OPC - the stuff anti-aging dreams are made of

OPC – der Stoff, aus dem Anti-Aging-Träume sind

It feels like new miracle substances appear on the beauty market every week. Packaged as creams, serums or foams. Active anti-aging, against dry skin, with maximum moisture, against acne and active against rosacea. The areas of application for the face alone are manifold. It's not easy to keep track of them all. Of course, we at the 48grams blog always probe, try and discuss the best-of. After all, it's part of our daily routine to always be up-to-date. Of course, we set ourselves apart from the advertised products to the maximum. We are completely vegan, animal-friendly and purely organic. And yet we are now also in the middle of a trend. Since we are now also presenting our ingredients in loose order, this fits very well right now. Because the serum that we have been developing for a long time and have just launched on the market contains a substance that is currently most in demand in the anti-aging scene: OPC. An antioxidant that makes vitamins E and C look old (yes... attention: pun alert) in terms of potency. To be more precise: the potential is 20 times more effective than vitamin E; vitamin C even beats it by a factor of 50 in antioxidant power.

Miracle substance without side effects

Very briefly, so we have that part covered: OPC is short for oligomeric proanthocyanidins. Now let's all clap our hands - our Latin teachers will thank us - and forget about it. More exciting is the origin of this miracle substance. OPC is obtained from grape seed extracts, at least in most cases. Pine bark or the reddish-brown skins of peanuts (!) are also used. But back to the grapes again. In fact, you can tell in the serum whether the OPC comes from red wine grapes: then the liquid is burgundy-coloured (as in the 48gram serum). So even red wine contains traces of OPC. Will that help? Hopefully no one will put it to the test. Scientists have calculated that 2 litres (!) per day are needed to show an effect. However, this would be offset by liver damage...!

UV damage devastating for the skin

But what exactly does OPC do? What do you mean by "miracle substance"? For that we have to get a little scientific and go into the formation of wrinkles in general: There is the natural ageing of the skin. This can be controlled to a certain extent with a lot of care and a healthy lifestyle. And yes - sorry - but good genes also play a big part in keeping the skin radiant and smooth over the decades. Equally important, however, is the damage we all suffer from environmental influences. Exhaust fumes, environmental toxins - and of course the UV rays of the sun. And yes, we can invest a lot in protection - but still there is always the danger that our skin will suffer from so-called oxidative stress. More precisely, this means that free radicals attack our tissue. Or - even worse - limit the skin's collagen production. The result is that the skin can store less moisture and becomes drier - i.e. more wrinkled. This is exactly where the effect of OCP comes in. Let's compare this to a sponge that has lost the ability to become elastic again through moisture. OCP ensures that this becomes possible again.

OPC supports sun protection

In addition, OPC also strengthens the activity of skin enzymes and is thus even an effective protection against UV rays. But if you now believe that you can do without the daily (!) use of sunscreen... don't be surprised when wrinkles appear. Sorry, but that is the reality.
Even if it does not necessarily belong in this article: OPC has another effect. The grape seed extract actually also ensures faster wound healing. The active ingredient effectively renders skin-damaging bacteria harmless.

Anti-aging hit from Canada

We are excited about this anti-aging hit. And of course wanted to know more about its origin. If you do some research, you'll end up back in 1534, when a little-known explorer named Jacques Cartier sailed across the St. Lawrence River (Canada) on behalf of France's King Francis I. In his logbook, which can still be read today, he writes of a sudden onset of winter and of how his crew quickly fell ill and died. The consequences of scurvy - a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. Only an aboriginal man could give hope to the remaining crew. Through a decoction made from the bark of the anneda tree. It was to take 300 years - until 1948 to be precise - until it became clear that the vitamin C contained in the bark was the sailors' salvation. Then in 1948, scientist Jack Masquelier discovered OPC for modern science.

Leonardo DiCaprio's lifesaver

By the way, grape seed extract has also made it into the movies. In the Oscar-winning Hollywood film "The Revenat," Leonardo DiCaprio's character's life is saved by a poultice of pine sap. And here we are back to the previously mentioned effect on wound healing. We at the 48grams blog are very happy that we can now present the miracle substance as an ingredient in our new serum. Because we rarely report so much positive news!