Witch hazel has been proven as an effective home remedy for acne. Unless you are purchasing pure witch hazel water without any additives, make sure the product you are purchasing is meant to be used as you intend. Pure witch hazel water without additives, or with alcohol (which acts as a preservative) has many external applications. Do not ingest witch hazel that has additives! Use only as directed by the manufacturer.

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McKesson's Distilled Extract Witch Hazel Ribbed Glass Bottle Nice Label Medicine    US $5.00

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What is it?

Witch hazel is a shrub that grows naturally through most of the United States and many parts of Canada. Its medicinal uses were well known to native Americans. It was mainly used on sores, bruises and swelling. Because it has many useful properties, witch hazel can be found in many products, including shaving cream and hemorrhoid creams. It is possible to grow your own witch hazel shrub and prepare distillations and tisanes; however, there are many excellent and natural preparations available.

The essential oil of witch hazel is not sold as a consumer product, so don't look for it. What is sold under the label of "witch hazel" in your local drug store is most likely a distillate, and is often combined with alcohol, which acts as a preservative. Make sure you read the label if you are looking for an all-natural, gentle product. Do not purchase witch hazel that is for first aid use if you plan on using it for skin care. Many of the skin care products available over-the-counter do contain witch hazel. You'll find in many instances that witch hazel water is much cheaper and just as effective.

Treating acne with witch hazel

The astringent properties of witch hazel are what make it ideal as a home remedy for acne. It soothes and cools irritations, while tightening pores and soft tissues.

If you suddenly find yourself with a big pimple right before a big event, soak a cotton ball with witch hazel and apply every couple of hours. It will quickly calm the inflammation and reduce the size of the blemish.

You can also apply witch hazel daily, as you would any other over-the-counter toner product. Consistent use is intended to reduce the number of outbreaks; it will also shrink pores and tighten skin.

General use of witch hazel

If you're going to keep witch hazel water in the house, don't let yourself be limited to using it for acne! Witch hazel's properties are beneficial for a variety of home remedies.

• Use it on insect bites to reduce inflammation and irritation.
• Treat infant diaper rash by applying a cotton ball soaked in witch hazel water.
• Treat varicose veins by soaking wash cloths in witch hazel water, then apply to legs.
• Treat poison oak and poison ivy exposure.
• Heal bruises faster by dabbing on witch hazel three times a day.
• Many after-shave products contain witch hazel - skip the expensive product and just apply witch hazel directly.
• Heal and soothe cuts and bruises.

Once you discover all the wonderful things you can do with a bottle of relatively inexpensive witch hazel water, you'll wonder why it took you so long to discover this versatile beneficial herb!

This article is not meant to replace professional medical advice. Stop using this and any other home remedy if there are negative side effects. Consult a physician if the symptoms are not alleviated. Pregnant or nursing women should consult with a physician regarding the use of any herbal or other home remedy solution.

Now, there are many more effective treatment options available. Understanding acne and how it can be treated is the first step in having the kind of skin you want - free of blemish.

What is acne?

Acne is a common skin disease that results when pores get blocked and bacteria form inside them. It comes in a variety of familiar forms and affects nearly everyone at some stage, particularly in their teen years. The inflamed, red bumps that sometimes form can be painful, and even painless white pimples are unsightly.

In the surface of the skin are pores, tiny openings called a hair follicle. Deeper inside the pore, near the base of the follicle, there are sebaceous glands that produce sebum, a natural type of oil. That oil helps keep the skin flexible and protected.

Hair continues to grow through the surface, while oil or sebum oozes out the side and is spread around the area. Skin cells grow and die and are sloughed off through washing, rubbing or spontaneously. But that process can be interrupted when the pores close and when bacteria form inside them. The result is acne.

The white pimples that sometimes form are usually a combination of dead skin cells, white blood cells and bacteria. The trapped pus often creates an inflamed, red area around it. The term 'pus' is an adaptation of 'pustule', a type of acne that results when the follicle wall bursts and the white blood cells rush into the area as part of a healing process.

When the tiny bumps or spots appear black they're called blackheads, naturally enough. They're a non-inflamed form of acne that come from the material having poked through the surface. Their dark color isn't the result of contact with dirt on the skin. It's a combination of dead skin cells and sebum that have oxidized. Oxygen in the air causes a chemical reaction that turns them black.

Often, however, the material doesn't break the skin, but simply pushes it up, forming a small, white bump called whiteheads. One form are known as 'milia'. Normally dead skin cells will get washed off or simply fall off the surface. But they can get trapped underneath the surface. This type of acne is common among infants, but can affect people at any age.

All these variations go by a general medical term called 'comedones', and whether that formation is open or closed is part of the clinical difference between them.

As the acne develops it can variously form what are called papules, nodules or cysts. A papule forms when the walls holding the hair follicle burst near the surface. They're small and don't contain pus. A nodule is a hardened lump under the skin, resulting from a break at the base of the follicle. A cyst is a larger, reddened bump. They're soft, but can be very painful.

Naturally, while it's helpful to know what acne is, the most important thing is to be able to treat it. In order to do that, it's necessary to know what type we have. We hope you find the information you need here to help you determine the type of acne you have and the best treatment options.