Witch Hazel (aka toner) is more than just an odd-smelling, funny-named bottle of clear liquid your grandmother kept in her medicine cabinet. It’s produced from the leaves and bark of a shrub and has been used for years for medicinal purposes. The bottled witch hazel consists of oil from the shrub and which has been distilled and combined with alcohol. Why use harsh chemicals when you can opt for all natural and eco-friendly? Plus, it’s easy to find at the dollar store, so you can’t beat the price!
Witch Hazel has dozens of unusual uses
1. Soothe hemorrhoids. Make your own “Tucks” medicated pads by adding a couple of drops of Lavender Essential Oil to about an ounce of witch hazel and then dip round cotton pads in the solution.
2. Sore Gums. The antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and astringent activity of Witch Hazel may help shrink and heal inflamed gums.
3. Sore Throats. Witch hazel tea infused with myrrh and cloves can make your sore throat feel better after gargling.
4. Laryngitis. The same tea recipe for sore throats can help sufferers of laryngitis.
5. Cleaning Dogs Ears. Give your dog’s ears a cleaning by moistening a cotton ball or cloth with witch hazel, and gently wiping the inside of the ears.
6. Tick Extraction. Douse the tick with a few drops of witch hazel, grasp it firmly and pull. Disinfect the area by dabbing the skin with witch hazel once the tick has been successfully removed. Use pointer tweezers and gently tug at the tick until it comes loose.
7. Ease Psoriasis. Witch hazel helps reduce the pain and itching.
8. Eczema. A light tab can also help ease the symptoms of Eczema.
9. Household cleaner. Witch hazel combined with lemon juice and baking soda creates an eco-friendly cleaning agent. We have lots more natural cleaning recipes here.
10. Jewelry cleaner. Some people are sensitive to alcohol or peroxide for cleaning pierced earrings. Instead, dab some witch hazel on a cotton ball to gently clean your earrings or other jewelry.
11. Athlete’s Foot. Witch hazel combined with vinegar and mouthwash helps get rid of this.
12. Toenail fungus. The same recipe for athlete’s foot helps ease the symptoms of toenail fungus.
13. Treat Acne. Witch hazel is an effective, gentle, and natural way to treat acne or oily skin. While it has strong astringent properties, it is gentle and non-drying.
14. Reduce Eye Puffiness. Soak cotton pads with witch hazel and put them over your eyes. Take care not to get any IN your eye.
15. Reduce the Appearance of Varicose Veins. Soak a thin cloth in witch hazel and lay it on your varicose veins. The witch hazel will tighten the veins and reduce pain and swelling.
16. Heal a Bruise. Again, soak a thin cloth in witch hazel and apply it to your bruise several times a day until the bruise is gone.
17. Cleanse and Soothe a Wound. Witch hazel cleanses the skin of germs and bacteria and soothes inflammation
18. Stop an Itch. Soak a cloth or cotton ball with witch hazel and rub it on your skin.
19. Toner. Soak a cotton pad with witch hazel and use it to cleanse the oil, dirt and impurities from your face.
20. Refine Pores. Used as an astringent, witch hazel is a wonderful way to tighten up large pores.
21. Seal in Moisture. Use witch hazel is considered an “astringent lotion.” If used right after a shower, it will seal in moisture.
22. Remove tree sap from cars. Just put some witch hazel on a rag and wipe it right off.
23. Cure a cold sore. Apply the witch hazel at onset, treat 3-4 times daily.
24. Soothing swelling and pain after birth. Use witch hazel on sanitary pads, freeze, then use as ice packs.
25. Treat allergies. Put witch hazel in a nasal atomizer and spray in each nostril. You will feel a burning sensation at first.
26. Use as aftershave. It soothes the skin.
27. Get rid of fruit flies. Fill a small bowl ¼ full of witch hazel and within a few weeks the bowl will be full of dead little flies floating in the witch hazel.
28. Ease bumps from waxing or shaving. Not only will it stop bleeding from nicks or cuts, anti-inflammatory witch hazel can also work to prevent razor burn.
29. Relieve sun poisoning. Wrap the sun burned areas in a cloth soaked in witch hazel.
30. Help new tattoos heal. Many tattoo artists use witch hazel as a soothing cleanser to wipe away blood and ink
31. Soothe and heal diaper rash. If your baby’s rash isn’t healing quick enough, apply witch hazel with a cotton ball and you should see immediate improvement.
32. Treat chicken pox blisters. Mix 1 TBSP honey, 40 drops lavender essential oil, 15 drops lemon essential oil, 15 drops bergamot essential oil, 5 drops peppermint essential oil, 1 TSP carrot seed oil and 1/2 cup aloe vera gel. Add 1/2 cup distilled witch hazel and mix again. Pour mixture into spray bottle and use on affected areas.
33. Help an itchy scalp. Mix one part witch hazel with two parts water and then pour a small amount on you scalp, massage, then rinse.
34. Clean your mirrors. Much less toxic than Windex!
35. Stop Bleeding. Witch hazel naturally tightens skin and promotes faster healing. Apply witch hazel to minor cuts and scrapes to stop bleeding.
36. Dry Up Swimmer’s Ear. Use an eye dropper to insert several drops of witch hazel into each ear to dry up pus, clear away excess oil, and break up wax and debris that may be clogging the ear canal. Allow ears to drain then clean gently with a cotton swab or cosmetic pad. Follow up with a natural anti-microbial like basil oil, apple cider vinegar, or tea tree oil.
37. Cool Down Sunburn. Mix some witch hazel with aloe vera gel. This can also help to prevent skin from peeling in the days following a bad burn.
38. Neutralize Contact Dermatitis.
39. Calm Bug Bites and Stings.
What do you use Witch Hazel for?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
I’m going to try this on my perpetually oil forehead – thanks!
Witch hazel I used on a side on my cat. Healing up. She doesn’t scratch it or lick it
I mixed 1 drop rosemary essential oil and a half dropper full witch hazel extract with the alcohol, organic products, and put the mix in my cat’s ear 1 to 2 times a day, wiping the outside of their ear a bit to remove the excess. It not only worked for ear mites but buildup which came out in chunks, and infection. With food grade bentonite clay, the residual pain and itching exteriorally was soothed and my cat, after about 3 weeks, was healing up. The rosemary stops the germs in their tracks. The clay delivered pain relief and essential, needed, minerals and assisted in my cat’s healing. For toenail fungus, I helped treat someone by first applying straight extract of witch hazel and then essential oils of rosemary and eucalyptus, undilluted, over the nails and down around the edges. The witch hazel was good by itself but the added oils were used to really step up the healing process, kill the germs on the feet and in the shoes and ensure the foot odor was destroyed, got to have better smelling tootsies. Mice pee was the culprit. Wet, nasty and responsible for causing many people to suffer. You have to keep your shoes and socks in a locked box that has a good seal and mice cannot get inside of. Vermin, love ’em but not when they decide to hang out in the shoes. Soak the toe nails, cut them as often as possible and immediately treat after cutting with the hazel and oils 2 to 4 times a day. Wash the clippers with warm soapy water, rinse well, leave to air dry but out of mice, insect and human reach and wash hands too. Fresh, clean socks every day and a new pair of shoes once a month would definitely is always helpful in resolving the foot fungus problem, no matter what kind it is.
I’m 75 years old and my balls are always so saggy that they touch the cold toilet water. It’s gross and so shockingly cold! I find that if I soak my nuts in a bowl of witch hazel for about 5 minutes before I have to sit on the toilet, my balls shrivel up like a raisin! Such a helpful life hack. I keep a bowl full on the back of the toilet lid!