Most of us know witch hazel as the clear liquid in a drugstore bottle, the one that ends up in toners, aftershaves, and the back of the medicine cabinet. But long before it became a skincare staple, this woodland shrub native to North America was one of the first things people reached for after a bruise, a strain, or a long day of hard physical work.
Witch hazel is one of the herbal ingredients in our formulas (aulief, aulief Gold and Soft Tissue Massage Creme), so we wanted to give it a proper spotlight. In this post we look at what the research actually says about witch hazel for skin, whether witch hazel is a good choice for dry skin, and how it has been used in traditional medicine for aches and pains. Some of these benefits are supported by studies in people, some only by laboratory research, and some mostly by centuries of tradition. We will be clear about which is which.
Meet Witch Hazel
Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a shrub or small tree that grows wild in the damp woodlands of eastern North America. It has one unusual habit: it blooms in late fall, often after its leaves have dropped, putting out spidery yellow flowers right around this time of year. That is why one of its old nicknames is "winterbloom."
The name has nothing to do with witches. The "witch" comes from the Old English word wice, meaning pliant or bendable, which the English used for trees with flexible branches. English settlers brought the name with them and gave it to this North American shrub, whose leaves look a lot like those of the hazel.
What makes witch hazel useful on the skin is its natural chemistry. The bark and leaves are rich in polyphenols, a large family of plant compounds known for their antioxidant activity. The most important polyphenols in witch hazel are its tannins, especially one called hamamelitannin, along with proanthocyanidins. Tannins give witch hazel its astringent effect (that slightly tight, toned feeling it leaves on the skin), and lab research links them to its calming, anti-inflammatory activity. Witch hazel also contains flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol, another group of polyphenols that adds to its antioxidant activity.
There is one detail worth knowing before we go further. Witch hazel comes in two very different forms. The clear "witch hazel water" sold in most pharmacies is a steam distillate made from the twigs, and alcohol (often around 14%) is usually added to it. Because of how it is made, this distillate contains very few of the plant's tannins. Witch hazel extracts made from the bark or leaves, on the other hand, are tannin-rich. Both are called witch hazel, but they don't behave the same way, and that matters both when reading the research and when choosing a product.
"Not all witch hazel is the same. The bottle in your medicine cabinet and the extract in a cream can behave very differently on your skin."
Witch Hazel Skin Benefits: What the Research Says
Witch hazel's best-supported benefit is its ability to calm redness and mild irritation. In several small human studies from the 1990s and early 2000s, researchers deliberately reddened volunteers' skin with UV light and then applied witch hazel lotions. Lotions containing 10% witch hazel distillate reduced the redness.
In a larger study of 309 children and infants, a witch hazel ointment helped with minor skin injuries, diaper rash, and small areas of irritated skin. That study was open-label, meaning everyone knew what they were using and there was no placebo group, so it is encouraging but not conclusive.
Laboratory research helps explain why witch hazel has the reputation it does. In studies on human skin cells, witch hazel bark extract dampened the chemical signals that drive inflammation, an effect researchers linked to its tannins. Lab studies also show antioxidant activity, meaning it can help neutralize the unstable molecules (free radicals) that stress skin. Lab results like these are promising, but they don't automatically translate to the same effect on your skin.
Regulators have taken notice too. In the United States, the FDA recognizes witch hazel as an approved astringent ingredient in over-the-counter skin protectant products and in hemorrhoid products. In Europe, the European Medicines Agency lists witch hazel as a traditional herbal medicine for the relief of minor skin inflammation and dryness of the skin, based on its long history of use.
Is Witch Hazel Good for Dry Skin?
This is one of the most common questions about witch hazel, and the honest answer is: it depends on the form.
The alcohol in most drugstore witch hazel water can be drying and irritating, especially if you use it often or have sensitive skin. That is why many skincare experts recommend caution with straight witch hazel toner if your skin is already dry. On the other hand, witch hazel's ability to calm redness and irritation can be helpful for skin that feels dry, tight, or irritated, which is part of why Europe recognizes its traditional use for dry skin.
If you have dry skin and want to try witch hazel, a few simple guidelines help. Look for alcohol-free versions, or choose witch hazel as part of a cream or lotion with moisturizing ingredients rather than as a straight astringent. If you do use a witch hazel toner, follow it with a moisturizer. Try a small patch first, since a small number of people develop an allergic reaction, and stop using it if your skin becomes more irritated. And keep witch hazel products off broken skin and open wounds.
"For dry skin, what witch hazel is paired with matters as much as the witch hazel itself."
Beyond Skin: Witch Hazel's Long History with Aches, Bruises, and Sore Muscles
Witch hazel's story begins with the Indigenous peoples of eastern North America, including the Mahican, Potawatomi, Chippewa, and Oneida. They boiled witch hazel stems in water and used the liquid on cuts, bruises, and inflammation. The Potawatomi also placed witch hazel twigs on the hot rocks of their sweat lodges, using the steam to ease sore muscles. Leaves and bark were made into poultices to reduce swelling. European colonists learned these uses and carried them forward.
By the 1800s, witch hazel was widely used across the United States. The Eclectic physicians of the late nineteenth century, a group of doctors who relied heavily on plant medicines, wrote that distilled witch hazel, applied hot or cold, greatly relieved muscular soreness and the bruised, aching feeling that follows strains, bumps, or heavy physical work. A witch hazel compress is still a familiar home remedy for bruises and sprains today.
Witch hazel also has a long-standing place in homeopathy, where the remedy Hamamelis is traditionally used for heavy, aching legs, varicose veins, bruising, and soreness after minor injuries.
Modern research on witch hazel for muscle or joint pain is limited, so the fairest summary is this: witch hazel's reputation for aches and bruises rests mainly on centuries of traditional use, supported by evidence that it can calm inflammation in the skin.
"For centuries, witch hazel was the remedy people reached for after a bump, a bruise, or a hard day's work."
Where aulief Fits In
aulief has been around for over 30 years. It was formulated by a chiropractor who wanted more than a standard topical pain reliever: something grounded in modern evidence-based medicine, with roots in traditional medicine. That is where its herbal blend comes from, and witch hazel, with its long history alongside sore muscles and tired skin, fits naturally into that philosophy.
To be clear about what does what: aulief's pain relief comes from its active ingredients, menthol and camphor, which bring a cooling, soothing sensation to minor muscle and joint aches. Witch hazel works alongside them as one of seven herbal ingredients, together with lavandin (the lavender hybrid that gives aulief its signature scent), aloe vera, ginseng, and angelica.
If you've read the dry skin section above, you'll know why the rest of the formula matters too. aulief is a low-alcohol cream with aloe vera, so it moisturizes rather than dries out the skin, even when you use it regularly. Its texture is made for massage, so it's easy to work into sore muscles without feeling greasy.