Witch hazel (astringent)
Witch hazel is an astringent produced from the leaves and bark of the North American Witch-hazel shrub (Hamamelis virginiana), which grows naturally from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Canada, and south to Florida and Texas in the United States.[1] This plant was widely used for medicinal purposes by American Indians.
The essential oil of witch hazel is not sold separately as a consumer product. The plant does not produce enough essential oil to make production viable. However, there are various distillates of witch hazel (called hydrosols or hydrolats) that are gentler than the "drug store" witch hazel.[citation needed]
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[edit] History
Native Americans produced witch hazel extract by boiling the stems of the shrub and condensing the steam to produce a distillate. They used the distillate to treat sore muscles, cuts, insect bites, and other inflammations and tumors. Early Puritan settlers in New England adopted this remedy from the natives, and its use became widely established in the United States.[2]
Thomas Newton Dickinson, Sr., of Essex, Connecticut, is credited with starting the commercial production of witch hazel extract during the 1870s, eventually establishing nine production sites in eastern Connecticut. Following his death, his two sons, Thomas N., Jr., of Mystic, Connecticut, and Everett E. Dickinson of Essex, Connecticut, each inherited parts of the family business and continued the manufacture of witch hazel extract, operating competing "Dickinson's" businesses that eventually merged in 1997 as Dickinson Brands.[2][3]
[edit] Uses
Witch hazel is mainly used externally on sores, bruises, and swelling. The main constituents of the extract include tannin, gallic acid, catechins, proanthocyanins, flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin), essential oils (carvacrol, eugenol, hexenol), choline, and saponins. Distilled witch hazel sold in drug stores and pharmacies typically contains no tannin. Witch hazel hydrosol is used in skin care. It is a strong anti-oxidant and astringent, which makes it very useful in fighting acne.[1] It is often used as a natural remedy for psoriasis, eczema, aftershave applications, ingrown nails, to prevent sweating of the face, cracked or blistered skin, for treating insect bites, poison ivy, and as a treatment for varicose veins and hemorrhoids.[4] It is found in numerous over-the-counter hemorrhoid preparations. It is frequently used by women to reduce swelling and soothe wounds resulting from childbirth.[5]
Witch hazel is also traditionally known as a good first reaction against shaving cuts and abrasions, and it is also recommended as effective for helping soothe sunburn.[citation needed]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Steven Foster Group article
- ^ a b Michael C. Bingham, Which Witch Is Witch Hazel (and Which Dickinson Makes It)?, Connecticut Business Journal, 20 October 1997.
- ^ About Dickinson Brands, Dickinson Brands website, accessed February 4, 2010.
- ^ WebMD essay on medicinal uses of Witch-Hazel
- ^ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartum-care/PR00142
[edit] References
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This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009) |
- Erdelmeier, C. A. J. et al. Antiviral and Antiphlogistic Activities of Hamamelis virginiana Bark. Planta Medica, 62(1996) (3):241–245
- Foster, S. The Wiley Witch Hazel. The Herb Companion.(January 1989).
- Korting, H. C., et al. "Comparative Efficacy of Hamamelis Distillate and Hydrocortisone. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 48(1995)(6):461–465.
- Lloyd, J. U. and J. T. Lloyd. History of Hamamelis (Witch Hazel), Extract and Distillate. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. 24(1935) (3):220–24.
- Tyler, V. E. Herbs of Choice — The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals, Binghamton, New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.
