Witch Hazel

     Witch Hazel is another natural product that can be used on your face and for several other skin irritations.  If you have sensitive skin that's prone to break outs, astringent Witch Hazel is a good product to cleanse your face.  It also works well on skin that is dry because it balances your skin.  It can also used for bruising, scrapes and even to help soothe sunburns.  As noted in an article by Steven Foster Group, Inc. (http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/witchhazel.html) 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. This plant was widely used for medicinal purposes by American Indians.  
     Today, Witch Hazel is a very handy product to have around the house.  It can help with many common skin ailments including diaper rash, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, chicken pox blisters, razor burns and even bug bites and stings.  I have personally been using the brand "Dickinson's" pore perfecting toner.  I have used it on my face after cleansing and sometimes I’ve used it before applying my creams to my face in the morning.  My skin is sensitive and will break out easily so when I read that Witch Hazel can help with blemishes I wanted a natural product that wouldn't hurt my skin.  I did some research and this brand seemed to be the best one to use because they do not use isopropyl alcohol or any synthetic ingredients.  They use a natural alcohol derived from a botanical source and it is used in limited quantities.  The company has also been in business since 1866 and they are an environmentally conscious company.  They use every part of the Witch Hazel plant and even recycle the processed chips into biodegradable mulch.  I haven't yet purchased the "Dickinson's" first aid Witch Hazel product, but I plan to buy some to keep on hand in case we ever need some for bug bites! This is one item that is nice to have on hand and is inexpensive to purchase.