Most witch hazels that contain alcohol have an alcohol content of 14%. However, there are a number of brands beside Thayers that are alcohol-free. However, most are more expensive than Thayers.
Witch Hazel, particularly Thayer's, is the most misleading fraud on wet shavers
- Thread starter SGold
- Start date
I went ahead and bought some pure organic witch hazel (no alcohol added). Very pricey, but I thought I'd give it a try once to see if I notice a difference.
- Thread starter
- #43
Please post your comparison results when done.
Oh, I definitely will. According to the website, it's not supposed to be used at full strength but diluted. If nothing else, it will be great for my aftershave making experiments.
- Thread starter
- #45
Does it read that way? I actually see in GIANT text, "Witch Hazel". Then in itty bitty sub text, "Aloe Vera Formula" underneath the giant title.
My bottle says Aloe Vera Formula in itty bitty text, with a great big Witch Hazel under it in giant text.
Never mind. I was holding the bottle upside down.
- Thread starter
- #48
LOL. Gentlemen I think it's getting down to semantics. Here is what should be taken away in a nutshell. The FDA says Witch Hazel should be 86% extract from TWIGS with 14% Alcohol to make the claim ASTRINGENT. Twigs is key because of the right concentration of the active ingredient that make up the phyto-chemicals. All witch hazel not just thayers does not follow the twig production, rather the whole tree which is mostly pulp (no phyto-chemicals). It's not just Thayers, but they are the biggest offender of the legal formula and labeling on their original formula. Alcohol free formulas are labeled "Toner" so they break no law. But it can be misleading to the consumer when Witch Hazel is so low on the ingredient list. I dont hate thayers or suggest it is bad for you. Just misleading.
Before drawing any final conclusions, I decided to contact an expert on twigs.
From HealthGuidance.com: "Toners don’t have alcohol content... that toners are mild and that they can be used every day. They are often used to remove makeup and to cleanse our face. It is more advisable to use a toner when you have a normal skin. But for those who have oily skin, it is better to use an astringent. Astringents are not recommended to use on a daily basis because it can dry out our skin. Astringents are designed to fight pimples or acne that’s why they are supposedly stronger than toners. They also help to tighten our skin. Toners help to nourish our skin and help also to keep hydrated. It is best to choose toners if you have a dry skin."
Most witch hazel is made by American Distilling. If you go to their website you will find the following concerning witch hazel:
Applications & Benefits
General
Excellent for all skin types including sensitive, oily and dry. It is commonly found in cleansers, toners, anti-aging products and products for blemished or acne-prone skin.
Description
Alcohol Free Witch Hazel Distillates (or Witch Hazel extracts) are clear, colorless botanical extracts prepared from the recently cut and partially dried, dormant twigs of the Hamamelis virginiana Linné plant. These distillates offer a variety of benefits for skin and personal care applications in both cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.
Alcohol Free Distillates are particularly advantageous for applications that require the soothing natural astringent properties of Witch Hazel, but where the use of alcohol is not appropriate or desirable. Such formulations may include those with constraints in:
The most popular uses are for products where irritation or skin feel is of primary concern. Many customers specify distillates for treatment products such as anti-irritant products for sun care, wound care, children’s “sting free” products and other products where skin sensitization is an issue.
Most witch hazel is made by American Distilling. If you go to their website you will find the following concerning witch hazel:
Applications & Benefits
- End user identifiable value added natural ingredient for cosmetic products
- Easy to use highly stable liquid product
- Alcohol, water and glycol soluble
- Great, natural base for a multitude of formulations
- Easily incorporated into clear formulations as well as many other creams and lotions
Excellent for all skin types including sensitive, oily and dry. It is commonly found in cleansers, toners, anti-aging products and products for blemished or acne-prone skin.
- Complies with EU Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC Allergen Requirements
- Removes excess oil (sebum)
- Controls oil production
- Reduces skin blemishes
- Cleanses and conditions skin
- Tones and tightens pores
- Soothes irritation
Description
Alcohol Free Distillates are particularly advantageous for applications that require the soothing natural astringent properties of Witch Hazel, but where the use of alcohol is not appropriate or desirable. Such formulations may include those with constraints in:- Processing parameters – high surfactant, multi-phase, or high temperature products
- Products performance – foaming products, body washes, mousses, creams
- Marketing claims – alcohol free, “sting-free,” and sensitive skin formulations
- Removes excess oil (sebum)
- Controls oil production
- Reduces skin blemishes
- Cleanses and conditions skin
- Tones and tightens pores
- Soothes irritation
- Natural and effective cleansing ingredient
- Soothes, refreshes and cools
- Calms irritation and discomfort
- Non-drying ingredient that is perfect for sensitive skin/areas
The most popular uses are for products where irritation or skin feel is of primary concern. Many customers specify distillates for treatment products such as anti-irritant products for sun care, wound care, children’s “sting free” products and other products where skin sensitization is an issue.
- Sensitive Skin Formulations – Eye Creams / Gels / Serums, Shaving Creams
- Alcohol Free Formulations – Toners, Cleansers
- Treatment Products – Wound Care, Sun care, Eye care
And where could this be obtained for an enduser like me to do a comparison or the pure twig witch hazel without the alcohol to what i am currently using.
- Thread starter
- #52
He is does not make ASTRINGENT claims do to the FDA's clear rules. He makes 200 gallons a year which he claims is mostly accounted for before it's made. Google "A Wild Crops Farm" in Salem Missouri and perhaps you can find some of his product. If you do I would be interested in the feedback. I also believe Emwolf has sourced some so maybe he can help you,
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Is PAA making witch hazel now?
Before drawing any final conclusions, I decided to contact an expert on twigs.
That's freaking hilarious!
Here is a good read:
The two words - "witch hazel" have a least a half of dozen meanings. Those words might mean the tree, witch hazel, which could be one of three species of plants (Hamamelis virginian , Hamamelis vernalis and in China Hamamelis mollis) . Or, the words might refer to the products produced from these trees. Many of those products are also called "witch hazel" regardless of formulas or process used to make the products. Witch hazel having been coined the most used botanical in the world and a key ingredient in so many personal care formula is deserving of a closer study.
In the 1970's the Food and Drug Agency legally defined the formula for "witch hazel" USP Monographs: Witch Hazel . It should be noted that as a DRUG, this witch hazel is intended to treat and cure medical conditions. However, over time and through lack of diligence in oversight, the producers of the drug witch hazel diverged from the formula as it was impossible to follow on a mass production scale. The formula mandates that twigs, (legally defined by the fda as. "The end subdivision of a branch; a young, leafless shoot, generally applied to the growth of the past season".Plant Part ) This "witch hazel" is Witch Hazel USP (United States pharamacopeia ) If anyone is making health claims about a witch hazel product, that product must be made using this formula, and to my knowledge, no company does.
This is simply not how the industrial witch hazel can be harvested. Industrial witch hazel is produced by a single company in the United States, regardless of brand name. The plant is harvested in winter along frozen stream banks, while primarily dormant. The trees are cut whole, then chipped, those chips are leached in alcohol, then the product is distilled. Important to note in the legal formula, Witch Hazel USP requires the twigs to "be recently cut and partially dried - and dormant". For practical purposes, commercial witch hazel is fairly close to the legal formula, all but for the portion of the plant with the active ingredient for this formula is in the bark. Twigs are specific to the definition of witch hazel simply because the ratio of bark to pulp wood is insures the proper ratio of phyto -chemicals will be available in the distillate. However, it is simply impossible to produce millions upon millions of gallons of witch hazel using just twigs. It is fair to say that pulp wood makes up the bulk of raw material used in commercial witch hazel production.
Subsequently, another formula for witch hazel products have been developed, one of which is "Witch Hazel INCI" this product is commonly noted as being made from the leaves of witch hazel tree, and by definition includes 14 % alcohol. Here is where formulators must be informed both about the portion of the plant used to produce their product and be botanically specific as the species used.http://www.scottarboretum.org/publications/Spring Hybrid 10.pdf Legally, to make health claims, the species must be Hamamelis virginiana, however, if the product is imported, chances are it will have been produced from another species. While witch hazel is reportedly cultivated in Europe, the production is minimal.
The two words - "witch hazel" have a least a half of dozen meanings. Those words might mean the tree, witch hazel, which could be one of three species of plants (Hamamelis virginian , Hamamelis vernalis and in China Hamamelis mollis) . Or, the words might refer to the products produced from these trees. Many of those products are also called "witch hazel" regardless of formulas or process used to make the products. Witch hazel having been coined the most used botanical in the world and a key ingredient in so many personal care formula is deserving of a closer study.
In the 1970's the Food and Drug Agency legally defined the formula for "witch hazel" USP Monographs: Witch Hazel . It should be noted that as a DRUG, this witch hazel is intended to treat and cure medical conditions. However, over time and through lack of diligence in oversight, the producers of the drug witch hazel diverged from the formula as it was impossible to follow on a mass production scale. The formula mandates that twigs, (legally defined by the fda as. "The end subdivision of a branch; a young, leafless shoot, generally applied to the growth of the past season".Plant Part ) This "witch hazel" is Witch Hazel USP (United States pharamacopeia ) If anyone is making health claims about a witch hazel product, that product must be made using this formula, and to my knowledge, no company does.
This is simply not how the industrial witch hazel can be harvested. Industrial witch hazel is produced by a single company in the United States, regardless of brand name. The plant is harvested in winter along frozen stream banks, while primarily dormant. The trees are cut whole, then chipped, those chips are leached in alcohol, then the product is distilled. Important to note in the legal formula, Witch Hazel USP requires the twigs to "be recently cut and partially dried - and dormant". For practical purposes, commercial witch hazel is fairly close to the legal formula, all but for the portion of the plant with the active ingredient for this formula is in the bark. Twigs are specific to the definition of witch hazel simply because the ratio of bark to pulp wood is insures the proper ratio of phyto -chemicals will be available in the distillate. However, it is simply impossible to produce millions upon millions of gallons of witch hazel using just twigs. It is fair to say that pulp wood makes up the bulk of raw material used in commercial witch hazel production.
Subsequently, another formula for witch hazel products have been developed, one of which is "Witch Hazel INCI" this product is commonly noted as being made from the leaves of witch hazel tree, and by definition includes 14 % alcohol. Here is where formulators must be informed both about the portion of the plant used to produce their product and be botanically specific as the species used.http://www.scottarboretum.org/publications/Spring Hybrid 10.pdf Legally, to make health claims, the species must be Hamamelis virginiana, however, if the product is imported, chances are it will have been produced from another species. While witch hazel is reportedly cultivated in Europe, the production is minimal.
Before drawing any final conclusions, I decided to contact an expert on twigs.
I just spit Mexican Coke through my nose
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
Thanks for posting I agree. I was taken for almost $10 for a bottle. Once I discovered the alum block I stopped using the witch's brew
That's the site I went to
Then you better dump this stuff down the drain.
What Aftershave did you use today?
Captain's Choice Cat o Nine Tails Bay Rum Aftershave 4oz
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