This topical solution comes in the form of wipes or pads that you rub on your skin. Much like its shelf-mates hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol, witch hazel has a number of household uses beyond skincare and home remedies. Hi, I'm Leah! To make this makeup remover, combine 3 tablespoons of alcohol-free witch hazel and 2 tablespoons of nourishing oil (like olive oil). If youve recently blundered through a patch of poison ivy or poison oak, the itching and burning can be alleviated with an application of witch hazel. By Carolyn Fort and Zee Krstic Published: Apr 3, 2020 Save Article It's often distilled into an ointment or a concentrated extract that can be used in many different ways. I use essential oils a lot to get rid of odors, but you cant just spray essential oils into the air. If youre the proud parent of a dog or a cat, you know that accidents can happen. Most people buy witch hazel to use on their skin. Tilford advises against applying witch hazel for dry skin conditions. In place of a typical astringent or toner, witch hazel is marketed as a solution to treat skin problems that affect the face. Combine water and witch hazel in a spray bottle. Because of this natural anti-inflammatory chemical composition, there are some products that may mix witch hazel with alcohol and other ingredients to cleanse and soothe skin. Carolyn Fort brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Witch hazel is not recommended for people with rosacea, a skin condition that causes redness and swollen bumps to form on your face. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. It's often a prime ingredient in .css-1me6ynq{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#125C68;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#125C68;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1me6ynq:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:#595959;}skincare products that are designed to relieve itchy skin and can be used topically for issues like mosquito bites, and it may even be found in products designed to alleviate body pain. While limited research suggests that witch hazel may be mildly effective against some types of bacteria, it is not an EPA-approved disinfectant against any viruses. Add a half cup of witch hazel to a gallon of water and use for mopping the floor. One great way to get it to heal quickly is by applying witch hazel using a cotton ball. You can also use it on high-shine floors, including marble. A vigorous workout is good for your health, but all that sweat can leave your yoga mat, weights, workout bands, yoga blocks, or other personal fitness equipment a little smelly. Witch hazel can cause skin issues if used too frequently (particularly the high-alcohol version, see the next section below). Simply you can use witch hazel with a bit of cotton pad and apply to the part where the itching problem is occurring. This is a great way to save money, since you can go through those Preparation H pads pretty quickly. Witch hazel to the rescue! Add a teaspoon of salt in the bag. It reduces swelling, calms irritation, minimizes . Like stretch marks, they can be troublesomely stubborn. cup aloe vera gel. Add 3 to 4 drops of cinnamon essential oil as well. Her work has appeared on Oprah.com, Mashable.com, The Huffington Post and more. Add 2 or 3 drops of lavender essential oil as well. Witch hazel can reduce swelling, dry the excess mucus and reduce pain. Witch hazel is an extract from the plant hamamelis virginiana. This is one of best uses of witch hazel around the house. Share them with us in the comments below! Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Remember, you can even do this on your face, so this is a handy trick for both women and men. Witch hazel is often sourced for skincare solutions and topical treatments for pain. Next, submerge the pipe by filling the bag halfway with alcohol. Instead, create a mixture by combining it with baking soda and lemon juice. However, health officials do know that washing your hands well and often (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds!) Email and Push Notification Subscriber Settings. When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S. last spring, finding hand sanitizer was difficult. Sage is one of the best because it also has deodorant properties, and smells awesome. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York. 10 Wonderful Uses for Witch Hazel: Say So Long to Scars. How To Make A Homemade First Aid Ointment, How To Get That Post-Workout Glow In 2 Simple Steps. Nothing itches and burns quite like your skin after a day out on the beach. Carefully place the pipe in your sealable plastic bag or container. That means that you'll want to apply it after using a cleanser to re-balance skin pH. Lastly, rinse your jewelry in water for a final cleaning. Witch hazel will cut through the greasy buildup, Reichert says. Many of the most popular uses for witch hazel are cosmetic. Witch hazel can do wonders for your skin, but you shouldn't be using it to clean your house. You know those annoying bags that show up under your eyes when youre tired? If you notice your furry little friend constantly scratching its ears, chances are that your pet may have an ear infection. The skin-tightening and deep cleansing powers of witch hazel give it a wide variety of uses in your morning and evening routine. When distilled and combined with alcohol, the aromatic oil extracted from the bark of the Witch Hazel shrub makes a soothing and mildly astringent lotion. Start at the top of the blinds and spray in a side-to-side sweeping motion, working your way down. It can be difficult to remove when not addressed right away, and many a garment has been lost to the mindset that nothing can be done once a bloodstain has set. Pour 4 tablespoons of witch hazel into the bottle as well. First, shake and remove any leftover debris or bits of flower from the pipe's bowl. Just massage it into your scalp, and then follow it up with your standard shampoo and conditioner in the shower and rinse it all out. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. t without all the toxins that most commercial cleaners have. Who doesnt love to sparkle with jewelry? Make the experience into a small, personal ritual and leave an offering of nuts, or similar, suitable food for the birds, mice, squirrels, etc. Its going to leave the finish just like glass. Its always a good idea to test any new cleaning product on a small, inconspicuous part of the material before applying it liberally. .css-1pm21f6{display:block;font-family:AvantGarde,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1pm21f6:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.3;}}Study: Erythritol May Raise Risk of Heart Disease, 11 Best Cooling Mattress Pads for Sweat-Free Sleep, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Shares AFib Diagnosis, 6 Staph Infection Signs You Should Never Ignore, Why Self-Care Is Important for Long-Term Health, The Most Common Signs of Burnout, Explained, Heart Health Is the Secret to a Sharper Brain, Bethenny Frankel, 52, Details POTS Syndrome Battle, The Best Cooling Pillows for Hot Sleepers. "Spray on a light layer of witch . After the Witch Hazel has dried, she places one drop of lavender essential oil onto the skin and follows it with a squirt of her favorite lotion. Just in time for summer, witch hazel is here to save the day. Witch hazel turns out to be a phenomenal cleaner for your bathroom. Not only is witch hazel great for your scalp, but it also can be helpful for your hair care routine in other ways. Did you know that witch hazel is an effective jewelry cleaner? To use witch hazel for acne, first clean or steam your face. Simply applying witch hazel after you shave can soothe your skin and reduce inflammation, preventing razor burn from forming at all. If you find a tick rooted into your dog or cats body, deposit a few drops of witch hazel on top of it. If you are sick of dandruff, try treating it with witch hazel. Plus, these homemade recipes havent actually been studied and peer-reviewed, so theyre not data-driven and cant be ensured as safe, Dr. Fernando says. Click on button and make sure to select all the images you want to upload. Again, witch hazel is an astringent, which means its has chemical compounds that shrink or constrict body tissues. Reduces redness: Dr. Engelman says witch hazel is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it . That same quality helps to tighten up the skin under your eyes. Chicken pox is no fun for anyone. Bottom line: Save the witch hazel for those minor scrapes and bug bitesand keep washing your hands. I started DIYnCrafts long ago to spread crafts and happiness. Stir the mixture together and start mopping. As deep-cleaning surfaces around the home have become a top priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been wondering if they can use non-chemical cleaners to sanitize and disinfect surfaces, including witch hazel, which is often included in homegrown recipes for hand sanitizer. Rubbing alcohol works for this too. Make Your Own Natural Hand Sanitizer with a Few Simple Ingredients, Great Cooking Tip How to Peel a Head of Garlic in 5 Seconds. Oh, and were on Instagram too. leather car seats that need cleaning?) Either way, the anti-inflammatory properties of witch hazel will help to tame the inflammation and irritation, speeding up the healing process. Stick to store-bought disinfectants or, for DIY disinfecting, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, or isopropyl alcohol. The presence of this natural alcohol is one reason Witch Hazel is a more gentle astringent than rubbing alcohol. The wound will be less likely to infect, and the soothing effect will help to calm down your furry friend. Youll save a lot of money this way, as actual paint thinner can be quite expensive. Have a cold or laryngitis? Combine witch hazel and liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle, Step 2. Because of its alcohol content, the witch hazel will dry quicklyno need to rinseand youll be left with a clean, streak-free shine. You can also use a cotton ball soaked in witch hazel to remove hair dye stains from your skin. More importantly, we can use the extract of this plant as a . While it may be used in sanitizing products or hand sanitizers, witch hazel is not meant to be used as a disinfectant. Maybe you got something stuck in your gums while eating, or perhaps you have an infection or ate something that irritated you. That means witch hazel should not be used as the single germ-fighting ingredient in DIY cleaning or sanitizing solutions (more on that in a minute), including those made to try and wipe out COVID-19. This can come from fatigue, crying, allergies, or other irritants. Witch Hazel has the unique ability to clean skin pores and absorb excess oil without leaving skin too dry. Witch Hazel Distillate is sometimes called Witch Hazel Distillate Water or Witch Hazel Extract. He has written about food and dining for Time, among other publications. Today Ill be sharing a few practical uses for Witch Hazel, several of which are perfect for handling spring and summer maladies. Instead of buying eyeglasses cleaning solution from the store, why not create it yourself quickly and economically at home?