Witch hazel from Pyrenees Mountain

The sourcing of our Witch Hazel is remarkable for its location in the heart of nature and the preservation of its plantations, which until now have been used almost exclusively for a pharmaceutical eyewash product. As a result, this plant treasure remained confidential. Via PY'STILL, we are now making available phytotherapy products from a Witch Hazel of exceptional quality, grown in a self-sufficient, non-irrigated system (with no external inputs) that complies with the precepts of regenerative agriculture.

Hourquet's estate

In Occitan, and particularly in Gascon, Hourquét evokes the confluence of two streams or a small wood. Both apply to our estate, which covers around 20 hectares. Scattered throughout this agroforestry estate, 6 Witch hazel stations proliferate in symbiosis with the many groves and bocages of Oak and Chestnut trees, as well as a few coniferous plantations (Vancouver Fir, Sitka Spruce, Scots Pine).

Coming from Virginia

The Amerindians have known about Witch Hazel for centuries, having very early noted its virtues in curbing haemorrhage and inflammation. Imported into Europe in the 18th century, the plant is now cultivated there. The first plantations around Bagnères de Bigorre date back to 1936 !

It was the French doctor Georges Dujardin-Baumetz who, around 1850, having noted its virtues, dubbed witch hazel "the veins digitalis" !

Witch hazel water was used extensively to make "beard lotions" in the 1930s, to soothe razor burn (as well as "bloodletting" at the time...) and make the most of its haemostatic, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties.

Amazing bloom

Witch hazel is generous in many ways, from its leaf buds to its flower buds! These will enable seeds to be formed for the following year. So, at the end of the summer, you'll find on the branch: some buds that are still leafing out, flowers and seeds that have been maturing for a year! On this subject, you can listen to a Hamamelis rain on one of the blog articles !

Blog-Pyrénées

Late bloom

As winter sets in, the witch hazel flowers are still present on the branches, whose vegetative buds are waiting for spring to restore their dynanism. This makes for a striking contrast with the snow when cold spells put an end to the Indian summer.

Witch hazel water: Phyto-cosmetic

Traditional properties

Soothing
Astringent
Vasoconstrictor
Purifiying

Cosmetic indications

Toning - Oily skin
Acne prone skin
Astringent
Scalp care
Sensitive skin
Mature skin

Vente directe

Cosmetic products

Demake-up or tonic lotion
Eyes contour
Hair and scalp products
Body or face spray
Emulsion: skin or bodycare
soothing compress
Shaving products
After-sun

Product advantages

Colorless to light yellow
Purified water (distillated)
Characteristic soft odor
Suitable for kids products
Without preservatives
100% Organic (Ecocert)
INCI ok China
HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA WATER

Properties taken from the bibliographic and experimental summary in the reference book:
« A treatise on scientific and medical aromatherapy, The Hydrolates »
Michel Faucon, 2018, Ed. Sang de la Terre

Naturally regenerative culture

When needed, rows of witch hazel are collected. Next to, a witch hazel plant that regenerated itself in 1 year. In this way, each shrub can be collected every 2 years, thanks to the ideal biotope of the Hourquet's domains at an altitude of 750 m, facing the Pic du Midi and the Montaigu.