When you're looking for acne relief, you'll find drugstore shelves packed with products containing acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, sulfur and benzoyl peroxide. While these ingredients are effective for treating acne, many people also consider using natural remedies like witch hazel to control their acne. Witch hazel is generally considered safe, but as with most herbal remedies, more research is needed to confirm its benefits and safety. Check with your health care provider before making witch hazel part of your skin care regimen.
Identification
Witch hazel, or Hamamelis viginiana, is a small bush that is native to North America. It's recognizable by its broad oval leaves with their distinctive toothed edges and its bright yellow flowers. Though the leaves, bark and twigs can all be used medicinally according to Drugs.com, the journal "Archives of Dermatology" notes that witch hazel bark is the part of the plant most commonly used for treating acne.
History
Witch hazel has been used historically for treating skin irritations like acne, says David J. Leffell, M.D., in "Alternative Medicine and Natural Therapy," an excerpt from his book reprinted on the Yale School of Medicine's Dermatology website. Leffell says that Native Americans were the first to use witch hazel to heal damaged skin, but its use spread quickly, and today many skin care products, including aftershaves, contain witch hazel.
Significance
Witch hazel gets its acne-fighting power from chemicals called tannins, which are naturally astringent, explains Monica K. Bedi, lead author of a review of herbal use in dermatology published in the "Archives of Dermatology" in 2002. In his book, Leffell says that witch hazel is used to treat acne because its tannins have a soothing effect on irritated skin and the ability to fight inflammation.
Considerations
In the "Archives of Dermatology," Bedi notes that most commercially available witch hazel is distilled in a way that destroys its active tannins, so if you want the benefits of witch hazel to treat your acne, prepare your own witch hazel by steeping 5 to 10 grams of bark in 1 cup of water. Like most astringents, witch hazel can have a drying effect on your skin, so watch for peeling or dryness when you're using witch hazel.
Warning
Though there's limited research, Drugs.com recommends avoiding consuming witch hazel internally because of possible toxicity. People who consume 1 gram or more of witch hazel may experience nausea, constipation, vomiting or--in rare cases--kidney health issues. Witch hazel should only be applied topically if you are using it to treat acne.
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