ACQUIZHEN

Witch Hazel – Hamamelis virginiana

Hamamelis virginiana originates from North America where it grows on moist soil in woodlands. It takes the form of a shrub or small tree and has rounded green leaves. The leaves turn pale yellow in autumn before dropping from the tree. As the leaves begin to fall its flowers emerge. They are fragrant and made of 4 thin petals which droop and curl. This makes the bare branched plant appear to be covered in golden insects. The fruits which develop from the flower mature over the next summer. When they are ripe they explode. This scatters the shiny black seeds up to 9m away from the plant in all directions. This method of dispersal is not reliant on wind or animals and means that the seedlings will have a chance of growing away from the shade of their mother plant.

There are many different species of Hamamelis some of which originate from China and Japan  in the wild, and new hybrids which have been created in cultivation as they are in demand for gardens for their highly ornamental appearance and fragrance at a time of year when there are often not many plants flowering.

The common name of Witch Hazel for these plants was given to them by English settlers arriving in America. They thought the leaves of Hamamelis virginiana resembled the familiar Common Hazel (Corylus avellana) which grows in England. The word ‘wych’ is an Old English word meaning pliant. Pliancy was the quality of hazel that water dowsers employed when they used it to seek water. Witch Hazel was used as a substitute material for dowsing rods in America by the English settlers. The spelling of ‘wych’ has been corrupted into the now familiar spelling of ‘witch’. It is also an appropriate name for a plant with such bewitching beauty in a sparse time of year, and for the magical properties of the plant as a medicine.

Hamamelis virginiana has been an important part of Native American medicine. From Native American medicine it was adopted by American settlers and Europeans for treatment of skin conditions particularly inflammation. Now it is once more at the forefront of skincare and treatment as its age old properties have been scientifically verified. The parts of the plant useful in cosmetic applications are the extract of the bark, leaves and twigs. Because Hamamelis virginiana will resprout when the branches are cut at ground level plants can be harvested for many years.

There are high amounts of tannin in the bark which have the practical effect for the plant of making it taste bitter. Being unpalatable deters animals from eating it. These tannins contribute to the astringent properties of Hamamelis virginiana extract. This means that applied topically to the skin it causes it to contract which is beneficial as it closes open pores, protects skin and reduces skin irritation. The extract’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties combine to make it a strong anti-aging component of ACQUIZHEN’s Freshening Cleanser and Gentle Exfoliating Mask.