With this soothing, all-natural ingredient, you’re barking up the right tree
Words Tania Grier
Tree bark offers a plethora of benefits for the skin. It’s healing, brightening, and even helps prevent and reduce dark spots – but with more than one type of bark to choose from (willow, jujube, and torch-wood to name a few) which brands give the best bark for your buck?
Skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Brightening Face Mask
This new, 100% vegan and eco-friendly product targets stressed out skin. With tourmaline to energise and tree bark (diacetyl boldine) from the Chilean Boldo tree to brighten dull complexions, the ten-minute mask purifies and evens skin tone. This is different to other sheet masks, in that it adheres to the skin with zero effort and doesn’t budge, unlike many that tend to slip off. It’s also terrifically tingling, but the minty aroma is so invigorating that I didn’t want to take it off.
iS CLINICAL
This active serum from a brand known for quick results offers just that, treating acne, pigmentation and ageing. Willow bark helps to shed skin and unclog pores, and melanin production is reduced diminishing dark spots, leaving skin clearer and smoother. I was pleasantly surprised by the intense ‘medicinal’ cooling and tingling (lasts for 2-3 minutes) and noticed a big difference with fewer breakouts after only a few days.
Timothy Han / EDITION
On The Road and She Came To Stay are unique fragrances from the rebel perfumier combining the literary with sensory, each one based on novels and artist collaborations – you can even choose your own artwork! Road showcases smoky birch bark, while Stay contains woody cedar, sending you on a sensual journey back to 1940s Paris, when Beauvoir’s novel marked what some say was the beginning of modern feminism.
ORIGINS
The newly launched Plantscription Retinol Night Moisturiser contains Anogeissus bark from Ghana, a super powerful anti-ager which supports your natural fibrillin. Along with Retinol to speed cell renewal, Alpine Flower to boost collagen and lavender to lull you to sleep, this deeply sensory product delivers results and smells incredible.
CODAGE Eye Contour Cream
This luscious eye cream contains one of the most potent strains of bark: Persian Silk Tree (Albizia Julibrissin) celebrated for its anti-inflammatory properties and also used in CODAGE’s micellar water and serums. Its powerful formula fights dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles. I find it intensely hydrating, yet lightweight with a velvety finish. Dries quickly and concealer applies like a dream.
OLVERUM Dry Body Oil
One of the first ‘green beauty’ pioneers, masterminded by a winemaker and his pharmacologist wife, who created a bath oil in 1931 using the finest essential oils. Dry Body Oil is the first new product this iconic company has launched in 80 years! Containing uplifting Atlas Cedar Bark, this 100% natural, super-fine spray absorbs in seconds to protect and hydrate the body while Hyaluronic acid firms the skin.
GREEN PEOPLE Zap and Clear Serum
With a blend of organic ingredients including Black Willow bark, this serum fights bacteria, deep cleans and attacks acne-prone skin. Redness is reduced and skin sheds quicker. Willow also appears in the Sensitive Light Day Cream for super-sensitive, eczema and dermatitis sufferers.
