witch hazel Archives - Soap Deli News

Uses for Witch Hazel Extract for Skin Health (Plus ten recipes to make right now!)

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March 14, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

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Witch hazel extract has been used for centuries as a home remedy to soothe everything from swelling and sores to infections and natural skin care. Keep reading to learn more about the powerful herbal properties of this flowering shrub as well as some of my favorite recipes and uses for witch hazel extract.

Uses for Witch Hazel Extract

Witch hazel has a long history of use in North America. The Native Americans originally used both the leaves and bark from witch hazel as a natural folk remedy. Since then, we’ve discovered that witch hazel contains tannins making it useful in both traditional medicine and herbalism.

These tannins are what make witch hazel an astringent – and an effective anti-acne treatment. In addition, witch hazel also helps to reduce inflammation, draw skin together (which is why it’s such a great skin toner!) and slow bleeding.

Recently my dog, Jasper, had some issues with his ears, which is common for dachshunds. With money being incredibly tight right now, I wanted to avoid the vet if possible. While I have no issues with going into debt for my darling little stinker (more on that here) I prefer to avoid it if there are other remedies that are both safe and effective.

Choosing the right brand of witch hazel however is just as important as choosing the right essential oils. Not all witch hazel is created equal. Some varieties of witch hazel have additional ingredients you may not want for every application. While others sting or burn when applied. Because of this, I use Mountain Rose Herbs Witch Hazel Extract.

Mountain Rose Herbs witch hazel extract has double distilled. Unlike most commercial witch hazel brands that have only been distilled once, their witch hazel only contains 14% alcohol. As a result their witch hazel contains 86% organic witch hazel extract. This makes their witch hazel more potent and soothing. Additionally, it neither stings nor smells like alcohol.

I applied a Mountain Rose herbs Witch Hazel Extract to Jasper’s affected ear twice a day using a cotton ball to gently clean his ear and remove excess wax. Not only did he stopped scratching almost immediately after application, but his ear was almost completely back to a healthy pink after a week of use.

(If you have a dog you may also want to check out my other natural remedies for dogs. These recipes include a natural flea repelling dry shampoo, a dog paw balm, a natural fresh breath gel and my natural dog shampoo with neem oil for troubled skin. Or for tough pet odors I love the Petbiotics line of products including their No Bath Probiotic Pet Spray and their Red Algae Infused Pet Wipes which I purchase from Thrive Market.)

Common Uses for Witch Hazel Extract

With a long history of medicinal use throughout the world, it’s no wonder witch hazel has since become a staple in today’s households. There are many uses for witch hazel for health and skin care in your home.

Applied topically witch hazel extract soothes and promotes healing of skin. It is able to help remedy the following skin issues:

Itching
Inflammation
Insect Bites
Minor Bruises
Varicose Veins
Minor Wounds and Infections
Varicose Veins
Hemorrhoids
Acne
Diaper rash
Stretch Marks
Razor Burn
Minor Burns and Sunburns
Dandruff

Additionally, as it’s naturally deodorizing, witch hazel is effective both as a natural deodorant as well as for deodorizing tough pet odors in your home. For these applications, simply use your witch hazel extract in a spray bottle with up to 12 drops of essential oil per ounce of witch hazel as desired.

Learn how to save on natural cleaning products at Grove Co.

Or try out my recipe for making your own odor neutralizing spray to use on tough odors throughout your home. Made using naturally sanitizing & deodorizing witch hazel in combination with an odor neutralizing fragrance oil or essential oil, this homemade household product effectively conquers even the toughest smells.

Uses for Witch Hazel in Skin Care Recipes

Part of the fun of using witch hazel however is using it as an ingredient in your own natural skin care recipes. Following you’ll discover some of my favorite uses for witch hazel through a collection of my favorite witch hazel skin care recipes.

You can discover even more wonderful homemade skin care recipes by following my boards on Pinterest. Or learn how to make your own DIY bath and beauty recipes with an all inclusive DIY kit from The DIY Collectives.

Shop for Natural Skin Care Products

If you aren’t yet ready to dive into making your own natural skin care products, there are several great companies that I recommend. They are The Green Life, Spark Naturals and LOVEGOODLY. And then of course there are hundreds of amazing bath and beauty artisans on Etsy.

Stay Up To Date on New Recipes and More!

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If you make homemade soaps or bath & body products I’d love to see them! Simply add the hashtag #soapdelishowoff to your instagram posts!

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Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Handmade Home, Lifestyle Tagged With: bath and beauty, bath and body, bath tutorial, beauty, beauty diy, crafts, diy, handmade home, health and wellness, homemaking, pet care, pets, skin care, witch hazel

Soothing Moisture Whip Recipe for Dry Skin

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February 1, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

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If your skin is like mine, it is not a fan of winter. Between the gas heat and the dry winter air there’s a lot to compete with to keep skin balanced and healthy. My soothing moisture whip recipe helps to nourish dry skin and soothe associated itching. So your skin will be back to its usual radiance in no time.

This soothing moisture whip recipe is an absolute dream for dry, parched skin. Crafted using natural ingredients, this ultra luxe moisturizer has a fluffy, cloud like texture that melts instantly into skin when applied. Skin soothing butters, aloe vera and witch hazel extract offer rich moisture that promote skin health while a calming essential oil blend lends its aromatherapeutic properties.

Soothing Moisture Whip Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz. refined shea butter
2 oz. oat butter
1.5 oz. safflower oil
1.5 oz. emulsifying wax
1 oz. aloe vera gel
.5 oz. witch hazel extract
.05 oz. calming essential oil blend (see notes)

Recipe Notes:

I specifically used the witch hazel extract from Mountain Rose Herbs for my soothing moisture whip recipe. Double distilled for a lower alcohol content than store bought witch hazel, this brand contains 86% witch hazel extract and only 13% alcohol. This in turn makes for a gentler, skin soothing product that lacks the sting of alcohol common in other brands.

A good alternative to Mountain Rose Herbs witch hazel extract would be T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel which you may be able to source locally.

When choosing the essential oil blend for my soothing moisture whip, I recommend Twig + Petal’s Deep Relaxation Blend or Spark Naturals’ Bliss Calming Blend. Or you can create your own calming relaxation essential oil blend using three parts lavender essential oil, two parts tangerine essential oil, three parts bergamot essential oil and one part ylang ylang essential oil.

Alternately, if you prefer a fragrance oil, I recommend using 1 oz. lavender vanilla fragrance oil in place of the essential oil blend in my soothing moisture whip recipe.

Additionally, as this soothing moisture whip recipe contains aloe vera (a water-based product) you should strongly consider using a broad spectrum preservative. While commercially purchased aloe vera gel will have a preservative in it, its effectiveness will be diminished over time with the addition of the other ingredients.

I highly recommend using a preservative if you don’t plan to use your moisture whip right away or if plan to either gift or sell your moisturizer. Otherwise I advise keeping your moisture whip refrigerated between uses.

You can learn about common preservatives available to crafters in addition to their usage rates and guidelines at the Soap Queen blog here. I also recommend the article, Natural Preservatives for Homemade Lotion, from The Nerdy Farm Wife blog.

Instructions:

Using a digital bakers math scale, weigh out the shea butter, oat butter, safflower oil and emulsifying wax. Combine in a 2-Cup glass Pyrex measuring cup. Then heat either in a double boiler or at 50% power in the microwave until all the ingredients have fully melted.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Then weigh out the witch hazel and aloe vera and add to the liquified butters, oil and wax mixture. Follow with the essential oil blend, first weighing out the amount called for in the recipe.

Using a hand blender with a whisk attachment, mix the ingredients for the soothing moisture whip together until combined.

Place the container in the refrigerator until it starts to thicken. Then mix again until the moisture whip is well combined to desired airiness. Pour your soothing moisture whip evenly into four 2 oz. jars, two 4 oz. jars or one 8 oz. jar as desired. Allow to cool completely, then cap and label as desired for personal use or gifting. Your soothing moisture whip will be ready to use the next day.

Usage:

Apply liberally to skin and massage in to nourish and moisturize dry skin and soothe itching. Or try it on sunburned skin for skin soothing relief.

If you enjoyed my recipe for making a soothing moisture whip body butter, then you may also enjoy some of my other natural skin care recipes.

Some of my personal favorites are my recipes for lavender body butter with neem oil, neem oil body butter with arnica infused coconut oil, natural rose body balm with tea seed oil, whipped body butter soufflé and cucumber eye cream with cucumber & tea seed oil. Or discover more skin care recipes by visiting my DIY Bath and Body Pinterest board.

Alternately, you may also enjoy my guest post at The Nourished Life blog for my homemade shaving cream recipe. My roommate and I had a blast testing out this recipe beforehand and fell completely in love with how luxurious it felt.

Like my soothing moisture whip recipe, my homemade shaving cream also contains witch hazel extract. The witch hazel works in tandem with the other ingredients to help soothe the irritation, damage and inflammation that often comes from frequent shaving. And it rinses easily and cleanly off once the job is done.

Want to Sell Your Homemade Products?

Should you plan to sell your soothing moisture whip body butters, you’ll need to follow good manufacturing practices (GMP) when making your products. You’ll find that the book, Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters by Marie Gale, is a valuable resource if you’re just getting started making your own homemade soaps, skin care products and cosmetics.

In addition to GMP, you’ll also need to follow FDA guidelines for labeling your products. If you’re unsure about the rules and regulations regarding labeling cosmetics, the book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain English by Marie Gale, spells out everything you need to know to legally label your handcrafted products.

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Also, don’t forget. If you make homemade soaps or bath & body products I’d love to see them! Simply add the hashtag #soapdelishowoff to your instagram posts!

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Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: after sun, aloe vera, body butter recipe, diy, dry skin recipe, essential oil blend, essential oils, moisture whip, moisturizer, natural, oat butter, skin care, whipped body butter, witch hazel

Reader Submission: Shea Butter and Witch Hazel Soap

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March 7, 2016 By Rebecca D. Dillon

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I LOVE these homemade soap photographs sent in by Marilyn, one of much appreciated and amazing blog readers. Marilyn created the homemade soap pictured using my Homemade Shea Butter & Witch Hazel Soap Recipe. Aren’t they just beautiful? They remind me of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

Following are Marilyn’s comments on my shea butter & witch hazel soap recipe.

“Oh my, I’m so impatient. I couldn’t wait to check the soap qualities. What a luxurious stable lather! …I haven’t soaped with Witch Hazel, or sesame oil before. Wow, this Is a keeper, for sure. I’ve made other recipes with a similar fatty acid profile but what makes this so incredibly luxurious? Do you think it’s really the witch hazel? Or the high percentage of Shea butter? Or I’ve never soaped with sesame oil? Would love to try the exact same recipe without the witch hazel, because if that’s the secret, then mountain rose has something pretty special.”

To answer her question I feel like it’s simply a combination of the ingredients chosen that made this one a keeper, even if it’s a bit tough to make. But the witch hazel does add a unique feel I haven’t ever quite achieved with other homemade soap recipes. The witch hazel that both Marilyn and I used for this particular homemade soap recipe can be found at Mountain Rose Herbs here. Or learn how to make your own homemade shea butter and witch hazel soap now with homemade recipe here.

For more of my homemade soap recipes, including my new favorite luxury double butter soap recipe, be sure to follow my Simply Soapmaking board on Pinterest. Or, if you’re interested in making palm free cold process soap, you can find my collection of palm free cold process soap recipes here. And, if you’re a first timer, you can learn how to make cold process soap from scratch here.

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Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: cold process soap recipe, cold process soapmaking, reader submission, shea butter soap, soap, soap recipe, witch hazel

Natural Skin Care Products: A Few Face Favorites

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January 6, 2016 By Rebecca D. Dillon

I’m a little head over heels for this collection of natural skin care products formulated especially for problem skin and aging facial skin. Made using natural ingredients prized for their contribution to skin care, each of these natural skin care products are wonderful for pampering your face to help keep it looking and feeling its best!

Natural Skin Care Products for Problem & Aging Skin

1. ArtNaturals Enhanced Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid – The #1 bestseller in facial exfoliators, this 100% natural organically infused Vitamin C Serum. is blended and refined to reduce signs of aging, eliminate sun spots and damage, restore youthful glow, and minimizing existing wrinkles while preventing new wrinkle formation. Packed with antioxidant rich vitamins to prevent the formation of free radicals which contribute to signs of aging. Organically infused to insure nature’s most true healing properties. Gentile stability and rapid absorption with moisture-binding ingredients that keep your skin plump, hydrated and young-looking.

2. Thayers Alcohol-free Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera – The #1 bestseller in facial toners and astringents, this witch hazel toner is alcohol-free and remarkably soothing. Made with rose-petal water, Vitamin E and their proprietary Witch Hazel extract, you’ll love how to this toner not only pampers delicate facial skin but also helps to prevent acne breakouts.

3. Pure Body Naturals Dead Sea Mud Mask – If there’s one thing everyone wants, it’s flawless skin. But no matter how hard you try, it seems your complexion doesn’t want to cooperate. By the time you get your breakouts under control as an adult, you’re starting to see fine lines around your eyes and mouth. And acne and wrinkles don’t compare to the stubbornness of cellulite!

Stop slathering your skin with chemical-based creams and get the natural solution that actually works! The Dead Sea Mud Mask by Pure Body Naturals is an effective treatment for many common skin problems. Noted for its high concentration of sodium and magnesium, mud from the Dead Sea is highly effective against pimples, blackheads, and other blemishes. It draws out oils and toxins, cleans pores, and helps fade acne scars. (Browse other top selling facial masks.)

4. 100% Natural Arabica Coffee Scrub with Organic Coffee, Coconut and Shea Butter – If you don’t have the time or desire to make your own coffee scrubs, then you’ll love this #1 new release in facial scrubs! This emulsified coffee scrub is made using high quality, all natural gourmet coffee, which softens skin as it scrubs away dirt and dead skin cells. It also contains skin-loving Coconut Oil, Olive oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil making this aromatic exfoliating scrub a luxurious staple in any skin care regime.

Loaded with antioxidants, this coffee scrub helps to fight premature skin aging like wrinkles, sun spots, and fine lines. When applied under and around the eyes, it can help in minimizing the appearance of puffy eyes as caffeine restricts blood vessels, which reduces swelling and inflammation. It can also help lightens dark circles under the eyes.

Want to make your own natural anti-aging beauty products? Discover a unique collection of seven natural anti-aging skin care recipes here. Or browse my collection of ten natural skin care products that contain acne fighting activated charcoal here. Then discover even more by following my boards on Pinterest.

What are some of your favorite natural skin care products?

Filed Under: Shopping Tagged With: anti-acne, anti-aging, coffee scrub, dead sea mud mask, face care, facial care, natural, shopping, skin care, toner, vitamin c serum, witch hazel

Witch Hazel Soap Recipe with Shea Butter

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November 26, 2014 By Rebecca D. Dillon

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This soothing shea butter & witch hazel soap recipe contains witch hazel extract renowned for its astringent, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Witch Hazel has been used as a home remedy for centuries by the Japanese, Chinese and Native Americans. It is a natural astringent and possesses antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It’s commonly used to help ease itchy and irritated skin, acne, dermatitis, and eczema making it great choice as a homemade soap ingredient.

My natural shea butter and witch hazel soap recipe makes a wonderful homemade Christmas gift idea for any of your friends or family who may suffer from easily irritated skin. It’s a natural choice that you’ll feel good about gifting. And, of course, you get to keep and use the extra bars!

Homemade Shea Butter & Witch Hazel Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

2.8 oz. castor oil
7.2 oz. (76°) refined coconut oil
11 oz. sustainable palm oil
7 oz. rice bran oil
5 oz. sesame oil
3 oz. shea butter

8 fluid oz. distilled water
4.8 oz. lye/sodium hydroxide

3 fluid oz. witch hazel extract (86%)
2.5 oz. Aspen Winter fragrance oil, optional
4 Tablespoons oil soluble titanium dioxide, optional
1 Tablespoon ultramarine blue pigment powder, optional

Instructions:

This witch hazel soap recipe will yield approximately 10-12 homemade soap bars depending on how they are cut and fits inside on of my DIY wooden loaf soap molds. This homemade soap recipe is not recommended for beginners. The witch hazel does significantly increase trace which may prove overly challenging to someone who doesn’t have cold process soapmaking experience under her belt. If this is your first time making homemade soap I recommend you begin with my cold process soapmaking tutorial and a simple cold process soap recipe to get you started on the path into the world of soapmaking.

I specifically chose the Witch Hazel Extract from Mountain Rose Herbs for this homemade witch hazel soap recipe as it leads in both quality and potency. Unlike most store brands with are distilled only once and often contain more alcohol than witch hazel, the witch hazel extract from Mountain Rose Herbs has been double distilled and contains 86% witch hazel extract and only 14% alcohol. This makes it more soothing than the version found in your local store, and lacks the alcohol sting and scent. I do not know and cannot offer advice on how witch hazel with a higher alcohol content will react.

Alternately, if you prefer not to work with traditional witch hazel you can make an oil infusion instead. Simply infuse witch hazel bark in one of the carrier oils you’ll be using with this recipe beforehand.

Begin by measuring out the distilled water with a large measuring cup. Pour into a pitcher or other heat safe, non-aluminum container. Set aside. Now weigh out the lye using a digital scale. Slowly pour the lye into the water and mix well until all of the lye has dissolved. (Don’t forget to take proper safety precautions including gloves, goggles and a well-ventilated area!) Now set the lye-water aside to cool.

Next weigh out the soapmaking oils and combine in a large stainless steel pot. Heat on the stove top over medium heat until all the oils have melted then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Once the ingredients reach around 85°-90°F you can begin the soapmaking process. (Alternately you can also wait for the ingredients to reach room temperature.) If you are using colorant begin by adding the titanium dioxide to the soapmaking oils then mix with a stick blender to combine.

Now add the witch hazel and lye-water to the oils. Mix by hand or very slowly on low with the stick blender to combine. Add the fragrance oil and mix again. It will begin to trace very fast.

To get the marbled blue and white look like I have I then removed a small portion of the soap and added the blue pigment, mixed, then poured back into the pot and mixed lightly to disperse some of the color but not so much that it become uniform.

Now spoon – as your soap will likely be rather thick at this point – the soap into your prepared mold. The white top, if desired, can be achieved by dusting the top of the soap loaf with a white or pearl mica as soon as it’s poured into the mold. Finally, set a piece of cardboard on top of the mold then set aside for 24 hours.

Once the saponification period has passed you can now unmold the soap loaf and cut it into bars. Set the bars aside to cure 3-6 weeks then wrap and label as desired.

One reader shared her experience with my homemade witch hazel soap recipe. Marilyn emailed “Oh my, I’m so impatient. I couldn’t wait to check the soap qualities. What a luxurious stable lather! …I haven’t soaped with Witch Hazel, or sesame oil before. Wow, this Is a keeper, for sure. I’ve made other recipes with a similar fatty acid profile but what makes this so incredibly luxurious? Do you think it’s really the witch hazel? Or the high percentage of Shea butter? Or I’ve never soaped with sesame oil? Would love to try the exact same recipe without the witch hazel, because if that’s the secret, then mountain rose has something pretty special.”

If you like the Christmas tree tag I used on one bar of my homemade witch hazel soap be sure to check out the DIY for making your own here. Or explore more of my homemade soap recipes by visiting my DIY Bath and Body Pinterest board as well as my Simply Soapmaking Pinterest board for additional recipes from both myself and other great soapmakers across the web.

Don’t want to miss a post? Then be sure to follow Soap Deli News Blog via Blog Lovin’, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+.

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Filed Under: Homemade Gift Ideas, Soapmaking Tagged With: Christmas gift, cold process soap recipe, cold process soapmaking, crafts, diy, gift idea, home remedy, homemade soap recipe, natural, shea butter soap, soap tutorial, soapmaking, witch hazel