Witch Hazel is a plant that is commonly prepared as an extract with many known properties and documented uses. It is best known for its astringent, antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory properties (6; 8; 9).
Witch Hazel is often used as a toner, an aftershave, to cleanse oils from the skin, remove make-up, decrease bags under the eyes, decrease skin dryness, puffiness, and reduce pore size. Witch hazel extract is often applied as a compress to provide relief for minor injuries, insect bites, acne, sunburn, hemorrhoids, skin irritation, localized swelling, itching, perineal discomfort after childbirth, and other minor skin conditions (6; 8; 9).
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Witch hazel can be used as an extract alone, or other herbs can be infused in the extract to add beneficial properties. The possibilities are endless and only limited to your own imagination, ingredients, or preference. I personally enjoy rose-infused and calendula-infused witch hazel, but I decided to add a few more beneficial herbs in my most recent batch. In this batch, I chose to add elderflower, chamomile, rose petals, and rosebuds for extraction with 14% witch hazel.
Rose is perhaps best known for its scent; however, studies have shown this flower to have medicinal properties. These beneficial properties make rose petals or rosebuds a great addition to skincare products. Not only does the aroma help to reduce stress, but studies have also shown that petals have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic properties (1; 3; 8). Rose also gives witch hazel infusions a beautiful color depending on the variation selected. If you do not have access to fresh or dried roses, Mountain Rose Herbs carries high-quality dried pink rose petals, red rose petals, and rosebuds.
Chamomile has been used for its medicinal properties since ancient times. While there are numerous beneficial uses of chamomile, I am will only briefly touch on how they apply to topical use. Many people are likely familiar with chamomile in the essential oil or tea preparation, but the herb can be used in a variety of other forms and preparations. Chamomile is known for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties (5; 7). However, one study found chamomile to have high angiogenesis activity which is the ability to promote new blood vessel development (5). Chamomile is commonly used topically for bruises, burns, wounds, skin irritations, rashes, itching, rheumatic and osteoarthritic pain, muscle spasms, sunburn, hemorrhoids, and conditions causing inflammations of the skin or mucous membranes (5; 7). Therefore, the addition of chamomile to an infused witch hazel has many benefits other than the improved aroma.
Both elderflower and elderberries are known to have beneficial properties and can be prepared in more than one way. Elderflower has been shown to have antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties (2). Elderflower is commonly used to improve skin tone and has been shown to decrease the effects of UVB sun exposure linked aging making it a great addition to an infused witch hazel (4).
Ingredients
Directions
1. Add equal amounts of the herbs or flowers you desire to infuse in a clean jar and cover herbs with about 1 to 2 inches of witch hazel and a non-metallic lid. You may need to add more witch hazel if necessary to keep herbs fully covered.
2. Let the mixture infuse for about two weeks in a cool dark location and shake or mix daily.
3. After time has elapsed strain the infusion with a wire or funnel strainer, cheesecloth, or cotton muslin bag.
4. Then, pour into your desired container. I personally like to use a spray bottle for easy application.
Clearly label the container since witch hazel is not recommended for internal use. The shelf life can vary significantly from weeks to years depending on the herbs infused. For best results, it is recommended to store in the refrigerator. However, I have always left mine at room temperature and I have never had a batch spoil.
References
1. Duroux, R., Mandeau, A., Guiraudie-Capraz, G., Quesnel, Y., & Loing, E. (2020). A rose extract Protects the skin against stress mediators: A potential role of olfactory receptors. Molecules, 25(20), 4743. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7587601/
2. Ho, G. T., Wangensteen, H., & Barsett, H. (2017). Elderberry and elderflower extracts, phenolic compounds, and metabolites and their effect on complement, RAW 264.7 macrophages and dendritic cells. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(3), 584. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18030584
3. Lee, M. H., Nam, T. G., Lee, I., Shin, E. J., Han, A. R., Lee, P., Lee, S. Y., & Lim, T. G. (2018). Skin anti-inflammatory activity of rose petal extract (Rosa gallica) through reduction of MAPK signaling pathway. Food Science & Nutrition, 6(8), 2560–2567. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.870
4. Lin, P., Hwang, E., Ngo, H. T. T., Seo, S. A., & Yi, T.-H. (2019). Sambucus nigra L. ameliorates UVB-induced photoaging and inflammatory response in human skin keratinocytes. Cytotechnology (Dordrecht), 71(5), 1003–1017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10616-019-00342-1
5. Miraj, S., & Alesaeidi, S. (2016). A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of matricaria recuitta chamomile (chamomile). Electronic Physician, 8(9), 3024–3031. https://doi.org/10.19082/3024
6. Rasooly, R., Molnar, A., Hwang-Yong, C., Do, P., Racicot, K., & Apostolidis, E. (2019). In-vitro inhibition of staphylococcal pathogenesis by witch-hazel and green tea extracts. Antibiotics, 8(4), 244. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics8040244
7. Srivastava, J. K., Shankar, E., & Gupta, S. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Molecular Medicine Reports, 3(6), 895–901. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2010.377
8. Thring, T. S., Hili, P., & Naughton, D. P. (2011). Antioxidant and potential anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and formulations of white tea, rose, and witch hazel on primary human dermal fibroblast cells. Journal of Inflammation (London, England), 8(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-9255-8-27
9. Witch Hazel. (2015). In Phytopharmacy (pp. 396–400). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118543436.ch114
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