them at bay.

The main ingredient in Witch Hazel is tanic acid--a known vasoconstrictor--enabling Witch Hazel to reduce swelling by constricting blood vessels. This is the reason it is often used to treat hemorrhoids. Tannins help to heal burns and stop bleeding; they stop infection while healing the wound internally while forming a protective layer over the exposed tissue to prevent further infection. Based on my informal research, I suspect that the cause for the progress I've experienced is the fact that Witch Hazel is able to cleanse my skin without drying it. The toners I've tried in the past contained so much alcohol that my skin felt tight after use and produced more oil to compensate, this doesn't seem to be the case with Witch Hazel.

I use this in the morning and before bed to either remove any soap buildup after cleansing or just on its own (in the morning) to refresh my face. I purchased the generic Rite Aid brand so you needn't seek out Dickinson's or any other specific brand of Witch Hazel as this seems to work just fine. Please note that I have oily, acne-prone skin so your experience may vary.

Image Credit: Drugstore.com