Witch hazel (which has the species name Hamamelisvirginiana), a type of plant native to North America and parts of Asia, is a member of the Hamamelidaceae plant family.

Sometimes also called winter bloom, the leaves and bark from the plant are used to make a skin-healing astringent that’s capable of naturally reducing acne, blisters, insect bites, poison ivy, inflammation and much more.

The most popular use for witch hazel is on the skin since its strong antioxidant and astringent properties are perfect for killing bacteria that live within the skin’s pores, stopping cellular damage that can lead to skin cancer, preventing signs of ageing, and speeding up healing. Today, you’ll find witch hazel extract‎ added to a variety of over-the-counter beauty and medicinal products: anti-ageing serums, shaving cream and aftershave, bug repellent, nail treatments, haemorrhoid products, and shampoo, just to name a few.

How can witch hazel do so much? High levels of healing active ingredients reduce inflammation, cellular damage and swelling, while also soothing wounds.

The bark, twigs and leaves of the plant are used to extract active constituents called polyphenols and tannins‎. They’re then added to either alcohol or water to make a concentrated product called witch hazel water, Hamamelis water or distilled witch hazel extract. The extract can be used topically (on the surface of the skin) or taken internally just like medicine in order to help stop symptoms from diarrhoea, colds, mucus colitis, vomiting, coughing, the flu and more.

Tannins are responsible for making witch hazel extract a natural astringent since they remove excess oil from the skin. This is the reason why witch hazel is one of the most popular natural acne treatments worldwide and is used in dozens of over-the-counter treatment gels, washes and lotions. When it comes to the products that you apply directly to your skin, you always want to treat the surface of your body how you would the inside: Avoid as many chemicals and toxins as possible. Witch hazel offers benefits over other beauty products because it’s completely natural, free of environmental pollutants, irritating ingredients, fake fragrances and other contaminants.