I’ve tried astringents and those little oil absorbing pads that are toted to absorb shine, but within minutes of using most things my skin is just as oily as it was before I used anything. It seemed the more I tried to control the shine on my face, the shinier my face got- and dryness was a huge repercussion for using astringents. I discovered witch hazel, and now I have the most shine-free face I’ve ever had- even after applying sunscreen, which is often shiny in and of itself.
Witch hazel is an herb (often used as a natural astringent) which is derived from the leaves of the North American Witch Hazel shrub. The shrub is most commonly found in Canada, but is also found in Florida and Texas. How does witch hazel work to control my oily shine? Witch hazel contains a compound which mimics sebum (an oil produced by the sebaceous glands in the skin and scalp to prevent dryness), so my skin doesn’t produce so much oils of its own. Witch hazel, in effect, gives my sebaceous glands a break since the sebum-mimicking compound in witch hazel makes my skin believe it has enough oils already. No more outrageous shine- and no dryness, since witch hazel is natural and doesn’t irritate my skin or dry it out.
Witch hazel also shrinks the pores, making me sweat less on my face, and making my face look more even and toned. Less sweat, less shine, and a more natural looking complexion is my reward for using witch hazel every morning on my face before I put my lotion on (I don’t wash the witch hazel off), to control my shiny face all day long even with the oily sunscreen I use. Score!
Witch hazel can be purchased for usually a buck or so right next to the rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide in most stores; I buy witch hazel at Wal-Mart. A single bottle lasts me a month or so, and it’s the greatest skin-care discovery I’ve ever come across.
I’ve used witch hazel before and I am no stranger to its effects in fighting acne. However, I used to use witch hazel only at night, and never during the day (fearing drying out my skin). I’m very glad I decided to start using witch hazel during the day so I can control my dry, oily skin (crazy how dry and oily go hand-in-hand) and have the best looking skin I’ve ever had. I can even quit using a translucent powder on my face now, which I used to have to apply several times a day to (barely) control shine, and the powder really dried out my skin.
My pores are smaller, my face is more natural-looking, my acne is fading, and my glasses don’t slide off my face anymore. I sweat less on my face and my face is far less dry and oily feeling. I simply use a cotton ball to rub the witch hazel on my face in the morning, and I’m good to go all day long. Give witch hazel a try, if you haven’t already!
Sources:
wikipedia.com
my personal experience
