Forest Garden Finds - Which hazel? All about witch hazels!

Witch hazel flowering in late February in the forest garden.

The witch hazel (Hamamelis spp.) is a late winter-flowering shrub, native to North America, Japan and China. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with the supernatural; the "witch" part of the name comes from Old English "wice" meaning pliant, supple or flexible due to its flexible branches, which were used as dowsing rods by early settlers to North America for finding water.

Its beautiful spider-like yellow flowers which bloom straight from the bare branches in winter look like something out of a sci-fi movie; it is often planted as a decorative outdoor plant for this unique winter colour and fragrance. But most people probably know it best as an ingredient in skincare, due to its astringent (skin tightening) and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as antioxidant effects. In this post, we'll explore some of the traditional uses of witch hazel, what it means when people talk about inflammation and antioxidants and why witch hazel helps, and how to make a decoction of your very own, if you're lucky enough to have some in your garden.

Contents

Haemorrhoids and varicose veins

Acne

Rashes, sunburn, insect bites and stings

Witch hazel decoction recipe

Haemorrhoids and varicose veins

Witch hazel is a traditional remedy for haemorrhoids (aka piles) which are dilated veins around the anus or rectum, which can cause irritation, discomfort and bleeding (NB always get bleeding from your anus checked out by your doctor in case its anything more serious than haemorrhoids). Whilst there is little scientific evidence to back up this usage, the anti-inflammatory compounds found in witch hazel, such as gallic acid and tannins, may provide some relief. Its astringent properties may also help to stop the bleeding by tightening the tissues and drawing them together, decreasing the blood supply and promoting clotting. So, it wouldn't hurt and may be relieving to add some witch hazel decoction to your bath.

The astringent properties of witch hazel are also thought to help shrink the appearance of varicose veins when applied directly to the skin over the veins.

Acne

Witch hazel has been used for decades as an additive to acne treatments and skincare designed for oily/teenage skin. The anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the redness of acne and the astringent properties of witch hazel, thanks to its high tannin content, tighten pores and reduce sebum production making the skin less oily. A big advantage of witch hazel over other common acne-prone skincare is that it is less harsh on sensitive skin. However, the astringent properties mean that people with very dry skin might find it too drying.

Rashes, sunburn, insect bites and stings

Rashes, sunburn, insect bites and stings are all skin conditions characterised by inflammation. Inflammation is your body's natural response to injury or infection, but it can also be activated by allergens. White blood cells rush to the injured or infected skin and cause redness, swelling and pain. Once again the anti-inflammatory properties of witch hazel work to reduce the redness and soreness of inflamed skin.

As well as inflammation, another impact of prolonged or repeated exposure to the sun's UV rays on skin is that it can cause more permanent damage, and even cancer. The damage to the skin is through the action of free radicals which are unstable molecules with an unpaired electron, which means they are highly reactive, as a molecule or atom's stability relies upon it having a complete set of electrons. So, these free radicals bond with other molecules in cells including DNA molecules in order to complete their electron shells. Over time these free radicals build up in cells, affecting the way they work and replicate. There is no way to fully avoid this as it is a natural part of aging but some things such as diet, pollutants and sun exposure can speed up and exacerbate the process. However, certain foods and topical products contain antioxidants which can prevent and even reverse the effects of free radicals by donating an electron to them, thereby reducing their reactivity. Witch hazel bark contains approximately 8%-12% tannins which as well as being astringent and anti-inflammatory are powerful antioxidants. Obviously, this does not mean that witch hazel can cure skin cancer! But it's antioxidant effects may help to prevent damage caused by the natural aging process and exposure to harmful pollutants and UV rays.

Witch hazel decoction recipe

You will need:

100 g witch hazel bark or leaves and small twigs. (For the best results gather young twigs and leaves when the sap is rising in Spring.)

600 ml water

A large saucepan with a lid

Approx. 200 ml water

Approx. 80 ml vodka (optional)

Method:

1. Chop the bark or leaves and twigs relatively small (a larger surface area means more of the tannins will be absorbed into the water).

2. Place in the saucepan and cover with 600 ml water

3. Place on a low heat and cook gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally

4. Strain the liquid through a muslin or sieve, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, and measure the amount of liquid you have

5. Add an equal amount of water to the decoction liquid (so for example, if you have 200 ml of witch hazel liquid add another 200 ml of cold water

6. Optional: Adding vodka extends the shelf life of the decoction at room temperature but you can keep your decoction in the fridge if you want to skip this step. If you wish to add vodka, it should be 18% of the volume of the decoction (so in our example 400 x 0.18 = 72 ml vodka)

You can use your decoction directly on your skin as a toner or mix it with your favourite skin washes or creams.