The 2 Best Witch Hazel Toners To Use As An Aftershave

Shaving is rough and abrasive off on your face. It doesn’t really matter how careful you are with your razor or how good of a wet shaver you are. Think about it — you are taking a really sharp razor blade and dragging it over your skin. That’s bound to cause at least a little irritation, right?

And although there are steps you can take to minimize irritation during a shave (shave with the grain, use a safety razor, use a high-quality shave soap or shave cream), you really need to take good care of your skin after a shave if you want to consistently prevent things like razor burn, ingrown hairs, infection, dry skin, etc. I can’t stress it enough, having a good post-shave routine is really important.

And one of the critical steps to a great post-shave routine is using a good, high-quality aftershave. If you’re not using an aftershave, you’re missing out.

What’s The Point Of Using An Aftershave?

Aftershaves are not used just for the aroma or fragrance they apply. The right aftershave can offer many tangible benefits. Here’s a things a good aftershave helps with:

• razor burn
• treating cuts
• ingrown hairs
• acne and other blemishes

There’s a catch though: not all aftershaves are created equally.

There are two main categories of aftershave: alcohol-based aftershaves and witch hazel toner aftershaves. The alcohol-based aftershaves are the classic aftershaves most of your are familiar with. The witch hazel aftershaves though are what we are covering today. Why?

Because I believe hands down witch hazel toner is the best aftershave. I don’t think there is a better aftershave on the market than a good witch hazel. It’s affordable. It’s easy on your skin. It’s made with natural ingredients.

So if you want clean, healthy skin and want to use a product that is good bang for your buck, this is where it’s at.

What Is Wi​​​​tch Hazel?

One of my favorite things about witch hazel is that it is a natural product. It’s not some ingredient or synthetic product that was cooked up in a laboratory.

Witch hazel is a plant that is native to North America. Its species name is Hamamelis virginiana, but it is also sometimes called winterbloom. To make witch hazel products, companies extract the tannins and polyphenols from the plants bark and leaves. They then take that witch hazel product and dilute it down with other ingredients to make the final product.

When you’re looking to buy a witch hazel product, there are 2 main categories: witch hazel toners and witch hazel astringents. Witch hazel toners are usually mixed with several other all-natural ingredients and are alcohol-free. Witch hazel astringents though are usually made with just witch hazel and alcohol. So is one option “better” than the other?

I always recommend witch hazel toners over witch hazel astringents. Why? We will get into more detail later, but the main reason is that since witch hazel toners are alcohol-free, they are less likely to dry your skin out.

Why Is Witch Hazel So Awesome?

Reason #1: It's An Astringent

An astringent is a skincare product that causes your skin to tighten up and contract when it is applied. And why would you want to apply an astringent to your face after shaving? Well there’s a couple reasons.

The first reason for applying an astringent after shaving is because it helps treat any small nicks, cuts and weepers. Witch hazel is a pretty mild astringent, but it definitely can help close up smaller nicks and cuts and stop the bleeding.

Another reason it’s a good idea to apply an astringent after shaving is because it helps close up your pores. This helps prevent blemishes and acne because it prevents oil, dirt and other grime from getting in your pores. The pores on your face open up a lot during a shave because of all the heat and moisture that is applied, to it’s important to close them up afterwards if you want to have clean and healthy skin.

There are other astringent options available to use as an aftershave, but witch hazel is easily my favorite astringent. Why? Because it is made with natural ingredients, it smells good and it is mild on your face so you don’t have to worry about it drying your skin out.

The first reason for applying an astringent after shaving is because it helps treat any small nicks, cuts and weepers. Witch hazel is a pretty mild astringent, but it definitely can help close up smaller nicks and cuts and stop the bleeding.

Another reason it’s a good idea to apply an astringent after shaving is because it helps close up your pores. This helps prevent blemishes and acne because it prevents oil, dirt and other grime from getting in your pores. The pores on your face open up a lot during a shave because of all the heat and moisture that is applied, to it’s important to close them up afterwards if you want to have clean and healthy skin.

There are other astringent options available to use as an aftershave, but witch hazel is easily my favorite astringent. Why? Because it is made with natural ingredients, it smells good and it is mild on your face so you don’t have to worry about it drying your skin out.

Reason #2: It's An Antiseptic

Applying an antiseptic to your face after shaving is really important. Why? Because there’s a chance that after you shave, there’s some bacteria on your face. And bacteria on your face and/or neck can lead to infections, razor burn, ingrown hairs or acne.

Witch hazel is a pretty mild antiseptic. So while it definitely does help kill bacteria, I do recommend also using an alum block after each shave. I think alum blocks are just a little stronger and easier to cover every square inch. Then after applying your alum block, you can use your witch hazel to clean everything up and act as another layer of defense against bacteria.

Reason #3: It's A Toner

A toner is a product that tightens the skin and minimizes pores while also absorbing any excess oil, dirt or other products on your skin. So a toner is basically a mild astringent but with the added benefit of also keeping your skin clean and healthy.

The great thing about witch hazel as a toner is that it’s pretty mild on your skin. Most other facial washes or toners that get oil and dirt off your face are probably going to dry your skin out. Not witch hazel toner though. It does a remarkable job of keeping your skin clean and hydrated.

Reason #4: It's An Anti-Inflammatory

Witch Hazel’s anti-inflammatory properties are incredible. Remember earlier I mentioned how rough shaving is on your face? Well using an anti-inflammatory for you skin after shaving is great because it helps soothe your skin and minimize the effects of any razor burn.

In fact, witch hazel is such a great anti-inflammatory that people also use it with aloe vera to try and treat sunburns. It just does such a great job of minimize redness and soothing the skin.

Witch hazel can’t prevent razor burn by itself. If you really want to prevent razor burn, you need to do things like shave with the grain and use proper technique with your razor. But using an alum block and witch hazel in your post-shave routine will go a long ways in minimizing its effects.

Reason #5: Alcohol-Free Options Available

Like I said earlier, there are witch hazel options available that have alcohol and options available that don’t have any alcohol. And I highly recommend going with an alcohol-free witch hazel even if it’s a few dollars more in cost.

The reason why alcohol is used in most classic aftershaves is because it will kill any bacteria. But the problem is that there is a chance it will also dry your skin out.

An aftershave should be soothing and make your face feel healthy and refreshed. But alcohol has the opposite effect and can lead to even more razor irritation. And that’s why witch hazel is so awesome.

Witch hazel is both an astringent and antiseptic without alcohol. So there’s really no benefit from using an alcohol-based aftershave when witch hazel can do more without drying out your skin.

Reason #6: It's Easy to Use

Witch hazel is really easy to use and adds minimal time to your post-shave routine. After shaving, and after you use an alum block, rinse your face off with cold water. Then grab your witch hazel and put about a tablespoon of it in the palm of your hand. Then, just apply it all over your face like a splash.

I usually let the witch hazel dry on my face for about 30 seconds and then apply a facial moisturizer or aftershave balm to help even more with moisturization.

My Two Favorite Witch Hazel Toners

Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Toner

Thayers has a long and well-regarded history. In 1847, Dr. Henry Thayer opened a lab in Massachusetts and started selling a variety of herbal extracts to medical professionals. And ever since then, Thayers has been committed to producing natural elixirs that are made using high-quality ingredients.

Thayers witch hazel toner is sold in 12-ounce plastic bottles. Overall, the packaging and label make it look and feel like a premium skincare product. The bottle and lid don’t look like some generic drugstore brand of witch hazel. I really like the design of the label on the bottle. It has no impact on the performance or overall quality of the product, but the old school portrait of Dr. Henry Thayer on the bottle actually makes it look like a manly aftershave!

One last feature on the bottle that I really like is the lid. A lot of aftershave splashes and astringents have lids or caps that have to be screwed on and off, but Thayers has a flip-top lid. I think this makes it just a little easier to open and use.

Alright enough about the packaging, label and lid, because none of that really matters if the product inside it isn’t any good. So how good of an aftershave is it?

Well in my opinion, Thayers witch hazel toner is the best witch hazel to use as an aftershave. It does everything your skin needs post-shave. It’s an astringent that tightens up the pores and helps treat nicks and cuts. It’s an antiseptic and toner that cleanses your skin and prevents razor irritation. And it locks in moisture to help prevent your skin from drying out.

For me, what really separates Thayers witch hazel from other aftershaves is a couple of things. First of all, its alcohol-free. And secondly, it is made with high quality, natural ingredients.

Thayers toner is made with the following ingredients: purified water, organic aloe vera, glycerin, witch hazel extract, cucumber fruit extract, citric acid and grapefruit seed extract. We’ve already covered the benefits of witch hazel, but what is the purpose of the other ingredients? Let’s break it down.

• The aloe vera, citric acid and grapefruit seed extract are all natural antibacterial and antimicrobial agents.
• The aloe vera is a great natural moisturizer that won’t leave your skin greasy or oily.
• The glycerin helps keep your skin moisturized.

Overall, Thayers witch hazel toner is just a premium skincare product. If you’re looking for an aftershave that will leave your face clean, moisturized, refreshed and irritation-free, this is a great option.

Quinn’s Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel

Thayers is my go to witch hazel for aftershave. However, if Thayers went out of business tomorrow and I had to find a replacement, I would definitely start using Quinn’s alcohol-free witch hazel. Quinn’s witch hazel is very similar to Thayers and is a great alternative.

Quinn’s witch hazel toner comes in a slightly larger bottle at 16 ounces. It’s also a high quality bottle, but my only complaint is that the lid on the bottle is a screw-on cap instead of a flip-top cap. This is a really small complaint but I prefer the flip-top cap on Thayers because it’s just a little easier and quicker to use right after a shave.

I have seen Quinn’s witch hazel available in 3 different scents: rose petal, lavender and unscented. My personal experience is only with the unscented so I can’t speak to how strong the smell is of the other 2 options. The only reason I got unscented was because I already had Thayers rose petal and just want to try something else.

Just like Thayers toner, Quinns does everything you need an aftershave to do: it closes pores, it kills bacteria and it locks in moisture. And most importantly, it does all this while being alcohol-free.

The ingredients used in Quinn’s is really similar to Thayers. Quinn’s unscented toner has purified water, organic aloe vera, glycerin, witch hazel extract, citric acid and grapefruit seed extract. All these ingredients are high quality, natural ingredients that will help your face recover after a shave.

Overall, Quinn’s witch hazel toner is one of  he best aftershaves on the market. It is an astringent that cleanses, tones and prevents razor burn. And most importantly, it does so while being alcohol-free. If you want your face to feel refreshed, moisturized and healthy after shaving, Quinn’s is a great option.

Other Popul​​​​ar Witch Hazel Options

In my opinion, both Thayers and Quinn’s witch hazel toners are head and shoulders above the rest of the options on the market. However, I do want to to take a look at some of the other popular options on the market.

All three of the following options have alcohol in them. And because of that, I worry they are more likely to dry your skin out. So if you do want to use one of these, I recommend using for spot treatments instead of as an aftershave that you apply to your entire face after shaving.

T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel Astringent

T.N. Dickinson’s is a really popular witch hazel astringent. It comes in a 16 ounce plastic bottle and has a top that flips open for easy use. The packaging is very plain and straightforward but good quality.

T.N. Dickinson’s astringent has really strong reviews but it’s more commonly used by men they have oily completions or need something to combat acne. The only ingredients listed on the packaging is all natural witch hazel and natural grain alcohol. In my opinion, the scent is stronger than Thayers or Quinn’s and has more of an “alcohol” smell.

Humphrey's Witch Hazel Astringent

Humphrey’s witch hazel astringent is really similar to T.N. Dickinsons. It also comes in a 16 ounce bottle with a lid that flips open for easy use.

It also only has witch hazel and alcohol as the only ingredients listed in the packaging. And just like T.N. Dickinson’s witch hazel, Humphrey’s has gotten great reviews from its users. My only concern is that since it has alcohol in it. So if you end up going with Humphrey’s, I recommend using it for spot treatments until you figure out if it will dry your skin out.

Swan Witch Hazel

Last up we have Swan witch hazel. To me, Swan is pretty much just a generic version of either T.N. Dickinsons astringent or Humphrey’s astringent. It also comes in a 16 ounce bottle, but the design of Swan’s bottle reminds me of a bottle of rubbing alcohol. The cap is a screw on/off cap instead of a flip-top.

Just like the last two, the only ingredients on Swan’s bottle is witch hazel and alcohol. I would imagine it performs very similarly to both T.N. Dickinson’s and Humphrey’s astringents. It has great reviews, but since it has alcohol I would probably recommend it more for spot treatments than an aftershave.

Improve Your Post-Shave Routine

The vast majority of men don’t have a good post-shave routine. Which is a huge mistake. If you want to consistently prevent razor burn, prevent ingrown hairs and keep your face looking clean and healthy, it’s vital that you have a good post-shave routine.

But don’t get tricked by companies with big advertising budgets into thinking an expensive post-shave moisturizer is the key. Yes, moisturizing is very important after shaving. But it’s probably even more important to apply a high-quality aftershave before you moisturize.

So do yourself a favor and start using witch hazel toner after every shave. Your face will thank you.