I sometimes get emails asking me about the purity of our products.  This is usually because of names like ‘Green Tea extract (standardized for 90% EGCG)’ or ‘Resveratrol 98%.’

There appears to be some confusion with these percentages and it appears that some people believe that our products use ‘fillers’ and are therefore no good.

Let me explain this

If someone emails me and asks “Are your products pure?” then the answer is “YES.”

They are pure, because we do not add any fillers.  So, that means when you buy our Grapeseed extract, it is 100% Grapeseed extract, NOT 60% Grapeseed extract and 40% red colored flour.

What about those percentages?

The percentages indicate the amount of the active ingredient in the powder.  For example, the active ingredient we want in Grapeseed extract are the Proanthocyanidins.

So, when you see the name Grapeseed extract 95% Proanthocyanidins, then you know that the active is 100% pure Grapeseed extract and that it has been standardized for 95% Proanthocyanidins.

The term used to show you this is the assay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assay), we list the assay for all our products on each product’s page.

Why do we sell products that are standardized for 70% or 95%, why not 100%

Well, the more a plant extract is standardized, the more expensive the manufacturing process.  This REALLY makes a big difference.  For example, White Willow Bark extract is standardized for 25.23% Salicin, it costs hundreds of dollars per KG. It is also possible to buy the same product standardized for 95% Salicin, but that will cost THOUSAND of dollars per KG.

So, sometimes it is prohibitively expensive to buy plant extracts that are standardized at a high percentage.

We therefore buy products that are standardized at as high a percentage as possible, while at the same time keeping the price reasonable.

I really do not think you would be willing to spend US$80 for a gram of White Willow Bark 95%, especially when it is easier, a lot cheaper, and just as effective to use Salicylic acid (BHA).