Witch Hazel

I want to talk about a product I have finally gotten around to trying and so far have been pleased with: Witch Hazel. 

Okay, so witch hazel is something I’ve always read a lot about/heard about in people’s vlogs that was supposed to be some kind of miracle product for acne-prone skin.  I never bought into it until recently because I figured I’d seen enough about it from so many others, I should at least give it a chance.  I picked up Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner at Walmart for something like $4 or $5 for a 16 fl oz bottle.  It says it’s 100% natural, but some people make a big deal about it containing alcohol since that is very drying/irritating for difficult skin types.  Let me just say, I know a lot of people think rubbing alcohol is great for cleansing/toning zits, but it’s really not a good idea.  It’s too harsh and actually does the opposite of what you are looking for.  It dries out the skin too much, causing it to overproduce oils to compensate, and for acne-sufferers, that can cause more pimples in turn.  Because my dermatologist gave me this info and told me to keep alcohol off my face, I was kind of worried about the Witch Hazel toner.  However, the ingredients lists that it contains “Natural Grain Alcohol 14%,” which I don’t know the difference anyway, but somehow that sounds better to me.  The bottle also says that this product is “oil-free” and “non-drying for all skin types,” as well as having “NO HARSH CHEMICALS.”

Sorry about the quality of my pictures. Just have to deal with it for now, or for ever.

This product is supposed to gently cleanse and condition your pores to maintain clear, smooth, and balanced skin.  It says it will “refine pores, remove and control oil, soothe irritation, and lock in moisture,” and it is supposedly dermatologist recommended, but what bottle doesn’t say that anymore? The directions say you can use it daily after cleansing and before applying any treatments.  For best results, it says to use it in the morning to “prepare” and in the evening to “repair.” 

I have been using the witch hazel for a week, which is still a little soon to be sure, but I really feel that it has been a big help for my skin’s outbreaks so far.  I originally wanted to try this product because, although I have dramatically combination-type skin, it has been more oily than anything lately and it feels disgusting.  I seriously have to blot more times than I can count in a day.  Since this was supposed to remove and control oil, of course I wanted to see for myself because every so-called “mattefying” product I’ve ever had my hands on has been a LIE. 

After using this product up to this point, I wouldn’t say my oil issue is completely under control, but it has made a difference in the shiny appearance of my face.  I’ve noticed that the shine shows up a lot later in the day now since using this product, whereas before my face would be shiny just an hour after getting up and ready for the day. I want to attribute that result to this product, but I started using Olay’s Foaming Face Wash for combination/oily skin at the same time, so maybe the two together is what does the trick.  Before I had been using the same face wash, but for sensitive skin.

Anyway, when I began using these products a week ago, I had at least two cystic bumps on my chin and one on the side of my nose (that had been resilient for at least a week prior), along with a couple normal zits on my cheeks, and a lot of those tiny goosebump type pimples pretty much all over my chin/mouth area.  Those aren’t a big issue since they aren’t usually too noticeable, but they are more annoying than anything because they never seem to go away.  The tiny bumps were the first to disappear, then the normal non-difficult ones, and the cystic bumps on my chin and nose are completely gone. It’s been a big surprise for me and very satisfying.  My skin isn’t 100% clear or anything.  It’s that time of the month that I should be breaking out pretty badly, but I have one bump on my temple and maybe a tiny pimple on my cheek and that’s it.  It’s awesome how quickly I’m seeing such significant results and I hope it keeps up.  I still have dark spots from old pimples that need fading and I heard witch hazel helps with that, but I’m sure it takes more time.  I don’t mind using a little foundation for those spots though—much less of a pain than trying to cover actual acne.  If I only have to put up with a bump here and there, I’m happy.