I have never been the type of girl that likes to put any product on my face. I tried to wear makeup in high school because that’s what I thought all teen girls had to do as a rite to womanhood. During those years, I had the rare fortune of almost never having breakouts or even an occasional zit so it wasn’t truly necessary to wear makeup. The persistent mask-like feeling of makeup became so agitating that after a few weeks, my pressed powder pancake got archived in a makeup bag with the lipgloss I stole from my mom’s coveted dresser drawer five years earlier. I still have both products today.
In my late twenties, I read in a magazine article how young looking actresses used natural organic products or only water to clean their faces. Water was so cheap, a.k.a. free, that it couldn’t possibly work well. Witch hazel was mentioned so I thought I’d give it a try. I soaked the cotton ball with the oddly medicinal smelling stuff and applied generously to my face. There was no tingly sensation to let me know that this stuff was actually working. After a week or two, I gave it up feeling disappointed that the witch hazel didn’t bewitch me as I had anticipated.
Recently, my skin has taken an about-face turn. I should have thoroughly enjoyed all those years when my skin was extremely easy to take care of. Nowadays the hormones are partying like it’s 1999 and throwing their version of confetti which is very noticeable and revealed in the form of large, red dots on my face. Ugh! I tried using teen acne products but it dried out my skin, making it look older. Not the look I was hoping for. What’s a girl to do?!
My mom empathized with me and said I should try witch hazel with a few drops of aromatherapy oil. She had been using it for a while as a toner and it evened out her olive skin beautifully. Even though I had been there and done that I had to give another try. For the most noticeable part of my body, I had to exhaust all avenues of skin care. Within a week, my skin cleared up and seems to be balanced. I was so thrilled by the results that I looked up witch hazel online and found it also relieves itchy insect bites. As I’m usually the first course on the mosquito menu, I had ample opportunity to try it out. With great satisfaction, it took the itch right away.
I guess those self absorbed actresses were right – witch hazel does work even though it’s heinously inexpensive. I just had to learn to let the witch work its magic.