Dickinson's

In 1866, a Connecticut Baptist minister named Thomas Newton Dickinson began boiling the twigs of the witch hazel shrub — a practice he learned from Indigenous Americans — to distill the fragrant, astringent liquid that had long been used to soothe irritated skin. More than a century and a half later, that same distillate is still the entire foundation of the Dickinson's brand, making it one of the oldest continuously sold skincare products in America.

The family history is tangled in the best way. Thomas's son E.E. Dickinson took over and built the business into a household name, introducing the recognizable yellow-and-black packaging and shrewdly marketing witch hazel to barbers just as beards were falling out of fashion. Another son, Thomas Newton Dickinson Jr., ran his own witch hazel operation under the T.N. Dickinson's name. In 1997, Dickinson Brands finally united the two heritage lines under one roof.

The product itself has barely changed, because it hasn't needed to. Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel is a natural astringent toner; the Enhanced formula adds hydrating ingredients for a gentler daily version. Both are inexpensive, widely available, and beloved by people who want a simple way to remove residue and tighten the feel of their skin.

The honest read is that witch hazel is a genuinely useful but modest ingredient — a mild astringent and antioxidant, not a treatment active. Dickinson's does one thing, has done it for over 150 years, and does it cheaply and reliably. It won't fade dark spots or rebuild a barrier, and the original formula's astringency can be drying for some. But as a heritage toner with real staying power, it's exactly what it claims to be and nothing it doesn't.