Witch Hazel Astringent By MsHippo on Dec 18, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

Witch hazel has many purposes. It can be used on insect bites, bruises, and shaving cuts. Because it's an astringent with antioxidants, it has been used as a anti-acne remedy. I've used a toner with witch hazel in the past, but it was mixed with other ingredients that dried out my skin terribly and caused my acne to become worse. So I put witch hazel on my list of bad products and I haven't used it in years. Recently, I've been getting persistant acne on my jaw area. After doing some more research on witch hazel, I decided on giving it another try. This time I bought 86% witch hazel and 14% alcohol astringent. Was a little iffy because I thought the alcohol would be too harsh and drying. After my first use, I was pleasantly surprised. It left my skin incredibly soft and clean. The smell was a little overpowering but I got use to it eventually. My skin didn't dry out in anyway. My breakouts have significantly reduced as well.