Description

Organic Witch Hazel

Positive Medicine’s organic Witch hazel aromatic flower hydrosol water is a pure and natural skin tonic  with a deliciously fresh green woody scent.  This aromatic water is prepared in small batches by slow distillation and retains the essential oils in suspension. We present our product in a PET or glass bottle with atomiser for convenience & ease of use as a spritz.

Witch hazel is astringent cleansing purifying toning alcohol-free organic skin tonic which has many uses in skin care preparations and eau de cologne. Used to dab or spritz on pimples, bruises and stings and as a tonic skin cleanser and natural freshener.

Witch hazel or hamamelis appeared in English gardens through the collaboration of two seventeenth century botanists. John Bartram – an American plant collector, sometimes called the ‘father of American Botany’. Peter Collinson, an English trader in cloth  and avid garden enthusiast who financed collections of American plants seeds to distribute to English botanical gardens.

Witch hazel was a favourite plant medicine of many indigenous American natives who introduced it to some of the interested pilgrims.  One of the earliest and most famous preparations was Ponds Cold Cream, an all purpose beauty face cream made from distilled Witch Hazel. This resulted from an association between an American – Theron Pond and an American medicine man of the Oneida tribe, who introduced him to the benefits of the Hamamelis shrub or small tree. The preparation was originally called Golden Treasure and later became famous as Pond’s cold cream.

In subsequent years distilled witch hazel became established in bathroom cabinets throughout England, as a standard treatment for sore skin, insect stings, varicose veins and bruises, strains and sprains. Witch hazel was and still is a key component of many beauty and skin products, and eau de colognes and is a traditional, cooling, healing and natural skin toner

Therapeutic benefits of witch hazel have long been attributed to its astringency. Although, there is some talk in recent years of information on potential anti-oxidant and anti-viral properties that need further verification.  Still there are few clinical trials and most information is anecdotal. However, This pubmed trial has shown some positive skin result

General

Properties: astringent tonic anti-inflammatory
Botanical name: Hamamelis virginiana (virginicana)
Common names: winter bloom; spotted alder
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Habitat: Witch hazel is a native of North America and Canada, growing wild in woods, waysides and on the slopes besides creeks and brooks.
Parts used: Twigs, bark and leaves