Newbie Witch Hazel question

[Boogie]

I have a real Newbie question about Witch Hazel. Prior to wet shaving I had never used witch hazel, and I have to confess, I have no idea what it’s for. In reading over lots of posts among the boards I can see that most people use it after the final rinse, and before the aftershave balm or splash. If this question has been asked in a previous post, I apologize for asking it again, but what exactly is the purpose of the Witch Hazel? I always associated it with a type of face cleanser to reduce blackheads or acne. It seems like I may be off base here. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[radaddict]

I have a real Newbie question about Witch Hazel. Prior to wet shaving I had never used witch hazel, and I have to confess, I have no idea what it’s for. In reading over lots of posts among the boards I can see that most people use it after the final rinse, and before the aftershave balm or splash. If this question has been asked in a previous post, I apologize for asking it again, but what exactly is the purpose of the Witch Hazel? I always associated it with a type of face cleanser to reduce blackheads or acne. It seems like I may be off base here. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I believe it is used as an astringent - it tightens up the pores. Check this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astringent

 

[rschul2]

It's definitely used by lots of people for the cooling effect that it provides the skin. It is also used to help remove residue (soap, oil, etc.) that may remain on the skin after the shave but most importantly, it has anti-inflammatory properties that helps with razor burn.

 

[Gafer]

In good skin care there are three steps:
Clean
Tone
Moisturize

The cleaning comes when you wash your face and/or shave.
The tone part is the Witch Hazel or some other toner.
Moisturize - your after shave balm or other moisturizer.

Toning is an important part since it re-balances the pH of your skin, closes the pores which helps retain moisture and keep out airborne contaminants.

Here's more info:
http://1stholistic.com/Beauty/skin/skin_basic_skin_care.htm

Some folks use Alum to achieve the toning step. Others, like me, use alum and Witch hazel. It's up to you to determine what works for you. I highly recommend Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner since those with alcohol can be drying. Here's a link to my review:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=T&t=15607

My morning routine includes witch hazel. Shave-rinse-alum-rinse-witch hazel-moisturize. I use witch hazel again after washing my face every evening.

 

[Boogie]

Thanks for all the info, I can't believe that I did'nt know what WH was for before I got into Wet Shaving, but it's part of my routine now. Thanks again.