Updated 14 January 2024
Botanical characteristics
- Latin name: Hamamelis virginiana L.
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Hamamelidales
- Family: Hamamelidaceae
- Genus: Hamamelis
- Distilled part: above-ground parts (branches, leaves)
Authorised users
Children under 6 years
Routes of administration
- Oral route: ++
- Skin: +++
Scientific properties
- Vasoconstrictor
- Astringent
- Antioxidant
- Antipruritic
- Venous circulation tonic, activates microcirculation
- Anti-inflammatory
Indications
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Rosacea
- Skin fissures
- Diarrhoea
- Haemorrhoids
- Varicose veins
- Leg swelling
- Acne
- Wrinkles
- Excessive sweating
- Sore joints
- Sore throats
- Hoarseness
Directions for use/usual dosage
- In a sitz bath (haemorrhoids) or foot bath (circulatory problems), add 4-5 tablespoons of hydrolat, possibly combined with other hydrolats, to a basin of cold or lukewarm water.
- Use as a topical spray or compress to relieve heavy legs or haemorrhoids.
- For oedema or circulatory problems, as a 20-day internal treatment, one tablespoon in 1 litre of water, to be drunk daily.
- For sore throat, spray into mouth or gargle, possibly in combination with thyme thujanol hydrosol.
Precautions for use/contraindications
- None known
Cosmetic
- Astringent, toning, firming
- Purifying
- Soothing
- Antiseptic, Healing
- Antioxidant
- Excessive sweating and unpleasant odours
- Oily, acne-prone, irritated, sensitive, blotchy, sagging, mature skin inflammation, skin irritation
- Eczema, psoriasis, insect bites, burns, itching
- Dandruff (rinse water)
Additional information
Habitat and botanical description
Hamamelis Virginiana is a shrub that grows up to 5 m tall, sometimes twice as tall. Its deciduous leaves are serrated or lobed and measure between 8 and 15 cm in length and are harvested in summer. Its bright yellow flowers appear in clusters in mid to late autumn, at the same time as the fruit, as the leaves fall. The distinctive four narrow, crumpled, strap-shaped petals of its flowers have earned it the nickname 'the golden spider tree'. The fruit is a capsule about 12mm across, which explodes when ripe, releasing two black seeds that can be thrown more than 10m.
Mythology / History / Anecdotes and traditional virtues
Native to the dry forests of Quebec and the northeastern United States, Hamamelis virginiana was introduced to Europe in 1736 by the botanist Peter Collinson. The Indians used its bark and leaves for their medicinal properties. The shrub was considered a magical plant and its branches were used to make divining rods. This is probably where the term 'witch hazel' comes from, although the word 'witch' may derive from wych, meaning 'plants with flexible branches', often used as divining rods.