Beat the Rash with Witch Hazel
Do you suffer from irritating skin rash on your body? Have you tried countless medications, lotions and remedies to no effect? Then perhaps it is time to consider using witch hazel to treat your condition.
Skin rashes are definitely not the most attractive skin condition to suffer from. These rashes are typically recognized for the crusty, red and swollen skin on patients. It is also not uncommon to see lesions, blisters, sores, scarring and even skin ulcers when examining patients with advanced stages of skin rash.
Skin rashes also cause extreme discomfort in patients, including burning and itching sensations in the skin. Some people with extremely severe forms of skin rash find them so frustrating and uncomfortable that they cannot fall asleep unless supremely exhausted. With any form of skin rash, the main objective of medical treatment is to first help relieve the patient of the primary discomfort, and then determine and address the root cause of the problem.
What is Witch Hazel?
Witch hazel is a plant of the genus Hamamelis, a family of flowering plants. The various species of witch hazel can be found throughout North America, China and Japan. While you most probably have not heard of the plant itself, you may have heard of the witch hazel plant with regard to natural treatments for skin rash.
How Witch Hazel Works
The essence of the witch hazel plant, obtained by boiling its bark and leaves to produce a concentrated extract, has proven extremely effective in the treatment of skin rash. The active ingredient in witch hazel that is effective at combating skin rash is a derivative of tanning acid known as catechol tanning. The type of tannin present in witch hazel is very similar to the tannins that found in tea. These substances are extremely effective vasoconstrictors. This means that they can be used to reduce the diameter of the veins and capillaries found just beneath the surface of the skin, constricting these blood vessels and reducing the flow of blood through them. This helps reduce the severity of the skin rash in many patients, and provides effective relief for the itch and discomfort that inevitably accompanies skin rash.
Witch hazel remedies for skin rash can be obtained in one of two ways. The first is through a pharmacy or drugstore. Because of the sheer efficacy of witch hazel extract at relieving the symptoms of skin rash, it is now available in creams and lotions from your local pharmacy or drugstore. If you dislike having to purchase your medication from pharmacies or drugstores, however, you can create your own witch hazel remedy.
Instead of depending on pre-formulated drugs from your local pharmacy, you can instead produce your own supply of witch hazel medication. All you need to do is purchase some witch hazel bark, then boil it in water. For every ounce of witch hazel bark you use, add a full pint of water. You can then use the resulting solution as a treatment for skin rash. Simply soak a cloth in the solution, then apply the cloth to the affected area. Allow the solution to soak into your skin for at least 30 minutes before you rinse the remaining solution off the affected area.
