Humphrey's Citrus Witch Hazel Facial Toner

[rsp1202]

I'm usually against products like toners or cleansers that contain a lot of extra ingredients that supposedly "solve" skin problems, on principle, thinking them a marketing scam at best, purveyors of more damage than they claim to solve, at worst. But I was interested in trying this particular toner because I've had good luck with Humphrey's basic witch hazel brew, and because it claims to minimize oily skin and shine, among other things. This product is alcohol-free, contains witch hazel, aloe, orange and lemon oil, lavender, rose essence, and a bunch of other "natural" and not-so-natural ingredients. It's accompanied by a faint citrus scent that dissipates shortly after application.

Rather than using it as an after-wash follow-up as recommended, I planned on using it as a replacement for the nightly face wash. I've tried it for 10 days now, using it once or twice a day, and even managed to skip a day in between, just to see what came of this. I have not tried it as an aftershave per se, as I continue to use the regular Humphrey's Witch Hazel for this, but am planning to do so soon.

First application with a cotton pad, it left my face clean but shiny. There was a slight stinging sensation afterward, but that soon went away. My face remained non-oily for the rest of the night, and felt -- for want of a better word -- conditioned. Subsequent applications were free from stinging, and oil production seemed minimized, as did the shininess. It doesn't over-dry.

Compared to Thayer's competing Lemon Witch Hazel, the Humphrey's doesn't feel tacky after going on. I had to special order it from the local Co Op market, and cost is about a dollar or so less than the Thayer's. The market intends to keep it in stock from now on. All in all, this facial toner is a good deal and I'll continue to use it to see how it performs long-term.

[changabang]

Having read this post, I bought some of this stuff a few weeks ago. I like it. I like it fine. As an astringent it has replaced the KMF I had sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. The scent is very appealing, especially in this hotter weather, with a more or less heady orange top note. Makes you wonder why Thayers doesn't put out a similar product. It's the pronounced citrus that seems to clean up oily complexions.

[Short Round]

I like the stuff. It was my first WH that wasn't store brand basic.

I like it in the winter, I find it prevents my skin from drying out versus using a alcohol based aftershave when the winter furnace heat is already drying my skin out.

Scent is quite pleasant. I really don't plan to go back to basic witch hazel.