Inside the Extrait de Maison Series — Part 1

HOW WE DEFINE EFFICACY

Everyone knows about antioxidants. We also all know that they are good for us! But very few know what they are and why they are important to internal and external health. For our Rejuvenating Face Oil, which is, at its simplest categorization, an antioxidant-laden oil, we have been studying antioxidants for a number of years, even doing a deep dive here in the Journal back in January of 2019, available here. 

Recently we took our research a step further and tested the Extrait de Maison Rejuvenating Face Oil in a world renowned 3rd party laboratory for antioxidant potency and efficacy. How do we define efficacy? Well, we don’t, science does.

This lab, in fact, is reputed for developing a “score” of antioxidant capacity which is considered the gold standard in the industry. Having tested hundreds of cosmetic products, we were thrilled to confirm that our Face Oil received a ABEL-RAC™ score of 4,868 per mg of face oil, one of the highest scores the lab has ever recorded for a cosmetic product.

What does this score mean though? In an effort to keep it simple, the score is a measurement of how much light passes through the sample. The lab uses a proprietary process that uses Pholasin (a protein that emits light when exposed to free-radicals) to determine how well a sample combats the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that cause cellular damage. After exposure, the more light that is emitted from the sample, the weaker the antioxidant capacity. The samples are exposed to these ROS at a range of different concentrations in order to determine a reliable conclusion of antioxidant potency.

Since the score is calculated by concentration, we can determine the amount of free-radical fighting antioxidant power in each drop of our face oil, which is...🥁… 165! So for every standard application (3-5 drops) of our EdM you are receiving a minimum of 500 ABEL-RAC™ units of antioxidants and over 145,000 units in every bottle.

Remember, antioxidants are crucial for skin health and balance. You need a balance of antioxidants and prooxidants in order for the body to function properly and healthily, but as we age this equilibrium goes out of balance and prooxidants begin to damage cells more profusely. This is why eating foods and applying skincare products that have a high concentration of antioxidants can aid in maintaining the body’s and skin’s cellular health.

Nothing can stop us from aging, but a face oil with abundance of antioxidant capacity, like our EdM, can help slow the signs of aging and preserve the overall health of our skin.