Combines witch hazel's astringent tightening with niacinamide's sebum regulation and barrier support, per formulation convention.
Read the passport위치하젤추출물 · 전성분
Witch Hazel
A natural botanical distillate and extract rich in proanthocyanidins that is associated with reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine release in keratinocytes and a temporary astringent, pore-tightening effect, without compromising the epidermal barrier when formulated alcohol-free.
GentlenessModerate — three of fiveEvidenceIndicativeTopical
- INCI
- HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA (WITCH HAZEL) BARK/LEAF/TWIG EXTRACT, HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA (WITCH HAZEL) WATER
Also called Witch Hazel Extract · Hamamelis Extract · Hamamelis Water · Winterbloom Extract
Early-stage page
This ingredient page is still early. We're actively researching before it's ready to stand fully on its own — check back as more sections are verified.
The short answer
Four lines, each compressed from the section it links to. Every line carries the sources of the claim it compresses.
- What it does
Reduced Inflammatory Cytokine Release in Keratinocytes
See the evidence - Where it goes
toner or essence step · day and night
See how to use it - What shows, and when
Immediate: A cooling, refreshing sensation with a temporary tightening feel on application.
See the timeline
How to use it
Where it sits in the seven-step ladder, and the record's own fields for the habit.
아침DayDay: used
저녁NightNight: used
day and night
Cleanser클렌저
Toner토너 sits here
Essence에센스 sits here
Serum세럼
Eye cream아이크림
Moisturizer크림
Sunscreen자외선차단제
Filled steps are where Witch Hazel commonly appears. No product is recommended.
Everything here comes from the sources below. None of it is a product recommendation.
- Time of day
- day and night
- Where it sits
- toner or essence step
- Starting frequency
- daily
- Amount
- 3 to 5 drops on a cotton pad or directly in palms
- Application
- Gently pat or sweep across clean, dry skin after cleansing. Follow with hydrating serums and moisturizer.
- Storage
- Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Keep the bottle tightly closed.
Plays well with / keep apart
One card per pair. Where the partner has its own passport, the name links to it.
Do layer it with
Combines salicylic acid's follicular exfoliation with witch hazel's surface oil absorption and soothing, per formulation convention.
What to expect, and when
The record's own timeline. Each step keeps the source of the study it came from.
- Immediate
A cooling, refreshing sensation with a temporary tightening feel on application.
Is this safe for me
Everything the record says about suitability, consolidated. Pause-first comes first.
Before you start
Always choose alcohol-free witch hazel formulations or distillates to avoid ethanol-induced lipid stripping, barrier dryness, and stinging.
Best match
oily skin
enlarged pores · acne-prone skin · redness and irritation · combination skin
Routine
toner or essence step
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Not medical advice · ask your own clinician
Pregnancy. A 2011 dermatology review of skin-care product safety in pregnancy names hydroquinone (high systemic absorption) and tretinoin (evidence controversial) as the actives of concern, and states that most other topical skin-care products act locally and produce minimal systemic absorption; witch hazel is not named among the flagged concerns 3. This is general topical-product reasoning rather than an ingredient-specific safety trial. If you are pregnant, ask your doctor before use.
Breastfeeding. Topical application is applied locally with minimal expected systemic absorption; no ingredient-specific breastfeeding safety trial was located. As a general precaution common to topical actives, avoid applying directly to the breast or nipple area, since incidental transfer to a nursing infant has not been studied for this ingredient. If you are breastfeeding, ask your doctor before use.
| Common, and it usually settles |
|---|
| a cooling, refreshing, and slight tightening sensation on the skin surface |
Allergen history
Not yet researched
Research in progress — check back soon. How we verify
Who should not use it
Not yet researched
Research in progress — check back soon. How we verify
What it will not do
- Astringent protein cross-linking provides a temporary optical and tactile tightening effect, not a permanent anatomical change to pore size.
- Concentrated extracts require alcohol-free formulation to avoid ethanol-mediated barrier drying, which can offset the ingredient's own soothing benefit.
- No admissible source in this cycle establishes a photoprotective or fibroblast/extracellular-matrix benefit for witch hazel -- the packet's own citation for that claim proved to be an unrelated study (see gaps), so no such claim is made here.
The evidence
One card per claim. Concentration, form, population and limitation sit with it, always visible.
Grade legend
- Indicative
- Limited
- Moderate
- Strong
Reduced Inflammatory Cytokine Release in Keratinocytes
IndicativeA glycolic extract of Hamamelis virginiana bark reduced IL-6 and IL-8 release in human keratinocytes stimulated with an inflammatory trigger, partially by impairing NF-kB activation. In that study, the extract's proanthocyanidin content -- not hamamelitannin itself, which was found inactive on all parameters tested -- was identified as the active fraction.1,2
- Which form
- Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf Extract (Alcohol-Free)
- Population and duration
- Human HaCaT keratinocytes stimulated with an inflammatory trigger, in a single in-vitro study
- Limitation
- In-vitro cellular evidence only; no antibacterial or antibiofilm activity was found in the same study. TNF-alpha and PGE2 inhibition, which the packet's own claim text asserted, are not established by this study's own abstract and are not asserted here.
Astringent, Pore-Tightening Effect
IndicativeA general dermatological review describes witch hazel extracts as astringent, associated with a temporary tightening effect on the skin surface via keratin-protein interaction, alongside anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.2
- Which form
- Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf Extract (Alcohol-Free), Hamamelis Virginiana Water (Distillate)
- Population and duration
- Not applicable -- a review synthesizing prior in-vitro, in-vivo, and limited clinical evidence across witch hazel extracts generally
- Limitation
- Rests on a review-level source rather than a dedicated clinical imaging trial of witch hazel specifically -- the packet's own claim of a '4-week high-resolution imaging trial' for witch hazel could not be verified and its stated source does not describe witch hazel at all (see gaps). Astringent tightening is a temporary optical and tactile effect, not a permanent anatomical pore reduction.
Open
A source cited for a fibroblast/UV-protection claim turned out, on independent check, to be an entirely unrelated study in a different field (visual perception research), not a witch hazel study of any kind.
Open
A source cited for a pore-refinement imaging trial turned out, on independent check, to be a real study of an entirely different ingredient (activated charcoal), not witch hazel or botanical astringents generally.
Open
How we verify A source cited for regulatory safety (a CIR safety assessment PDF) returned a real error page rather than the document, and no alternative resolved citation for it was found this cycle.
The clinical recordHow it works · Forms · Manufacturing · Regulations · Study ledger · Gaps · Sources
How it works
- Proanthocyanidin-Mediated Cytokine Reduction
Reduces IL-6 and IL-8 release in human keratinocytes, partially by impairing NF-kB activation. Hamamelitannin itself was found inactive on the parameters tested in the cited study.
What that rests on: in-vitro human keratinocyte assay
Source1
- Tannin-Mediated Astringency
Reported to bind and precipitate superficial keratin proteins, producing a temporary tightening effect.
What that rests on: general dermatological review
Source2
Reading the label
| Attribute | Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf Extract (Alcohol-Free) | Hamamelis Virginiana Water (Distillate) |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Not recorded | A lighter, water-based form for direct toner use. |
| Official INCI | HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA (WITCH HAZEL) BARK/LEAF/TWIG EXTRACT | HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA (WITCH HAZEL) WATER |
| Where it comes from | Leaves, bark, and young twigs of Hamamelis virginiana L. | Steam distillate of dormant twigs and bark of Hamamelis virginiana L. |
| How it is made | Extracted via aqueous or hydro-glycolic maceration followed by filtration and concentration. | Steam distillation yields a clear, aromatic hydrosol. |
How it is actually made
- Leaves, bark, and young twigs are extracted via aqueous or hydro-glycolic maceration, or steam-distilled for the water/hydrosol form, followed by filtration and concentration.
Where the ceiling is set
South Korea
- The rule
- Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) Cosmetics Safety Standards
- What it allows
- Unsourced -- no resolved MFDS document id confirmed this cycle.
European Union
- The rule
- EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 / CosIng database
- What it allows
- Unsourced -- no resolved CosIng entry id confirmed this cycle.
What the evidence rests on
Study records
In-vitro cellular inflammatory assay2022
Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Acne Effects of Hamamelis virginiana Bark in Human Keratinocytes
The extract inhibited IL-6 release and, more strongly, IL-8 release in stimulated human keratinocytes, partially by impairing NF-kB activation; no antibacterial or antibiofilm activity was found. The extract's proanthocyanidin content, not hamamelitannin (found inactive on all parameters tested), was identified as the active fraction.
Where it falls shortIn-vitro cellular study; does not itself confirm TNF-alpha inhibition or PGE2 reduction as outcomes, and does not establish clinical efficacy in a finished product.
Source1
Narrative scientific review2025
Hamamelis virginiana L. in Skin Care: A Review of Its Pharmacological Properties and Cosmetological Applications
A review of witch hazel's antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties, driven by phenolic acids, flavonoids, catechins, proanthocyanidins, and tannins, with anti-inflammatory effects reported via cytokine and NF-kB modulation.
Where it falls shortA review synthesizing prior studies, not a new primary trial; publication year corrected to 2025 (the packet said 2024).
Source2
Clinical review2011
Safety of skin care products during pregnancy
Names hydroquinone and tretinoin as actives of concern; states most other topical products act locally with minimal systemic absorption. Does not analyze witch hazel specifically.
Where it falls shortGeneral topical-product reasoning, not an ingredient-specific safety trial.
What is still missing
A source cited for a fibroblast/UV-protection claim turned out, on independent check, to be an entirely unrelated study in a different field (visual perception research), not a witch hazel study of any kind.
No fibroblast, collagen, or UVA-protection claim is made on this record -- the claim that depended on this source is dropped entirely rather than corrected.
NeedsA genuine study of witch hazel's effect on dermal fibroblasts or UV-induced skin damage, if one exists.
A source cited for a pore-refinement imaging trial turned out, on independent check, to be a real study of an entirely different ingredient (activated charcoal), not witch hazel or botanical astringents generally.
The pore-tightening claim is corrected to rest on a general dermatological review rather than a dedicated witch hazel imaging trial, and downgraded accordingly.
NeedsA dedicated clinical or imaging trial of witch hazel's pore-appearance effect specifically.
A source cited for regulatory safety (a CIR safety assessment PDF) returned a real error page rather than the document, and no alternative resolved citation for it was found this cycle.
No CIR-specific safety citation is used on this record; the South Korea and EU regulatory rows are left as explicit unknowns rather than resting on an unconfirmed document.
NeedsThe correct CIR Expert Panel report URL or PMID for Hamamelis virginiana-derived cosmetic ingredients, and the specific MFDS/CosIng entry ids.