Anyone use Witch Hazel only as his AS ?

[ead]

Just wondering, and how does it go, using something like this
Lemon Astringent

As the only AS after you finish your shave
It sure nice to have something not expensive, but does it work? how will you compare it with all other AS out there? how good do you think it is?

 

[ask4Edge]

The best witch hazel products I've used:

1) D. R. Harris Skin Tonic (ingredients: aqua, witch hazel, boracic acid),

2) Earthwise (ingredients: witch hazel, water, benzoic acid 0.15%).

These also function as stand-alone aftershaves; and compared to the typical aftershave splash, are unrivalled, in terms of healing.


Haven't tried the Lemon Astringent (OP).

(Note: Many products labelled as "witch hazel" have a slew of other ingredients, thus resulting in little actual witch hazel.)

 

[ackvil]

On occasion, I use Thayers WH (the toner not the astringent) as my sole aftershave.

 

[Owen Bawn]

I often work in my little cellar office at whatever time I feel I can do my best work, and sometimes that turns out to be for several hours late into the evening. I find nothing relaxes me and prepares me for a restful night after a night of work quite like a shave. A psychic reset button. But I don't want to wake my wife as I crawl into bed in the wee hours. A scented after shave seems to wake her as easily as a pinch on the bottom or a ringing telephone, so I forego the slickum smellum. I'll use Thayer's Medicated and perhaps an unscented moisturizer like CeraVe, if needed.

 

[Basil]

I don’t use after shave and have only been using the Thayers lavender for years now. I don’t have any issues.

 

[Mr. Bonney]

Most of the time my shaves are mild enough I go straight to an A/S splash. On those occasions where the shave was "rough" I apply WH as an interim step before the splash. Helps alot.

Never used plain WH as an aftershave, though. I'm fixing on trying to do a lime splash experiment soon - maybe I'll add the lime oil to some witch hazel?

 

[nymtber]

Yes, I use witch hazel RIGHT after a shave, and when time allows, let my face dry and then use scented if I wish.

I make witch hazel into my own "aftershave" by doing the following:
-2oz witch hazel
-20 drops tea tree oil (good for the skin)
-20 drops glycerin.

Works nice, and I buy the cheapest witch hazel I can find, it all seems to work great.

The tea tree oil does leave a light scent, for a few short minutes. BUT I also use Dr Bronner's tea tree bar soap, and liquid soap, and to me it is a CLEAN smell.

 

[Steve56]

I have, and do, but not all the time.

 

[Tomo]

Quite often but mostly I’ll back it up with a few drops if Nivea Sensitive Balm. It depends on the soap.

 

[DougK]

It's about the only thing I can use as an after shave splash, but I only use it occasionally.

 

[GearNoir]

I use a witch hazel mix after each shave and it could easily be my only post shave juice and at times it has been.

I begin with generic drug store witch hazel and then add a generous portion of aloe gel, some Osage Rub, and my current formulation also has a pleasant hint of Florida Water. I shake it up and let it sit in a glass bottle for a few days, shaking it occasionally, until the aloe gel dissolved completely. Excellence.

 

[sarimento1]

i'll use a wh whenever there's a dr appointment, to avoid excess fragrance.

 

[kw1861]

Yep, use it almost exclusively. It helps my oily skin to keep from breaking out.

 

[Dovo1695]

I use a 50/50 blend of Thayer's witch hazel and 91% rubbing alcohol and a few grams of glycerine I bought at the drugstore. I top that off with a few drops of whatever essential oil I have handy (usually clove). The clove definitely gives it a unique "bite" after a poorly executed shave...

 

[Ron R]

I like using witch Hazel with approx 14% alcohol in my shaving routine daily. I used Alum a lot for final testing of shave results and then started using witch hazel instead because it seems gentler and it will clean the soap off the skin also. Another thing I use Witch Hazel for is my strong scented aftershaves or colognes that are little to strong scented so I ratio usually to start 1 part Aftershave to 4 parts witch Hazel in a mixing bottle and then put my diluted aftershave in a glass mister bottle but leave my original aftershave pristine in its original bottle. Seems to be working for myself and I adjust my formula a little if needed for weaker or stronger scents but some fellows would think it to be a bit of a hassle. Witch Hazel will cloud up aftershaves & colognes when mixed because of scented powders in these liquid elixirs.
People use Just Witch Hazel for skin issues for many decades also, I read a lot on Amazon reviews showing personal pictures and interesting short stories on how it helped their skin issues.

 

[Wogus]

I use witch hazel on occasion but my face has never tolerated alcohol well. The witch hazel product I use now is Forever Pure (link goes to Amazon).

 

[red zeppelin]

Mostly in the summer, but I sometimes do use WH by itself. I had Thayers lavender I liked and now have the unscented. Both work nice for me as a sole AS.

 

[Fred D]

Rarely use WH for razor irritation or nicks. I still have the same bottle I purchased four years ago, and still half full.

 

[Old Grump]

For the first 10 months or so that I wet shaved, the only post-shave that I used was either witch hazel alone, or witch hazel followed by a little balm, if my skin was feeling a bit dry. Witch hazel alone cleans, soothes, and leaves my skin feeling refreshed. It's really all you need for a perfectly adequate post-shave.

But then some malign force turned me toward The Dark Side. On a whim, I tried Aqua Velva (Ice Blue). I don't know what I expected, but the experience was a lot more addicting than that.

The menthol kick was big fun, and the post-shave feel, for me, was transformed from "nice and clean" to feeling like I'd had some sort of luxury skin treatment. The old-school scent was a hoot, too.

Since then, I've been unsuccessfully fighting AS acquisition disorder. Witch hazel's great, and it's enough, but there's more out there, if you're interested. Some of the options that are the most fun (Aqua Velva, Skin Bracer) are pretty cheap, too.

But witch hazel is very healthy, and all you need for a perfectly adequate post-shave.

 

[HiPowerRon]

I could use only Thayers witch hazel and not need anything else. But my daily routine is Cold Water Rinse and Alum Block, Then Thayers witch hazel; Coconut or Lavender and then I usually finish with an aftershave lotion pretty much because I like the scents of aftershaves.