While this is true when salicylic acid is consumed, there is no evidence that this can occur when willow bark extract is applied topically.Look for formulas with willow bark extract that also contain a lot of humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, as those plump up the skin and make it appear more youthful. This means that, as with any new skin care product, you should first test it on your forearm or inner arm just to ensure that you don’t have an allergy.Willow bark extract is safe to use daily, and even multiple times a day.• The antioxidant capacity of willow bark extract skin care helps to prevent free radical damage, which in turn keeps the skin looking youthful for longer.However, we still know that willow bark extract is a phenomenal anti-inflammatory that does a beautiful job of soothing the skin and minimizing redness and swelling.• Because of the tannins in willow bark extract, it is able to act as an astringent that tightens the skin and reduces the appearance of large pores.You can think of willow bark as the all-natural precursor to salicylic acid.
What remains is a concentrated, alcohol-free liquid that includes all of the beneficial compounds from the willow bark, like salicin, as well as other phenolic acids, astringent tannins, and antioxidant flavonoids.Sometimes it will be implied that willow bark extract can exfoliate the skin the same way salicylic acid does, but unfortunately that is not true either.Usually, the extract is produced through an alcohol solution.
Willow bark extract includes high amounts of salicin, a precursor to salicylic acid with potent anti-inflammatory abilities that means it is able to instantly minimize the swelling, redness, and pain of acne blemishes.Salicylic acid works threefold, by exfoliating the skin, preventing the proliferation of the acne bacteria, and by soothing inflammation. Some believe that this makes it gentler on your stomach than lab-created aspirin. The white willow tree is native to Europe as well as Western and Central Asia.In this article, I explain what willow bark extract is, how it works in skin care, and which the best willow bark extract products for skin are. Follow her on Instagram at @mayadahling and Twitter at @mayamys!Willow bark extract is often also taken orally for pain relief or fever reduction, since people see it as an alternative to aspirin. Willow bark is also used in some products to aid weight loss.Some health food stores sell willow bark tea, advertising it as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. While some sources do imply that willow bark extract can also exfoliate or kill acne bacteria, there is very little evidence to suggest that’s true.There are no side effects to applying willow bark extract to your skin topically, as it is a simple, skin-soothing ingredient that doesn’t have any adverse effects. When consuming willow bark in this form, it’s hard to tell how much salicin you are getting in each serving of tea.Willow bark can be purchased from many drugstores and almost any health food store in a powdered, encapsulated form. Willow Bark Extract for Sensitive Skin. The white willow and black willow are two of the most common willows that are used medicinally.Willow bark, the bark of several varieties of willow tree, has been used for centuries as a pain reliever.