Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, also known as the common bearberry, is a dwarf shrub that produces red berries. The foliage of the bearberry plant is most commonly used in skin care products because it has been shown to effectively scavenge free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin. In fact, a 2004 study published in the journal Food Chemistry found that bearberry leaf extract had even more powerful antioxidant properties than licorice extract, echinacea extract, and horsetail extract.