As per the title, I'm looking for a witch hazel based aftershave with Aloe Vera, natural ingredients and ideally a nice scent?
Cheers,
Type 1
Cheers,
Type 1
Best Witch Hazel Aftershave with Aloe Vera?
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Thayers gets lots of use on the tube by shavers & no alcohol added.
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It also seems to have been criticised a fair bit on here due to lack of Witch Hazel content?
Other than Thayers aloe vera I have no clue as to whats out there. I use generic Witch Hazel & it works OK for me at 2 Bucks for 16 oz. It last me 2-3 months.
I got a good deal on Dickinson's witch hazel. I mix my own aftershave by combing Dickinson's WH with Robert's Rose Water and Aloe Vera gel. I put it in a spray bottle. It works well and has a light rose scent that fades away fairly quickly.
welcome to B&B, Sir Type1!!
Thayer's version with aloe is excellent, IMHO!
Thayer's version with aloe is excellent, IMHO!
Yeah, that’s mostly nonsense. They use witch hazel extract rather that “raw” witch hazel. You might prefer spaghetti sauce made with fresh tomatoes, but it would be about the same to say sauce made with tomato paste “has no tomato”.
Plus, IMHO, Thayer’s smells better.
I have been using Thayers for years on the recommendation of a dermatologist.
There is much confusion about witch hazel. WH with alcohol is an astringent used primarily for cleaning the skin and removing makeup. WH without alcohol is a toner: a water-based solution (generally alcohol-free) that uses humectants to keep the moisture in the upper layers of the skin to prevent skin dehydration.
However, most witch hazel that is purchased from a drug store will not contain tannins. This chemical is usually found in the witch hazel extract, and many drug store products only use it in a distilled form, along with many other ingredients.
The tannins have an anti-bacterial function and act as an antioxidant. They do that without drying the skin. It is the alcohol that dries the skin. Yes, the other ingredients assist the skin in healing. The glycerin is a humectant and attracts and seals moisture into your skin. The glycerin also balances the PH factor in your skin. Aloe vera has healing properties and in some products is added to WH.
There is much confusion about witch hazel. WH with alcohol is an astringent used primarily for cleaning the skin and removing makeup. WH without alcohol is a toner: a water-based solution (generally alcohol-free) that uses humectants to keep the moisture in the upper layers of the skin to prevent skin dehydration.
However, most witch hazel that is purchased from a drug store will not contain tannins. This chemical is usually found in the witch hazel extract, and many drug store products only use it in a distilled form, along with many other ingredients.
The tannins have an anti-bacterial function and act as an antioxidant. They do that without drying the skin. It is the alcohol that dries the skin. Yes, the other ingredients assist the skin in healing. The glycerin is a humectant and attracts and seals moisture into your skin. The glycerin also balances the PH factor in your skin. Aloe vera has healing properties and in some products is added to WH.
I use the Dickenson's WH with the yellow label. It is labeled as a toner. Dickinson's also makes a WH product with a blue label, which they say is an astringent, for first aid use, etc.
Dickinson's yellow label:
Ingredients
All Natural Witch Hazel, Containing Natural Grain Alcohol 14% and Witch Hazel Extract.
So the toner product is not alcohol-free. However, the alcohol content is low enough not to bother my skin.
I have never used an AS product, but am curious about WH for days when I get irritation on my neck. I see splash, toner, and balm for sale. The splash is pretty easy, but are the other two creams?
The balms are usually a thicker consistency, like hand lotion, with moisturizing ingredients. Toner is usually an alcohol-free (or very low alcohol) product for cleaning the face.
Thank you! So, is a toner the same liquid state as a splash, but alcohol free?
It's hard to generalize, but there may be other ingredients in a splash such as Aloe Vera, glycerin, camphor, eucalyptus, etc. intended to soothe skin irritation. A toner is intended mainly to leave the skin clean. A person may want to put something else on their skin after using a toner.
Attachments
So the Dickinson's toner product is not alcohol-free (86/14). However, the alcohol content is low enough not to bother my skin.
It's the glycerin and aloe that make Thayers different. Plus, they make their WH through an extraction process rather than distilling it. The extraction process preserves the tannins.
I mostly use generic WH mixed with some EO's with good results. Since I am running low, last night I prepped some WH (generic with 14% alcohol), Tea Tree, Lemongrass EO and aloe gel. Mixed it so it is a thick liquid (more runny) form. Gave it a try without shaving and it felt great. I lean mostly toward DIY cause I like to tinker it to my liking. This may be a route to consider.
I will try it in my afternoon shave.
I will try it in my afternoon shave.
I'm curious about the tea tree oil. I have some, but I've never tried it in aftershave. Does the odor linger long, or does it go away quickly?
