Introduction
Is witch hazel good for acne prevention? It has many benefits for your body, but it is best known for its use on your skin to help clear up blemishes. It is also recommended by many dermatologists as one method to help treat acne.
Acne
What Is Witch Hazel
Native to North America, witch hazel is a low growing plant with yellow flowers that appear in the fall. The pods produced by the flowers actually explode and spread the seeds out to help spread the plant. This action gives the plant another name, snapping hazel.
Though people associate the name with a witch, it actually comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for wych, which means to bend easily.
The extract from the bark and leaves is what used to treat a various assortment of conditions such as hemorrhoids, cuts, and most important skin irritations and inflammations.
How Does Witch Hazel Work
Witch hazel has been found to fight skin acne with antibacterial properties and also to reduce the redness caused by acne. The antibacterial property in witch hazel is the tannin acid.
The tannin acid will reduce the inflammation caused by acne that you currently have. But it may cause skin irritation if you have sensitive skin, so it should be used with caution. But on the plus side, it is essentially pH neutral and will not disturb the pH of your skin.
When you use witch hazel it will remove excess oils on your face and actually dry it out. This action will help stop further development of acne and help clear up the acne your currently have.
One additional benefit of this product is it can be used as a skin cleanser since it is also an astringent. The Native American Indians used it for hundreds of years to cleanse with.
How To Use Witch Hazel
You can purchase it at just about any drug store or on the Internet in liquid form, but it is usually not provided as pure witch hazel, but is usually mixed with other ingredients good for your skin.
Using it is very simple. After washing your face, take a cotton ball and soak it in the solution you have. Then dabbing lightly, apply it to the affected areas on your face.
This action should be done at least twice a day, but if it is causing your skin to become irritated, you should stop using it.
Conclusion
This is another bullet you can put in your gun for your fight on acne. But the most effective way I found to stop acne and prevent it, is to cleanse your face twice a day and exfoliate your face at least once or twice a week.
Acne - Is Witch Hazel Good For Stopping Acne?
Jimmy C has been studying skin care for many years because of his skin problems in his youth and he is the Editor in Chief of a number of skin care web sites. Being a victim of acne in his younger days, he has researched this subject to help people prevent and stop acne. He has also studied many aspects of caring for the bodies skin and keeping it youthful and free of irritants.
For more information on caring for acne or other facial blemishes and keeping your youthful appearance go to his web sites at http://www.squidoo.com/cause-and-cures-of-acne.