Hamamelis virginiana
Family: Hamamalidaceae
​Parts Used: dried bark, leaves
​
Witch hazel has long been used as a first aid herb to counteract pain, soothe, cool and tone blood vessels. These very reasons make it a perfect herb for healing many skin conditions and inflammation issues. Whenever I think of witch hazel I am always taken back to the movie Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, when Milly is fixing up all the brothers after a barn raising brawl, using witch hazel extract for all their bumps, bruises and cuts...although she couldn't heal poor Gideon's heart with it. 

• astringent
• analgesic
• anti-inflammatory
• antiseptic
• sedative
• styptic

• acne
• all types of skin conditions
• natural toner
• oily skin
• broken capillaries

• internal and external hemorrhage
• sore throat, mouth sores, oral conditions and inflammation 
• mild pain reliever
• cuts, wounds, bruises, burns, inflammatory swellings
• bowel issues including diarrhea and dysentery
• hemorrhoids and varicose veins
• bug bites and stings (soak bandage in extract and keep in contact with skin)
• inflammatory skin conditions, including dermatitis, eczema, rashes, acne, poison oak or ivy, hives, etc.
• itchy, irritated skin, sun burn
• aching joints and bones, arthritis, rhuematism
• sore muscles and sprains 
• irritated, sore, inflamed eyes, conjunctivitis, styes  (eye wash)

• the most common form to use witch hazel is the extract, be careful about purchasing from a pharmacy or grocery store as these contain mostly alcohol.  Mountain Rose Herbs carries a true extract with only 14% alcohol.
• infusion/decoction (tea)
• tincture
• compress/fomentation
• gargle
• bath
• ointment, salve, balm
• liniment
• eye wash

Perennial shrub that sheds it's leaves in the autumn and then blooms up through December.

• Plant in moist, rich, sandy or peaty soil in partial shade, but will tolerate most conditions.
• As flowers start blooming in late autumn the previous year's seed pods burst and pop out black seeds (which can shoot as far as 25 feet!).  The seeds are edible and the taste is compared to hazelnuts (hence the name witch "hazel")
• Harvest leaves and twigs any time - follow drying instructions here.

Keep in mind the herbal decoction (tea) and extract are stronger and more potent than distilled witch hazel, which is what you find available at most stores and is diluted with a lot of alcohol.  Mountain Rose Herbs has a witch hazel extract and they also have the root and leaf available.  You can also purchase a shrub to plant in your yard at your local nursery or online.

Herbal Roots Zine - Wonderous Witch Hazel

This has been quite the busy summer, with kids that love to be outdoors we had lots of bumps, bruises, scrapes, cuts and burns.  I've also had a garden full of herbs that have been put to good use in taking care of all those issues...well we did need a little medical help with that broken foot but we are helping that one out as well with herbs from the inside.  I have been busy as well whipping up new remedies for burns, broken bones (as mentioned above), eyes, immune support and many others that I will be sharing in the next few months.  Today let's talk burns.

I love my Burn Spray and we use it all the time for cooking burns and sunburns, it works great for immediately soothing the pain and starting the healing process.  However, I wanted something a little more for those deeper burns that need more care, like rug and trampoline burns (had a few of those recently) or the more serious burns that can still be taken care of at home.  I came up with this salve that includes a variety of properties just for healing burns; tissue repair and rebuilding, pain relief, inflammation and skin conditioning.  So use the Burn Spray for immediate relief and the Burn Salve for longer term healing and care...they work great together!

This salve is also very effective for diaper rash and skin conditions for baby. I have ended up changing the label to Baby Balm and giving to all of my friends and neighbors that have new arrivals. 

2 parts comfrey 
1 part calendula
1 part lavender
1 part St. John's wort
1 part chamomile
​lavender essential oil

Mix the dried herbs together to create the herbal burn blend, then follow these instructions for making a salve, using lavender as the essential oil:

Apply to any type of burn, especially good for healing deeper burns such as friction burns and second degree burns.  Reapply as the salve absorbs into the skin which could be several times a day and then always before bed and upon waking.  This herbal blend can also be used to make a tea and take internally and as a poultice and/or fomentation.

All of these herbs can be easily grown in your garden, you can also purchase dried, organic herbs from either Mountain Rose Herb or Bulk Herb Store, they both sell beeswax as well.  I get my olive oil from Costco and purchase my essential oils from a trusted essential oil distributor.