Witch hazel
On the label: Hamamelis Virginiana Water · Active
What it is
A distillate of witch hazel bark and leaves, an astringent used in toners. Many versions are made with alcohol; look for the alcohol-free kind for dry skin.
Actives: Actives are the ingredients a product is built around: acids, retinoids, vitamins and the like.
Wikidata: Species of plant. Q913129 →
In the research
28 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Efficient Extraction of Polyphenols from Hamamelis virginiana Bark and Leaves: A Design-of-Experiments Approach to Accelerated Solvent- and Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2026
- AGA Clinical Practice Update on Diagnosis and Treatment of Hemorrhoids: Expert Review · Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journa, 2026
- Comparison of the Effects of Breast Milk and Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel) on the Healing of Diaper Dermatitis in Infants: A Randomized Trial · Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Me, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Products whose label lists it
1 on the siteMatched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.
Other actives
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.