Witch hazel is the name given to a group of small trees and shrubs found primarily in North America and Asia. Witch hazel trees give off seeds in the fall and grow to 5-15 feet tall. The family name of the witch hazel is Hamamelidaceae. The witch hazel name was given because the leaves of the tree resemble those of the hazel. In addition, the forked branches of the witch hazel tree, like hazel, are used as divining rods. This practice used to be known as “water witching” and is probably where witch hazel got its name.
The hard wood of the witch hazel is used in cabinet making. It is the bark, twigs, and leaves of witch hazel from which we produce the fluid we know as witch hazel, something many of us remember seeing in our grandmothers’ medicine cabinets.
1) Witch hazel is used as a mouthwash and gargle to freshen the breath.
2) In the past witch hazel was a popular treatment for bleeding gums.
3) Witch hazel is used to soak compresses that are applied to injured and arthritic joints and thought to speed healing.
4) For swelling witch hazel is applied to bring it down.
5) Witch hazel is reputed to help stop bleeding in the internal organs of our bodies.
6) Stomach ulcers have long been treated with witch hazel.
7) Witch hazel is used to shrink hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and bags under the eyes.
8) Witch hazel is also available as tea.
9) Along with treating eczema, witch hazel is also used to help eliminate pimples and skin blemishes.
10) Allergic reactions to poison ivy and poison oak respond positively to the administration of witch hazel.
Though witch hazel is mild, the liquid form of it is often sold with rubbing alcohol as an ingredient. For this reason, witch hazel should not be taken internally (except to the tea) or applied to mucous membranes or broken skin.
Despite many of us thinking witch hazel is a product of the past, because of its excellent anti-inflammatory properties witch hazel is still used frequently. For example, witch hazel can be found in Preparation H and Tucks. For athletes witch hazel remains popular in ointment form to be rubbed on muscles before workouts in order to help prevent strains.
Copyright © Dennis Becker, 2004.
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