Green Drink Reviews

Uva Ursi: The Bear Berry for Bare Skin

May 23rd, 2009

by Edna Soua
Spring is here and it’s time to start showing our bare arms and legs again. And this is when that dark spot on my leg appears again…and never gives me a break! Ok, so I’ve decided to get rid of it once and for all through a natural treatment and I found just what I needed, a plant extract called uva ursi. Here’s a small distillation of what I’ve learned about this plant.

Uva ursi (scientific name, Arctostaphylos uva ursi) is named after the Latin words uva (meaning grape) and ursi (meaning bear), receiving this name because bears love to eat the uva ursi fruit. Its called bearberry in english…go figure! Uva ursi has been used as popular medicine for diverse diseases for centuries. It grows in Northern Europe, and in the mountains of both North and South America.

The uva ursi plant was used by the American natives for centuries. Mixed with tobacco and other herbs, it was referred to as kinnickinnick, from the Algonquin for “mixture.” The uva ursi leaves contain ellagic acid, mallic acid, gallic acid, arbutin, methil-arbutin, ursone, myricetin, resins, volatile oil, allantoin and tannins.

The Amazing Health Properties of Arbutin

The chemical property responsible for so many cures is arbutin, which is a glicoside derived from hydroquinone. Arbutin is found in wheat and pear skin, but is especially present in uva ursi. This chemical is absorbed by the body and excreted via the kidneys. Throughout this process, arbutin’s antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties work in the urinary and mucous membranes, washing the bacterias out of the body. But be careful with products containing arbutin isolated from its natural constituents, as it can be quite powerful and advice from a health care professional is advised.

Arbutin’s action is so efficient that it is used for muscle pain and relaxing and soothing inflammation, such as sprains and bruises. Its tannins are used for endometrium-related problems and in preventing postpartum infections. It’s also recommended for herpes, pyelitis, urethritis, uric acids, bladder stones and vaginal infections. But uva ursi is not just for women by any means. The allantoin in uva ursi is widely used in aftershave creams. Its properties reduce secretions and improve tissue firmness, helping grow new and healthy cells.

Shorts and Skirts…Bring ‘em On

The hydroquinone-derived arbutin from uva ursi is used in the cosmetics industry to naturally lighten the skin. Scientific studies show that arbutin used topically inhibits the progression of skin darkening and reduces melanin formation, blocking the tyrosinase activity in the skin. That means it’s effective for reducing dark spots. (During the treatment of lightning skin spots, it’s always recommended to avoid sunlight.)

Now I’ll just follow a treatment with uva ursi and wait for Summer.

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