12 Benefits and Uses of Witch Hazel

Common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a shrub that produces ribbon-like yellow flowers in the fall. The distillate created from its bark and twigs produces everything from time-honored tonics to modern compounds that some, like the Journal of Natural Products, have said might inhibit colon cancer. Witch hazel first gained a national reputation as a cure-all after the Civil War, when it was named “Golden Treasure” by the company that would later produce Pond’s Cold Cream. As classified by the Food and Drug Administration today, “Witch Hazel USP” (which conforms to a standard set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a regulatory nonprofit) is an ingredient “generally recognized as safe and effective” in a wide array of over-the-counter health and first aid products. Hamamelis virginiana can be a very handy plant.