Finally! A Way to Measure Product Quality

Skin care professionals and consumers need no longer be confused about the effectiveness of anti-aging products. Now, product manufacturers can adopt the new ORAC rating system and give them the information they need to compare products and make an informed decision, at a glance.

If you’ve been paying attention to the skin care industry lately, you’ve heard the latest buzzwords – free radicals, anti-aging, and antioxidants - all adapted from the world of organic nutrition. Perhaps you also noticed that no one told you how many free radicals it took to harm your skin or how many antioxidants it took to protect or repair it.  

FROM CONFUSION TO CLARITY

ORAC, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, is measures the power and speed with which a skincare product does its job protecting skin. Think of it the same way you think of an SPF rating. A high ORAC rating means a highly effective product. But to understand the value of ORAC, you must first understand a bit about free radicals and antioxidants.

Free radicals are a normal byproduct of metabolism. However, they do contribute to aging and dull, wrinkled skin. Antioxidants absorb and neutralize these free radicals, giving us better health and a more youthful appearance. Nutritionists measure the antioxidant potency of a food and assign an ORAC rating. A food rich in antioxidants, such as the blueberry, earns a high numerical rating. Consumers like to know the ORAC rating of a food product to determine how potent it is.

ORAC will now be used to measure the antioxidant potency in skin care products. This test will give skincare professionals a way to validate claims of antioxidant benefit. The higher the ORAC rating, the more protection your skin gets from the damaging effects of free radicals. It is that simple. Soon the ORAC rating on skin care products will be as familiar as an SPF rating.  An ORAC rating will verify that an authorized testing lab has tested a product sample and determined the anti-aging potency. Thus it will give consumers and professionals new confidence and peace of mind.   

TIME FOR A NEW STANDARD

“A standardized method to compare antioxidant properties is lacking.”  Dr. David McDaniel, MD. Dermatologist and researcher.

The ORAC rating system is the natural choice for measuring the antioxidant potency of skin care products. It is a standardized commercial method already proven successful. Further, consumers are aware of ORAC and growing to rely on it more and more as an objective method for evaluating nutritional benefit. In addition, ORAC is already used to test many of the same natural ingredients making the crossover from nutrition to cosmetics.  A standard that has already helped nutrition professionals is now available to help cosmetology professionals.

Sheer Berry Antioxidant Serum becomes the first ORAC rated private label product with a tested  value of 2000 ORAC per gram.

How significant is this rating for a cosmeceutical product?

Brunswick Labs offers the following ranges for finished products:

 Low   20-60      ORAC/gram

 Medium 70-140   ORAC/gram

 High   150-300 ORAC/gram

Extreme Anti-Oxidant Treatments

Sheer Berry Antioxidant Serum

Radiant Anti-Oxidant Moisture Creme

Blueberry & Coffee Bean Exfoliating Cleanser