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Witch-hazels or witch hazels ( Hamamelis) are a genus of in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America ( Hamamelis ovalis, Hamamelis ovalis S. W. Leonard (2006), GRIN Taxonomy for Plants H. virginiana, and H. vernalis), and one each in Japan ( H. japonica) and China ( Hamamelis mollis). The North American species are occasionally called winterbloom.Noted in Ernest Thompson Seton, (1921:422), but rare.
Hamamelis mexicana is sometimes considered a species, though Kew's Plants of the World Online considers it a variety of H. virginiana.
The Parrotia persica, a closely related tree formerly treated as Hamamelis persica, is now given a genus of its own, as Parrotia persica, as it differs in the flowers having just and no . Other closely allied genera are Parrotiopsis, Fothergilla, and Sycopsis (see under Hamamelidaceae). Witch-hazels are not closely related to the true Corylus , though they have a few superficially similar characteristics which may cause one to believe that they are - their leaves are a similar shape, and turn a similar shade of yellow in autumn.
Numerous have been selected for use as garden shrubs, many of them derived from the hybrid H. × intermedia Rehder ( H. japonica × H. mollis). Jelena and Robert de Belder of Arboretum Kalmthout, selecting for red cultivars, found three: the first, with bronze flowers, was named 'Jelena'; the next, with red flowers, was named 'Diane' (the name of their daughter); the last, with deep red flowers, was called 'Livia' (the name of their granddaughter).
As an ingredient and topical agent, witch-hazel water is regulated in the United States as an over-the-counter drug for external use only to soothe minor skin irritations. Hamamelis (witch-hazel) water is diluted using water in a 1:3 preparation, and is not intended for oral use which may cause nausea, vomiting, or constipation.
In 2017, one manufacturer of skin care products containing witch-hazel was warned by the Food and Drug Administration for making unsubstantiated and for not providing evidence the products were safe.
In a 2002 human study, researchers found that lotion with 10 percent witch hazel decreased reddening due to a sunburn. A 1998 study determined similar results in people with sunburns.[3]
A missionary, Dr. Charles Hawes, adopted the process of steam distillation of witch-hazel twigs, creating a "Hawes Extract" product sold in Essex, Connecticut, in 1846, by Alvan Whittemore, a druggist and chemist. Thomas Newton Dickinson Sr. is credited with starting the commercial production of witch-hazel extract in 1866, and eventually establishing nine production sites in eastern Connecticut during the 20th century. Following his death, his two sons, Thomas N. Dickinson Jr., of Mystic, Connecticut, and Everett E. Dickinson of Essex, each inherited parts of the family business and continued the manufacture of witch-hazel extract, operating competing "Dickinson's" businesses that their descendants continued until 1997, when the manufacturing operations from both companies were consolidated at the American Distilling plant in East Hampton, CT.
In 1846, Theron T. Pond marketed a similar product, Golden Treasure, extracted from witch hazel bark. After Pond died in 1852, it was marketed as Pond's Extract, the first product of the Pond's firm, today a maker of a range of toiletries sold worldwide.
Topical ointment
Witch-hazel may be sold as a semisolid ointment, cream, gel, or salve for topical use, and due to its astringent and antiseptic properties, has long been used to treat various skin conditions like acne. The ointment may ease discomfort from post-partum vaginal soreness and . It is commonly used to treat diaper rash in infants, and may reduce symptoms of inflammation from minor skin injuries. A 2012 review (updated in October 2020) found little evidence of effectiveness from local cooling treatments (including witch-hazel pads) applied to the perineum following childbirth to relieve pain.
Folk medicine
The leaves and bark of the North American witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, are used in folk medicine, herbalism, and skincare by Native Americans. Extracts of witch-hazel have been claimed to be effective for psoriasis and eczema, to prevent dehydration of skin, and for insect bites, poison ivy, and razor burn. There is limited clinical evidence to support witch-hazel as an effective treatment for any of these conditions. Prepared by distillation, the essential oil of witch-hazel has such a small proportion of tannins or other polyphenols that it is unlikely to have any therapeutic effect, and may cause contact dermatitis when used topically. It might be useful in treating hemorrhoids and relieving some of its symptoms, although more research is needed.
History
Early Puritan settlers in New England learned about witch-hazel from the Native peoples, but its use did not become widely established in the United States until the 19th century.
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