What's new

Witch Hazel, particularly Thayer's, is the most misleading fraud on wet shavers

We have several testimonials and anectotal evidence of people saying they prefer the Thayers brand of Witch Hazel (Even though now we know that Thayers has a smaller concentration of pure witch hazel).

Perhaps the conclusion we can draw is that full strength Dickersons witch hazel may be "too strong". So I am did my own experiment this week using generic witch hazel mixed 50% with Rose water 1:1

And will report back my results. I know there is another member here that mentioned in a separate thread that he uses 50% witch hazel and 50% rose water mixed. @TheVez2

I found a small mister spray bottle to put it in, Wish I had thought sooner about how much more convenient it is to apply it with a spray compared to splashing it on with your hand (Where at least 30% of the product is wasted and ends up in the sink after bouncing off of your face and/or falling off the edge of the cliff that is your jawline and never reaching your neck ).
Good luck. I believe it will smell like the rose garden my dog spends time in every morning. Or 50% of that anyhow. Ha. Just joking, I’m sure it’ll be fine.

But......

People who don’t pony up the big bucks for Thayers will always wonder how good it is!
 
Good luck. I believe it will smell like the rose garden my dog spends time in every morning. Or 50% of that anyhow. Ha. Just joking, I’m sure it’ll be fine.

But......

People who don’t pony up the big bucks for Thayers will always wonder how good it is!

I'm not wondering. I've heard some people say that it feels thick or syrupy. I know that I would not like that kind of consistency. When I use witch hazel I'm not using it as my final aftershave. I use it as a soothing halfway point between the alum and aftershave. As a result I want it for what it is, witch hazel. Don't need a scent or added ingredients like aloe vera, etc. I'm good with T.N. Dickinson's.
 
I get mine from an old fashioned chemist shop in England - they make it in house, from twigs and tips, and sell it by the ounce to the gallon in both alcohol and alcohol free. It's great stuff. Thayer's has a cool label though.
Is there any differenc
I'm not wondering. I've heard some people say that it feels thick or syrupy. I know that I would not like that kind of consistency. When I use witch hazel I'm not using it as my final aftershave. I use it as a soothing halfway point between the alum and aftershave. As a result I want it for what it is, witch hazel. Don't need a scent or added ingredients like aloe vera, etc. I'm good with T.N. Dickinson's.
Im just joking. The scent isn’t that bad.
 
Today was my first day using the new concoction of 50% Generic Witch Hazel from Family Dollar + 50% Rose Water

I am pleased with the results. I had a rough shave today as my very first day shaving with Personna Lab Blues and the shave gave me pink razor burn and one weeper. But after spraying on the concoction it cured my problem quickly, within 5 minutes the pink skin had turned back to normal color. So my preliminary findings are positive.

The only issue is that Rose Water is very expensive. The cheapest I found was 20 oz bottle on Amazon for $17.99

https://www.amazon.com/Moroccan-Rosewater-Chemical-Complete-Moisturizer/dp/B01HOJC99Y

At Whole Foods market they charge $10 for only 4 oz.

Here is a picture of Rose Water $17.99 next to Witch Hazel $1.89 and the little spray bottle I use to apply it to my face.
 
The thousands of positive reviews on Amazon are all part of an elaborate conspiracy perpetuated by Thayers witches. :badger:

But seriously, people with oily skin are probably better served by a product with more alcohol and less aloe vera, thus the few folks who hate this product. It's great for pimples, redness, skin irritation/inflammation, and cleansing off remaining lather residue left behind after rinsing with water. If you're expecting something else, you will be disappointed. If you like alcohol burn, most any other aftershave splash type product will make you feel the burn.
 
I use Thayers toner as aftershave about every 2 days--usually lavender. It hasn't changed my life, but I like its effect on my skin. My dermatologist likes the fact that it's alcohol-free. If I want burn, I turn to Super Hazel once in awhile.

The toner and the Super Hazel can be slightly tacky or sticky when first applied, but this problem is easy to solve. I just dampen my hands, my face or both before applying. BTW, the same approach eliminates tackiness from Nancy Boy AS gel, which is also WH-based and alcohol-free.
 
Probably not, but ... y'know...

Not a very strong scent of rose when mixed 50/50. It is a pleasant smell that dissapears completely after 5 minutes. And it covers up the Witch Hazel smell of stale stinky socks. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and it will smell however you like
 
I found that the stinky sock smell of Witch Hazel is only from the commercial stuff. The organic bottle I purchased (very expensive) had a smell much like green leaves.
 
People can try Cat O'nine tails or Virgin Island bay rum if they really want to feel like they're being put through the witch trials. Burn, baby burn!
 
I found that the stinky sock smell of Witch Hazel is only from the commercial stuff. The organic bottle I purchased (very expensive) had a smell much like green leaves.
Maybe some generic companies are so cheap they use old socks for filtering? Maybe that’s where all those odd socks go every time I do the laundry .....?
 
Not a very strong scent of rose when mixed 50/50. It is a pleasant smell that dissapears completely after 5 minutes. And it covers up the Witch Hazel smell of stale stinky socks. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and it will smell however you like
Mine has a very faint green leaf and very watered down vinegar smell.
I make a few WH concoctions with rose water (and / or lavender water and glycerine). My favourite is a Noxzema moisturising (the one with camphor) pre / between passes / post-shave that beats the pants off the similar Proraso product.
 
I've been using Thayer's in assorted flavors since I started wet shaving a couple years ago.
A bottle last quite a while so it's not a money thing, but in reality, I haven't noticed a difference
whether I use it or not.
 
I've been using Thayer's in assorted flavors since I started wet shaving a couple years ago.
A bottle last quite a while so it's not a money thing, but in reality, I haven't noticed a difference
whether I use it or not.
You just haven’t noticed that if you stop using it for long enough your face will erupt in sores until you buy more! Trust me. It’s a well spent 10 spot.

Truthfully, I just love the scent of Superhazel. I usually use it to clean my face before bed. It’s very nice. Soap dries out my nose and forehead in the winter.
 
I have tried a number of WH brands. I have gone the organic route with Humphrey's, the cheap route with generic, the in-between route with Dickinson's, and the astringent or toner route with Thayers. I currently have a bottle of Humphrey's and of the toner Thayers. I usually use Thayers since that is what my dermatologist recommended. She prefers I use a WH with less alcohol since I am not a youngster. In fact, she recommends a lower percentage of alcohol for anyone who uses it daily.
 
I had my second shave today using 50% rose water 50% generic witch hazel and the end results where FANTASTIC.

I wholeheartedly recommend this combination to others. My skin feels better than when I used 100% generic witch hazel. I keep the spray bottle of the mixture in the refrigerator so it feels so good with the coldness when I spray it.

And I am avoiding alcohol aftershave altogether. Just using my facial moisturizer and spraying some cologne on the sides of my neck like Frankenstein's bolts and also on my hair (I read the scent of cologne will last a long time if sprayed on your hair). And on the inside of my wrists. And the back of the neck
 
I also use rosewater as a skin toner and it works great on its own. It helps calm down irritated skin.

Another thing that works surprisingly well is green tea.
 
I work for a company that bottles witch hazel for many companies under their private store labels. Almost every chain store and small local store has witch hazel that is bottled right down stairs from where I’m sitting right now. I went and checked our paperwork and ours is 86/14 witch hazel to alcohol and nothing else. We don’t do any blending or add any fragrances to it at all. It goes straight from the tanker truck to bulk storage tanks and directly into the bottles.

I use this stuff daily after shaving since I can get it from work. I even used it in the past before working here and have always gotten great results with it. The only time my skin looked and felt this good was in my pre pubescent days some 40 years ago. My wife routinely comments on how good my face and skin looks for being 50. It has also helped 2 of my kids with severe acne issues even better than some of the medications from the dermatologist alone.

It can be had very cheap at your local chain pharmacy or local big box store and does not clash with any aftershave or cologne.

Sometimes simple and basic is best. JMO.


AoM; B.O.S.S.;Knight of the Veg Table;MFR2019
 
I work for a company that bottles witch hazel for many companies under their private store labels. Almost every chain store and small local store has witch hazel that is bottled right down stairs from where I’m sitting right now. I went and checked our paperwork and ours is 86/14 witch hazel to alcohol and nothing else. We don’t do any blending or add any fragrances to it at all. It goes straight from the tanker truck to bulk storage tanks and directly into the bottles.

I use this stuff daily after shaving since I can get it from work. I even used it in the past before working here and have always gotten great results with it. The only time my skin looked and felt this good was in my pre pubescent days some 40 years ago. My wife routinely comments on how good my face and skin looks for being 50. It has also helped 2 of my kids with severe acne issues even better than some of the medications from the dermatologist alone.

It can be had very cheap at your local chain pharmacy or local big box store and does not clash with any aftershave or cologne.

Sometimes simple and basic is best. JMO.


AoM; B.O.S.S.;Knight of the Veg Table;MFR2019

I'm with you. I like to use straight witch hazel after I've applied some alum and rinsed it off. Then the witch hazel followed by an aftershave. In the winter I might add a balm if my face is feeling dry. I've been using T.N. Dickinson's which I presume is bottled by your company.
 
Top Bottom