Witch Hazel For Acne: A Natural Source of Topical Antioxidants

Worldwide, the acne industry is worth a gigantic $21 billion per year. Every month, facial cleansers became ever more complicated and intricate. Endless dollars and vast legions of scientists are pumped in daily to finally create the perfect remedy.

Yet incredibly, these efforts have all failed to match the leaves and bark of one American plant: witch hazel.

Also known as hamamelis, witch hazel is a genus of flowering plants with 5 species worldwide. China and Japan have one apiece, while America has three, which are also known as Snapping Hazel, Spotted Alder and Tobacco Wood. The witch hazel tree stands 3 to 8 metres tall, and as the picture to the left shows, it grows in attractive blossoms of yellow to orange-red flowers.

Witch hazel had likely been a popular plant for millennia, but the modern craze kicked off in the 1800s when Theron T. Pond of New York met with the Oneida tribe of Indians. Mr Pond discovered that for burns, boils and wounds, the Oneidea were using a “tea” made by their Medicine Man from a mysterious plant called witch hazel. The Medicine Man steeped the shrub in an ordinary teakettle, obtaining a liquid which was coloured but with the clarity of water, and had a peculiar aroma found in no other plant.

Mr Pond bunkered down with the Medicine Man for months, perfecting a mixture of the distillation and alcohol. At long last, the original witch hazel cleanser was born: “Pond’s Extract”. That was in the 1840s, and nowadays, witch hazel surfaces in toners, cleansers, clarifying products and makeup removers, by pharmaceutical companies such as Estée Lauder, L’Oreal, and Neutrogena.

You can also buy topical cleansers with witch hazel as the main active ingredient, and the good news for acne? There’s a goldmine of glowing skincare studies. 

 

Witch hazel is bursting with antioxidants…

All plants contain traces of antioxidants, as they’re vital for defending against UV light, disease, and tiny predators such as insects.

Witch hazel, however, is on a whole other level. Its leaves and bark are 10% tannins by weight, a natural polyphenol antioxidant shown repeatedly in studies to soothe inflammation and calm irritation when applied topically.

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Specifically, the bark contains unique hamamelitannins, while the leaves contain ellagitannins. The latter is the same compound that makes pomegranates such an antioxidant bombshell, and this study concluded that “cloudberry and red raspberry ellagitannins were highly effective as radical scavengers“.

This study meanwhile, tested hamamelitannins from witch hazel bark specifically, and found “potent scavenging activities against all active oxygens tested“. In plain English, they effectively destroyed free radicals. Better, the subject was cells exposed to UVB radiation from sunlight, a classic source of the free radicals behind acne.

Witch hazel has a wide range of natural compounds according to this study, including gallic acid, catechins, proanthocyanins, flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin), essential oils (carvacrol, eugenol, hexenol), choline, and saponins. Topically, these antioxidants are excellent for acne since they deactivate free radicals directly on the skin’s surface, with maximum precision. Free radicals add to inflammation in their own right, and dull your skin tone, but they also clog your skin pores by creating squalene peroxide, an oxidised mutant version of the squalene found naturally in your skin’s oil.

 

…which are proven to reduce free radicals

Better, numerous studies have proven witch hazel’s astonishing antioxidant powers overall. A series of three strong studies from 1993, 1994 and 1995 tested both parts of the plant: leaf and bark, extracted using alcohol.

The witch hazel had antioxidant activity comparable to superoxide dismutase, one of the most powerful antioxidants made by the human body. Better, the plant’s antioxidants had a particularly high affinity for humans cell and cell membranes, making it all the stronger at defending them against free radicals (AKA reactive oxygen species).

Witch hazel was also tested on guinea pig skin, and had a large suppressive effect on peroxidation. That’s excellent news, because peroxidation of the skin’s oil (sebum) is a cornerstone process behind acne. Witch hazel had synergistic powers with vitamin E, enhancing its powers, and vitamin E is the most important acne antioxidant of all.

Interesting, the bark’s antioxidant powers were superior to the leaves, although both performed very respectably. Hamamelitannins were stated to specifically protect skin cells against injuries from active free radicals. That’s as close to stating “it clears acne” as scientists will probably ever get.

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Pharmaceutical giants are currently salivating over topical antioxidants, but witch hazel is a ready-made version found in nature. Furthermore, its sheer complexity will take pharmacists years to mimic, with endless known and unknown antioxidant varieties. Different antioxidants tackle different free radicals (with significant overlap), so a large variety of antioxidants is key to banishing pimples from all angles.

 

Does witch hazel grant eternal youth?

Witch hazel is also well known to cure ageing (well, maybe delay it). This will partly be due to deleting free radicals on contact, but also possible rarer plant compounds that improve collagen synthesis, strengthen skin cells against sunlight, or function mysteriously.

In 2005, a clinical study put witch hazel ointment to the test, applying it twice daily to 89 patients with a minimum age of 50. Their skin was dry and ageing, yet after 4 weeks, there was “a significant and clinically relevant improvement of skin sebum content and moisture“.

The improvement was statistically significant for every category tested, which included skin tautness, skin roughness and itching. Witch hazel caused a pronounced improvement after just two weeks.

Side effects were minimal, and the tolerability was judged to be “very good”. 

The scientists even speculated that witch hazel doubles up with wound healing properties. The anti-ageing could have been caused by “the healing promoting action of the hamamelis (witch hazel) distillate contained in the ointment“, with a potential happy consequence of old and dying pimples healing faster.

 

Witch hazel is strongly anti-inflammatory

Another strong point is that witch hazel can put inflammatory chemicals out of business, including acne-causing villains like interleukin-8, IL-6, and TNF-a.

Our first study (performed in 1998) combined witch hazel with aftersun lotion to create a 10% witch hazel solution, and tested it against several other aftersun lotions which didn’t contain WH. The subjects were 30 healthy volunteers with mild sunburn.

7 hours after the initial burning, the witch hazel suppressed the painful symptoms by a healthy 20%. 48 hours later, this had improved to 27%. Meanwhile, the other lotions achieved a mere 11-15%.

According to the scientists: “Significant differences were noted between hamamelis and these lotions“. A 1993 study also demonstrated the power of witch hazel against sunlight-induced inflammation, reaching the promising conclusion that “The results provide evidence for the topical use of hamamelis distillate for… minor inflammatory skin diseases“. Acne vulgaris is exactly that: a minor inflammatory disease.

More recently, a 2001 study irritated some people’s skin deliberately with sodium lauryl sulphate, a controversial ingredient in many shampoos and personal care products. SLS is often blamed for causing acne itself, and the scientists applied it to the forearms of 15 healthy volunteers.

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After 15 days, the witch hazel significantly reduced skin redness, beating several remedies which didn’t include it. The anti-inflammatory properties were comparable to the pharmaceutical drug hydrocortisone, which was also tested.

 

The history looks promising for acne

Studies are great, but the simplest way to covert to witch hazel fandom would be to simply walk into a Native American campsite 500 years ago.

Stories are endless; the Osage tribe of the Midwest used witch hazel bark to treat sores and skin ulcers, and the Iroquoi brewed a hot tea to treat dysentery, colds and coughs. The Great Plains Potawatomi tribe even steamed the twigs over hot rocks in their sweat lodges to soothe sore muscles.

Many different tribes boiled the shrub’s stems to produce a concoction used against swellings, tumours and other inflammatory conditions. Treating eye inflammation is particularly well documented, as is lessening the agony of in-grown toenails.

Other references dotting the history books include insect bites, poison ivy, psoriasis, shaving cuts and varicose veins. Not all are supported by scientific evidence, but witch hazel is recommended by women for soothing the inflammatory swelling of childbirth, even by established national “baby clinics”. It’s unbelievable that mainstream dermatology has nothing to say about witch hazel and even dismisses it as Indian hocus pocus.

 

Witch hazel could slay p.acnes bacteria

Compared to tea tree oil or blue light devices, witch hazel’s antibacterial powers are much more poorly documented, but they’re still highly promising.

Firstly, remember the elagitannin antioxidants, the predominant tannins in the witch hazel leaf? In a 2014 review, they were examined in massive detail, and supposedly, ellagitannins exhibit antimicrobial activity against fungi, viruses, and importantly, bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus“.

If these compounds are powerful enough to kill aureus (the resistant MRSA strain killing millions in hospitals, then our good friend p.acnes bacteria won’t stand a chance.

A 2002 study was even better, examining witch hazel in its entirety. Scientists compared a distillation of witch hazel to two other dermatological preparations (urea and USP 23), testing 15 healthy volunteers.

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The result: witch hazel’s antimicrobial activity was particularly strong. The scientists commented that while witch hazel generally specialises in boosting hydration and lowering inflammation, the antimicrobial properties were a nice added benefit. They commented that they’d be useful for managing atopic dermatitis, a skin condition with  similar origins to acne.

What’s most fascinating is this comment: “the organisms involved in the pathogenesis of these conditions are susceptible to the hamamelis preparations“. Apparently, witch hazel is particularly effective against the exact bacteria behind skin conditions.

Could this apply to p.acnes? No direct studies exist right now, but a bucketload have tested witch hazel on eczema patients.

One randomised double blind comparison study assessed ointments containing witch hazel in 22 patients covered with moderate or severe eczema. The patients were treated three times daily for an average of 17 days, and ultimately, witch hazel soothed the severity of symptoms like desquamation (peeling and scaling) of the skin, redness, and itching, with desquamation plummeting by 55%.

Elsewhere, a pilot experiment applied a cream containing witch hazel leaf extract to 37 eczema patients, twice daily for 2 weeks. 24 people significant improved, shaking off symptoms such as inflammation and itching. Dermatitis (acne’s cousin) also has preliminary studies to its name.

 

Final judgement and the best product

The only evidence we truly lack is a showstopping study on acne itself. Nevertheless, the evidence for conditions directly behind pimples is so overwhelming that witch hazel simply has to have some effect.

Indeed, positive stories are on the internet are plentiful, and here’s a handful: 

• Witch hazel is amazing. I bought it a few weeks ago and can already notice a difference in my skin.

• My skin is incredibly soft and clean.

• Witch hazel made my skin so clear that I cried.

• When I woke up my face was pretty clear and had some blemishes but it looks so much better than before.

• I am amazed at how much better my skin looks after one week.

If you’re obsessed with clearing acne naturally, then witch hazel is an excellent choice. There’s plenty of other options, as I’ve previously issued glowing reports about raw honey, tea tree oil, thyme oil, rose water, and many more.

However, witch hazel stands out especially well for antioxidants and inflammation. Its antibacterial powers are merely decent, whereas raw honey is a bacteria-slaying juggernaut, as are thyme oil and tea tree oil. But none of these can compete with witch hazel’s stellar antioxidant levels. Grapeseed oil is extremely rich in vitamin E, the ultimate fat-soluble nutrient for ending clogged pores, but witch hazel specialises in more diverse and obscure plant antioxidants.

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Therefore, witch hazel cleansers are a particularly good choice if your face is bombarded by free radicals on a daily basis. For example, your city may be choking with air pollution, you may be addicted to cigarettes and have the warping effects of smoke wafting in your face, or your skin may be unusually vulnerable to sunlight. If antioxidants are your heart’s desire, then witch hazel could be your saviour.

The next question is the greatest product, and the answer depends entirely on whether you need an alcohol free brand.

In alcohol-extracted witch hazel, some first time users report burning sensations. Therefore, the best product is probably Thayers Unscented Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera Formula. This is totally natural and has no harsh and unnecessary chemicals. Thayers witch hazel even contains aloe vera, another plant remedy with endless reservoirs of antioxidants, making this bottle a double-whammy of acne-clearing antioxidant power. I’ll be covering aloe vera in an article very soon. Applying witch hazel is an easy game: simply dab some on a cotton puff.

Update 3/2/2016: here’s the article on aloe vera. Summary: it’s an excellent anti-inflammatory plant.

 

The verdict

Witch hazel is yet another fantastic natural acne treatment which has existed under our noses for thousands of years.

On this website I’ve already covered royal jelly, raw honey, thyme oil, rose water, tea tree oil, and coconut oil, and there’s much more to come. Update: learn about the brilliance of grapeseed oil here..

Most of these reduce inflammation, provide antioxidants and slay bacteria to some extent, but they’re never identical: each remedy contains a not-so-subtly different array of natural antioxidants and compounds.

There are endless different choices, endless opportunities to discover an acne remedy that works for you. Everyone’s skin is different, everybody has a different diet, and a different set of circumstances behind their acne. Nobody can predict whether a certain plant will randomly consign your acne to history.

That’s why, if you’re got the cash on hand, basic experimentation is one of the greatest acne strategies ever. Diet and lifestyle reign supreme, but natural topical treatments can take the pressure off in circumstances beyond your control such as medical conditions, air pollution, or unbeatable stress.

Topical witch hazel has no known side effects, unless the tincture contains alcohol. Swallowing witch hazel may cause trigger nausea and dizziness, but consuming it is a pointless act anyway. 

NEXT: discover the root causes of acne and banish your pimples forever

 

 

Thanks for reading!