FSS White Willow Bark Extract 20%

INCI: Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract

Use Levels: 1.0% - 10.0%

Solubility: Water Soluble 

Appearance: Clear, Colorless to Light Amber Liquid

pH (direct): 4.0 - 6.5
Salicyns (Salicylic Acid (UV-vis)): 18.0% - 22.0%

BACKGROUND

FSS  White  Willow  Bark  Extract  20%  is  standardized  for  18.0-22.0%  natural salicylates and provides formulators with the perfect alternative to synthetic salicylic acid products. The White Willow (Salix alba) tree is a large tree that is native to North America, Asia and Central and Southern Europe. It is typically found near streams and rivers, where it can root near a constant water source. The tree is tall and slender and flowers each spring first with tiny yellow flowers, which are followed by long thin green leaves.

White Willow is an ancient remedy that has been used to treat pain by Chinese physicians since 500 B.C. It has also been used in ancient Egyptian and Greek medicine. Hippocrates recommended chewing on the leaf to alleviate pain. Evidence of the use of White Willow as a medicinal herb also exists in Europe and the Americas.

In the mid-1700’s White Willow was used in England as a malaria remedy. In the Americas, the Cherokee, Blackfoot, and Iroquois Indians created a tea from the bark of the White Willow to relieve headaches, fever, and general aches and pains. Then in 1828, German and French chemists were able to isolate the principal active component, salicin, a glucoside of Salicylic acid, from the bark of the White Willow. Upon ingestion into the human body, salicin is hydrolyzed to release salicylic acid in the stomach. Toward the end of the nineteenth century salicylic acid was converted into the synthetic compound, acetylsalicylic acid, the active ingredient used to make aspirin.

SCIENCE

Today, willow bark extract is still used as an herbal remedy, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. In the Cosmetic Industry, willow bark extracts are employed as a natural source of salicylic acid. As reported at the Society of Investigative Dermatology, Willow Bark Extract provides the benefits of salicylic acid such as exfoliation, and anti-microbial action, without any of the typically associated irritation.

BENEFITS

In its standardized form FSS White Willow Bark Extract 20% provides consistent levels of natural salicylates allowing its use as an active ingredient. FSS White Willow Bark Extract 20% is completely water soluble and may be used in any cosmetic formulation to enhance cell turnover, act as a natural anti-microbial agent, or as a replacement for synthetic salicylic acid.

Storage: Store in a dry place at temperatures between 16 and 32°C. Do not freeze.

Shelf life: 12 months, properly stored, in sealed container. 

This product should be added to a formulation at the recommended usage rated.