How we scored it
Aqueous distillate of witch hazel twigs, bark and leaves; water and natural volatiles, both natural-origin → 1.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.
Where it comes from
Produced by distilling twigs, bark and leaves of witch hazel, mostly sourced from North America. No petrochemical alternative exists.
In plain English
A gentle astringent water distilled from witch hazel twigs and bark, used to tone and soothe skin. It is a natural plant distillate, not lab-made.
CosIng definition: Hamamelis Virginiana Water is an aqueous solution containing natural volatile oils obtained by the distillation of twigs, bark and leaves of of the Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana L., Hamamelidaceae
References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA WATER. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA WATER. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HAMAMELIS%20VIRGINIANA%20WATER