![Aspen Tree Trunks](https://cintaaveda.careercolleges.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Aspen_Tree_Trunks-60-250x486-1.jpg)

Most products need a preservative and many have them. Everything has a shelf life. Not having a preservative makes the product go bad quickly which isn’t beneficial to the retailer or the customer.

The most common preservatives found in skin care lines are parabens. There are a lot of different kinds of parabens, but they are problematic. Research in 2015 links even small amounts of parabens to breast cancer.

Aspen bark extract offers a natural alternative to traditional preservative systems, and it also has some benefits for the skin.

Aspen bark—  *Populus tremuloides*  —comes from the North American Aspen. The bark is rich in salicylates, which, for the tree, may function as a defensive mechanism against invading parasites. These salicylates are isolated from aspen bark and used in some cosmetic and personal care products as a natural alternative to more traditional preservatives. It is added to emulsions during the cool-down phase to avoid any destabilization issues. As a secondary benefit, aspen bark extract, a water-soluble powder, can also impart a smooth feel to skin.

Some of its benefits are:

- It’s a naturally derived botanical extract
- It’s a water-soluble powder
- It possesses a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity
- It has a broad pH range: 3 to 9
- It’s compatible with a wide range of cosmetic ingredients.