Witch hazel works on all types of skin: dry, oily and combination. Here’s my experience:

This post is sponsored by Bioré, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Witch hazel is a freaking miracle worker. I don’t say that about a lot of things but using witch hazel in my skincare helped me with a lot of issues I’ve been having with acne and irritation. If you’re wondering what witch hazel is and what it is used for, I am here to help. Since starting using witch hazel myself I have become kinda obsessed with all its capabilities and I am going to share them here with you. I hope this helps you learn everything you need to know about witch hazel, so here’s a little background for you.

What is witch hazel?

What does that mean? It isn’t made from witches and there’s no hazelnuts to be found. (I was wishing for nutella SO hard!) According to Wikipedia, witch hazel is comprised of flowering plants from the Hamamelidaceae family. It’s a plant known for its medicinal properties through North America (known as “winterbloom”) and parts of Asia.

What is witch hazel used for?

Back in ancient times, people would use witch hazel to treat a variety of diseases and to relieve pain or irritation. Now, many skincare companies found that witch hazel works wonders for your skin. There’s so many different ways to use it in your skincare routine. When I discovered the benefits of witch hazel, I knew it was a no-brainer that I needed to test this out for myself.

What are the benefits and uses of witch hazel?

• Reduces inflammation
• Tightens skin
• Fights acne
• Good for sensitive skin
• Relieves irritation
• Deep cleans skin
• Contains healing properties
• Purifies pores
• Soothes skin
• Treats sunburns

Why I use witch hazel

I have combination skin which means I have both dry and oily skin on different parts of my face. I decided to give witch hazel a try to see if it would help me combat acne without irritating my dry, sensitive patches and holy crap, it WORKS! Biore kindly reached out to me and asked if I would try out the Biore Witch Hazel Pore Clarifying Toner and the Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips. Since I’d been looking into testing out some witch hazel products in my skincare routine, I gladly accepted. I’ve tested these two products out and it’s helped me out a TON.

I use the Pore Clarifying Toner to deep clean my pores to reach all the spots that my cleanser missed. Looking at the cotton ball afterwards was honestly disgusting but it helped me see how much I was missing before. I occasionally get acne but I mostly have irritated and inflamed skin with a ton of redness. This helps to reduce the inflammation and relieves the irritation. I usually get irritated with using most toners since they’re really heavy but I’m happy this is a more lightweight formula so my skin doesn’t form a reaction to the product. I try to use the Pore Clarifying Toner every other day or so to keep my skin as healthy as possible.

How does witch hazel toner work?

It tightens pores and refreshes skin by getting rid of all the excess dirt and oil left over from cleansing. After I wash my face, I use this for a deeper clean. With the addition of witch hazel, there are also healing properties to try to prevent future breakouts.

My nose and chin have the biggest pores on my face. When I notice a really stubborn spot on my nose, I use the Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips to pull it all out. Like I said before, it’s equally parts gross and satisfying to reallllllly clean my face properly. I use the Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips once a week or whenever it’s needed for more in-depth care.

How does a witch hazel pore strip work?

These pore strips are MAGIC! Typically, most pore strips don’t do much for me. These are like a MAGNET so they pull all the dirt and oil settled into the pores including nasty blackheads. They’re also dermatologically tested so you know they’re safe to use!

Where to get your own

The best part about the Biore Witch Hazel Pore Clarifying Toner and Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips is that they can be found on Walmart.com! Each one of the products is well under $10 too. It’s hard to find quality skincare on a budget but I’m so glad that there’s amazing options like these available. If you’re looking to try either of these products out, don’t take my word for it and try it for yourself on Walmart.com.

I’m excited to implement these two products into my skincare routine long term and benefit from using witch hazel. Have you ever tried witch hazel? What are some of your go-to skincare products? I’m all about taking better care of my skin this year so I would love to hear your suggestions. Click here for another post about my skincare routine. 

XOXO Kayla