If you are fortunate enough to have an American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) in your yard, you can stop buying witch hazel astringent and make your own. It’s important that you distinguish between the American witch hazel and Asian witch hazels (H. mollis). Only the American witch hazel yields the astringent. It’s easy to tell them apart. American witch hazel blooms in the fall (October through December) while the Asian witch hazels bloom during the winter (January through March).

Native Americans used the astringent to treat skin conditions and made it by boiling whole pieces of stems and branches. Nowadays, we use just the bark and the layer below the bark. Simply cut off a few branches and peel the bark from them. Then you can either dry the bark for later use or use it fresh.

To make your witch hazel water, you only need three ingredients: witch hazel bark, water and alcohol such as vodka to act as a preservative. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to skip the alcohol. It can be very drying.

Place your witch hazel bark in a pan and add water until the bark is completely covered. Bring it to a boil and then simmer it for 8 hours or overnight. Keep an eye on it and add water to keep the bark completely covered. Alternatively, you can use a slow cooker to simmer your water and bark. Just be sure to check it regularly and add water as needed to keep the bark covered.

After your mixture has simmered for 8 hours or overnight, strain out the bark using cheesecloth or a coffee filter and store your witch hazel water in a glass jar such as a mason jar. Store it in the refrigerator.

You can add alcohol as a preservative so that you don’t have to store your witch hazel water in the refrigerator. Add 1/3 as much alcohol as you have water. For instance, add 1 cup of alcohol for every three cups of water. Store in a glass jar at room temperature