What is the 86% of witch hazel?

If 14% of a bottle of WH (in order to be "real" WH) is natural plant-derived alcohol, what's the rest? Added water? I know of the giant WH discussion/brawl "over there" and saw this asked but didn't see it answered.

 

Good question! I'd like to know myself.

 

Interesting article:

http://www.justaboutskin.com/2015/09/witch-hazel-toner/

This says that drug store witch hazel options - which is what I use - shouldn't be used on your face. It says the alcohol content at 14% is too destructive and drying for your face. Interesting.

 

Bunk.

 

I agree.

 

I think "it's complicated" would be a more appropriate response. People with dry skin would probably benefit from lesser concentration of alcohol than those with oily skin. As I've expressed elsewhere I don't buy Thayer's which is mostly water and alcohol, preferring Witch Hazel which is actually mostly witch hazel.

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Do like I do. Ignore all of the data and use what you like

 

A very old, very long and contentious thread on WH at the other big shaving board.

 

FTA:

In the thread I mentioned, a member who is also some kind of chemist says that it's the exact opposite. At least if I understood the conversation correctly.

Edit:

My memory was off. He said it is 14% alcohol, but naturally derived from the distillation process itself, not added. Meaning, I guess, the remaining 86% is also WH extract and not added water. I guess.

 

ClubmanRob said,

 

He's completely wrong. Witch Hazel is a tincture. Alcohol is added to the water vapor distillate to make it 14% alcohol. It's is absolutely an additive. Alcohol is only produced from wood through fermentation, and that's not a process used for WH. USP defines Witch Hazel as having this formula.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/264553/

 

Homestead and a few others market a 99.85% pure distillate.

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Fair enough, I've never had a chemistry class and won't pretend to have had one.

All I ever wanted to know is, Is the active ingredient in any bottle of witch hazel -- the part we buy it for -- found in that 14%? Because if so, doesn't that mean the other 86% is just plain old water? Still can't find a clear answer on it.

 

It's 86% water containing the active alkaloids and essential compounds from WH. Ethyl Alcohol is merely a natural preservative.

 

That makes sense. Thanks!

 

AHEM: observe as I open a bottle of american 3.2 beer , a nice chianti @ 7 and EVERCLEAR pushing 98 give or take ( I forget, avoiding the stuff after my idiot older brother poured a bottle into a lawnmower which promptly backfired and literally exploded moments after he fled behind a cinder wall.)
All of these have alcohol from distillation just like WH. The rest; color,flavour,sediment, various nutrients and healthy
flavinoids in a water medium make up the rest. The 14 percent alcohol in WH is the natural and measure of correctly distilled product. The remaining 86 percent is also witchhazel consisting of it's own goodies as the above spirits.
The ONLY caution is a WH made utilising all parts of the plant. The bark has a high tannin content, and, like oak tanbark used in leathermaking is not good for the skin.
There you go, another mystery solved and the monkeys over at The Bandar Log can shout "We say it is so, therefore it must be." all day. I have fava beans cooking for the chianti. Ft ft ft

 

http://www.americandistilling.com/s...stilling_Spec_WH_100_Natural_14_USP_10-12.pdf

 

The alcohol in beer and chianti isn't from distillation. There is no distillation after fermentation.