Wax and Bubbles

Common Name: Witch hazel, hamamelis, snapping hazel, spotted alder.

Latin Name: Hamamelis virginiana

Family: Hamamelidaceae

Medicinal Uses: Witch hazel is beash known is water form for its use as a skin astringent and for relief of hemorrhoids. It also helps relieve itchy skin, stop the bleeding of minor cuts, helps relieve sunburns, varicose veins, and helps tighten distended veins and helps restore their normal structure and shape. Internally, it can be used to treat mild diarrhea, a gargle for mouth inflammation and a sore throat.

Witch hazel is commonly found in bottled form of witch hazel water, tea form, ointment, lotions, poultice, tincture, extract and suppository form.

There are no external side effects , although skin irritations are possible. When used internally, some people might experience stomach upset or gastrointestinal irritation. It contains tannins (also found in tea and many other plants), which if used in excess, can cause liver damage. Witch hazel water, which contains added alcohol, is not safe to use internally.(Source: NH 2007 and Wikipedia)

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WAX AND BUBBLES PRODUCT SHOWCASE:

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The basics to skin care are; cleanse, tone, moisturize and treat. With that knowledge and some of the over-the-counter products out that contain a lot of ingredients your body and your face don’t really need. So why not make your own. Here’s a recipe that uses green tea as the main ingredient. Green tea is an antioxidant and is an all-natural astringent. It also contains witch hazel (Hammamelis virginiana), which is an inexpensice and excellent gentle astringent for oily skin. With the addition of peppermint (Mentha xpiperita), lemon juice and thyme, and three fight bacteria.

Green Tea Herbal Astringent:

1 cup distilled witch hazel extract
1 tsp. dried green tea leaves
1 tsp. dried comfrey leaves
1 tsp. dried peppermint leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine witch hazel extract, lemon juice and herbs in a glass jar. Stir well and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Place in a warm, dark place and allow the mixture to cure for a least one week. Gently shake the mixture in the jar every day to agitate the herbs in the liquid. Strain herbs from liquid and pour inro a clean bottle.

To use, soak a cotton ball in the herbal astringent, after washing face, and gently wipe over your face. Use also during the day as a quick face refresher or after working out to kill bacteria that may get on the face from sweating.

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