Usnea barbata, known as old man’s beard or tree moss, is pale grayish-green fruticose lichens that grow like leafless mini-shrubs. Depending on their environment, they are ten centimeters to one meter in length. It grows all over the world, but they prefer humid regions with a lot of rain and cold air. U. barbata has been used for thousands of years as Traditional Chinese Medicine carrying strong energetics of releasing toxicity from the body and it was also used to treat wounds.

Its main component, usnic acid, is considered to have strong anti-biotic and anti-fungal effectiveness against various types of bacteria and fungi. So, it is used in cosmetics and personal care products to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in formulas. And it is also thought to be a healing ingredient because of its anti-inflammatory property.