I'm weird. I kind of like the smell! ;)

Thanks for sharing that.. I will have to try that...I have a sore and swollen knee from an injury I got in June. I need surgery but am not ready to have it...

Thanks for the tip...i will definitely give it a try. Have surgery scheduled for after the holidays for my thumbs...no cartilage left. Hopefully this will help. Again...thanks.

I've never used witch hazel for soreness or bruises. I always use arnica for those. It works great! I don't have arthritis and have no idea how it would be for that. I'll remember the witch hazel though just in case. I always think of it as an astringent, too.

My mother has been using Witch Hazel for years for sores, bruises. etc. I use it on my face after washing it daily. Now that you bring it up maybe I should try it on my finger. Was using a circular saw this morning to cut a small piece of wood and the backer board I was using was caught by the blade and snapped out of my hand and then came back at me. I now have a middle finger that's turning blue/purple, swelling and hurts like the dickens. Guess it could have been worse. Could have lost a finger.

Thank you for this tip. I hope it relieves some of the pain in my hands.

Me too lol.

I've never tried witch hazel. My mom used to keep it in the house but I didn't use it as a kid. Several years ago someone posted on the Board about Two Old Goats lotion. I got is as a "joke" for my MIL, who has rhematoid arthritis and other painful joints. It worked! I now use it all the time for aches and arthritis and keep a small bottle in my purse. I gave it to three friends last Christmas, and they all are using it. I also recommended it at a quilt guild meeting and one lady told me she got it and it's made a world of difference in her hands. My local Ace Hardware now carries it so I don't have to order it.
http://twooldgoats.com/

It's the active ingredient in Tucks and other similar remedies. I learned this years ago when my youngest son was born. Boy, was I glad when the nurse gave me that info - it's much more affordable than the name brand products. A couple of months later, my baby had a severe bout of diarrhea and screamed when I tried to clean off his poor poopy bum with baby wipes. I felt horrible, I never knew what I ingested that caused such a reaction in him (I was breastfeeding at the time), but the skin on his bum looked almost like it had chemical burns. I poured witch hazel on a soft paper towel and let it sit on his skin for a few minutes, it soothed him immediately and healed quickly.

I am willing to try anything on my poor knees.