From nature with love

Extracts made from bark are popping up in wellness shops, alongside herb tinctures and root powders. “Bark has antimicrobial properties,” says Mark Moyad, Director of Preventive and Complementary Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Different tree types deliver different perks. Three options: white willow bark, which contains anti-inflammatory and pain-killing salicin (try it in tea form for menstrual cramps); magnolia bark, which has a calming compound called honokiol (it’s often used in antianxiety tinctures); and slippery elm bark, which can soothe coughs (look for it in throat lozenges). As always, check with your doc before trying anything new. 

TEXT MOLLY LONGMAN PHOTO JONATHON KAMBOURIS STYLING ALMA MELENDEZ