The Plant

What is Witch Hazel?

Witch Hazel — also known as winterbloom, snapping hazel and spotted alder — is a powerful little plant that contains therapeutic and aromatic components. Native to the Northeast, this Witch Hazel bears delicate golden flowers and seed capsules in late autumn, after the leaves have fallen.

The seed capsules mature one year later, at which time they burst open and scatter the seeds away to grow new plants. The extracts from the bark and twigs are distilled during the cold New England winters when the botanical is in peak bloom to create the purest, most natural astringent. In the early 17th Century, Native Americans recognized the power of witch hazel and used the plant to treat minor wounds, abrasions and skin irritations. Rev. Thomas Newton Dickinson (T.N. Dickinson) understood the healing properties of witch hazel and opened his first distillery in 1866–bottling witch hazel and setting the standard for witch hazel production. We carry on what began with the reverend still today, proudly harvesting, distilling, and producing various brands of genuine Witch Hazel products for first aid, skin care, and personal care.

Witch hazel