Thread: Witch Hazel....Where have you been?

I use the cheap Dickinson's Witch Hazel that I pick up at CVS. After rinsing with warm water I splash with the Witch Hazel without drying in between.

I haven't experienced any of the burning sensation except when I cut myself - which is often. The smell is not great, but doesn't linger very long. No tightness either nor dryness.

One of these days I will take the plunge and buy some of the Thayers stuff, but I have more than 4/5th of a bottle left and being the frugal bastard that I am I don't think it'll be for a while.

I began wet shaving using an alum block as an astringent. Now I use witch hazel almost exclusively. Its a great astringent.

My favorite is Thayers Original, but have used Dickinson's as well. The Dickinson's is a lot cheaper than Thayers, but smells terrible imho.

Originally Posted by jhenry

I began wet shaving using an alum block as an astringent. Now I use witch hazel almost exclusively. Its a great astringent.

My favorite is Thayers Original, but have used Dickinson's as well. The Dickinson's is a lot cheaper than Thayers, but smells terrible imho.

I agree on the horrible scent of the Dickinson's, but Thayers is almost impossible to find here in western Canada.

True! Dickinsons has a nasty smell, but it doesn't linger long. Only astringent I've used for a long time, never tried any of the boutique ones as yet.

I use Dickinsons i dont have a problem with the smell at all kinda like it!!! The price sure is right and a 16 oz bottle will last a long time for sure!!

i bought some witch hazel at CVS..... it works fine.... but the smell could knock a buzzard off a gut wagon.....

ufff.... i bought a alum block... now i am happy...

I bought the AAFES brand witch hazel and it stinks! I mixed it with some mentholated aloe vera sunburn ointment and it's better. Hey paco664, this stuff would kill the buzzard not just knock him off the cart. LOL

I'm probably a bit of a weirdo. YEARS ago (I'm talking early 80's when I was 16) I had more of a problem with my oily skin than I do now (it's still oily, but I'm over it). I used to actually soak cotton wool balls in witch hazel, put them in a little plastic zip bag in my pocket, and take them to work in the Department store I worked in (we had a really poor wash room). Then, during the day, when my skin got oily and dirty, I'd go to the bath room and wipe my face with the little cotton balls. Weird, I know, for a 16 year old. See, I was a metro male or whatever they call it WAAAAYYY before they had a name for it.

Was thinking the other day about this as I investigated the difference between Eau de Colognes and After Shaves, and was deciding if I need a Speick AS or a Speick Eeu de Cologne (EdC), or both, etc. Decided maybe a light or non existent scent of witch hazel (the cool looking Thayers) and a EdC would be a good bet.

Before you say it, I already know, I over think this stuff WAY too much... :-)

BTW, just found you can get a sampler pack of Thayers; nine bottles NINE I tell you!!!!

As evidenced by my SOTD entries, I rarely shave without using Dickinson's Witch Hazel. It does have kind of a wet paper bag smell to it but as has been pointed out linger time is next to nothing.

Thayer's Lavender is all I use post shave. It's great stuff. I tried the Dickinson's and the smell was a bit strong.

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