Tannins are highly astringent and are therefore used in many health care products today.
Distilled extracts are used as an astringent for hemorrhoids and for toning skin. They are also used in ointments for suppressing profuse menstrual flow and for hemorrhoids, in eyewashes for eye ailments, and in suppositories. Native Americans used the leaf tea for colds and sore throats. Twig tea was rubbed on athletes' legs to keep the muscles loose and limber and to relieve lameness. The twig tea was also drunk for dysentery, cholera, cough, and asthma.