Although, Thayers witch hazel is a really popular choice of toner and is one of the most popular toner that is cost effective. There are still drawbacks of using witch hazel on your skin. I use their Witch Hazel Facial Toner with Rose Petal once in a while in my skincare routine. Just a little spritz and my skin feels much more refreshed. However, I would not recommend you to use any toners with witch hazel everyday due to its potential to irritate and dehydrate your skin.
What is Witch Hazel?
Witch hazel is a skincare ingredient that has really started to become popular again. You might have heard of it being often used in the 90s, but nowadays it has started to become trendy again. It is one of those skincare ingredients that is constantly being mentioned due to its effectiveness.
Witch hazel is a plant that has been used for their medicinal properties for many years. In fact, the leaves and barks were used by Native Americans to help with their skincare issues. Although there are many different types of species of witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana is often the most common species used in North America. The bark, leaves and twigs are often processed into liquid form to be sold as witch hazel. While it is also sold as ointments, the liquid form is the most commonly used version.
Thayers Witch Hazel
Firstly, witch hazel is popular as a skincare ingredient because it has astringent properties from its tannin content. When you apply it onto your skin, it can have the ability to constrict and dry. This compression leads to a creation of an invisible film like structure that can reduce the amount of grease on your face and minimize the pores on your skin.
One of the good things about Thayers Witch Hazel is that it is alcohol free. Most witch hazel are installed using denatured alcohol and therefore might lead to a product containing around 15% alcohol. This is a bad thing because applying alcohol onto your skin can damage your skin surface and create free-radical damage. This will lead to a more aging skin.
To achieve an alcohol free witch hazel, it goes through a water steam distillation that removes the alcohol but makes the witch hazel less effective. Regardless of it being an alcohol free product, prolonged use of witch hazel can damage the barrier of your skin.
Witch Hazel for Oily Skin
Although reducing excess oil on your skin and reducing pores may seem like a good idea for those with oily skin. Witch hazel can indeed remove the excess oil on your skin, but it can also significantly irritate your skin. In addition, the irritation can even make your oily skin even more oily after.
Benefits of Witch Hazel
While you cannot use Thayers witch hazel toners everyday, you can always keep a bottle of the witch hazel toner around for the occasional use. Studies have shown that occasional use can help reduce minor skin irritations or itching caused by eczema, insect bites, insect stings and minor cuts. In addition, it can also help reduce the appearance of your bruises.
Just make sure you do not use it for the long term. For the short term, you will see benefits of using witch hazel on your skin, but it is not ideal to use witch hazel in the long run as it might cause skin irritation.
Bottomline
Even though it is considered safe for the daily use, I would not recommend you to use Thayers witch hazer toner or any other witch hazel products daily. For any skincare ingredients with witch hazel, I would only use it occasionally. In addition, you should always pay attention to what ingredients are in the skincare formula. It is best for you to always follow the instructions on the skincare product and make sure you do a patch test of the toner before using it all over your face.
As always, if you experience any irritation or allergic reaction, you should stop using it and consult a dermatologist. If you are unsure about Thayers witch hazel toner, you should always consult with your dermatologist before you start using it.
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