The leaves and bark of the North American witch-hazel,
Hamamelis virginiana, are used in
folk medicine,
herbalism, and
skincare decoctions by Native Americans. There is limited
clinical evidence to support witch-hazel as an effective treatment for any of these conditions. In 2017, one manufacturer of skin care products containing witch-hazel was warned by the
Food and Drug Administration for making unsubstantiated
health claims 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.
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. 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. ==Gallery==