Witch hazel

The leaves of the witch hazel plant, which grows throughout most of North America, have more than 30 traditional medicinal uses, such as reducing inflammation and bleeding. An ointment (available in most health food stores) made from witch hazel can be applied to the skin to treat bruises and cuts and to tighten stretched (distended) veins and restore blood vessel tone.

Witch hazel is recommended for external use. Some people drink witch hazel tea, but the correct dosage is uncertain. Consuming too much witch hazel can cause nausea, vomiting, and constipation

This plant extract was widely used for medicinal purposes by <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States?qsrc=3044" title="Native Americans in the United States" >American Indians</a> and is a component of a variety of commercial healthcare products.

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Native Americans produced witch hazel extract by boiling the stems of the shrub and producing a <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Decoction?qsrc=3044" title="Decoction" >decoction</a>, which was used to treat swellings, <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Inflammation?qsrc=3044" title="Inflammation" >inflammations</a>, and tumors.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel(astringent)?#cite_note-Dweck-1" >[2]</a> Early <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Puritan?qsrc=3044" title="Puritan" >Puritan</a> settlers in <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/New_England?qsrc=3044" title="New England" >New England</a> adopted this remedy from the natives, and its use became widely established in the United States.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel(astringent)?#cite_note-Bingham-2" >[3</a>

A missionary, Dr. Charles Hawes, learned of the preparation's therapeutic properties, and then determined through extensive study that the product of <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Distillation?qsrc=3044" title="Distillation" >distillation</a> (likely <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Steam_distillation?qsrc=3044" title="Steam distillation" >steam distillation</a>) of the plant's twigs was even more efficacious.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel(astringent)?#cite_note-Dweck-1" >[2]</a> "Hawes Extract" was first produced and sold in <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Essex,Connecticut?qsrc=3044" title="Essex, Connecticut" >Essex, Connecticut</a>, in 1846, by druggist and chemist Alvan Whittemore.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel_(astringent)?#cite_note-Events-3" >[4]</a>

Hawes' process was further refined by Thomas Newton Dickinson, Sr., who is credited with starting the commercial production of witch hazel extract, also in Essex, Connecticut, in 1866, and eventually establishing nine production sites in eastern <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Connecticut?qsrc=3044" title="Connecticut" >Connecticut</a>.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel_(astringent)?#cite_note-Birth-4" >[5]</a>

Following his death, his two sons, Thomas N., Jr., of <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Mystic,Connecticut?qsrc=3044" title="Mystic, Connecticut" >Mystic, Connecticut</a>, and Everett E. Dickinson of Essex, each inherited parts of the family business and continued the manufacture of witch hazel extract, operating competing "Dickinson's" businesses that were continued by their descendants. The two branches of the family became bitter rivals, but their companies were eventually merged in 1997 as <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Dickinson_Brands?qsrc=3044" title="Dickinson Brands" >Dickinson Brands</a>.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel(astringent)?#cite_note-Bingham-2" >[3]</a><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel_(astringent)?#cite_note-5" >[6]</a>

Witch hazel is mainly used externally on sores, bruises, and swelling. The main constituents of the extract include

<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Tannin?qsrc=3044" title="Tannin" >tannin</a>,

<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Gallic_acid?qsrc=3044" title="Gallic acid" >gallic acid</a>,

<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Flavan-3-ol?qsrc=3044" title="Flavan-3-ol" >catechins</a>,

<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Proanthocyanin?qsrc=3044" title="Proanthocyanin" >proanthocyanins</a>,

<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Flavonoid?qsrc=3044" title="Flavonoid" >flavonoids</a> (<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Kaempferol?qsrc=3044" title="Kaempferol" >kaempferol</a>,

<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Quercetin?qsrc=3044" title="Quercetin" >quercetin</a>),

<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Essential_oil?qsrc=3044" title="Essential oil" >essential oils</a> (<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Carvacrol?qsrc=3044" title="Carvacrol" >carvacrol</a>, <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eugenol?qsrc=3044" title="Eugenol" >eugenol</a>, <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Hexenol?qsrc=3044" title="Hexenol" >hexenol</a>),

<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Choline?qsrc=3044" title="Choline" >choline</a>, and <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Saponin?qsrc=3044" title="Saponin" >saponins</a>.

Distilled witch hazel sold in drug stores and pharmacies typically contains no tannin.

Witch hazel <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Hydrosol?qsrc=3044" title="Hydrosol" >hydrosol</a> is used in skin care. It is a strong anti-oxidant and astringent, which makes it very useful in fighting <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Acne?qsrc=3044" title="Acne" >acne</a>.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel_(astringent)?#cite_note-ref1-0" >[1]</a>

It is often used as a natural remedy for <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Psoriasis?qsrc=3044" title="Psoriasis" >psoriasis</a>, <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eczema?qsrc=3044" title="Eczema" >eczema</a>, aftershave applications, ingrown nails, to prevent sweating of the face, cracked or blistered skin, for treating insect bites, <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Poison_ivy?qsrc=3044" title="Poison ivy" >poison ivy</a>, and as a treatment for <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Varicose_vein?qsrc=3044" title="Varicose vein" >varicose veins</a> and <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Hemorrhoids?qsrc=3044" title="Hemorrhoids" >hemorrhoids</a>.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel_(astringent)?#cite_note-6" >[7]</a>

It is found in numerous over-the-counter hemorrhoid preparations.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel(astringent)?#cite_note-Bingham-2" >[3]</a> It is recommended to women to reduce swelling and soothe wounds resulting from <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Childbirth?qsrc=3044" title="Childbirth" >childbirth</a>.<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Witch_hazel(astringent)?#cite_note-7" >[8]</a>

The <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Essential_oil?qsrc=3044" title="Essential oil" >essential oil</a> 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.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" wrc_done="true" >citation needed</a> ]

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