The company says it is marketing the ingredients in powder, pulp, butter and scrub forms, on the strength of the açai’s extraordinary anti-oxidant properties, which in turn serves to make it a strong tool in the fight against visible signs of skin ageing.
When açai was tested for its Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC), which determines anti-oxidant properties, it was verified by the USDA to have a level of 640, almost double that of the next best performing fruit, wild black berries.
Açai has strong ant-oxidant properties
Açai also outpaced other extracts readily incorporated into anti-aging treatments, proving to have 10 times the antioxidant value of red grapes and 30 times the antioxidant value of red wine.
As well as anti-oxidant properties, the açai is abundant in essential fatty acids such as Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9 as well as vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B12, E, and C, minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, together with polyphenols, anthocyanins, and phytosterols.
According to the company, the açai berries are harvested in the Amazon rainforests and then have to be immediately freeze dried as a powder because the fruit perishes extremely quickly, depleting the efficacy of its active properties.
Variety of cosmetic applications
In its powder form, the ingredient is said to be ideal for products such as lotions, balms, anti-ageing serums, after-sun formulations, anti-wrinkle creams, facial products, bar soaps and shower gel, in doses of between 2 – 5 per cent
In pulp form it is recommended in lotions, balms, anti-ageing serums, after-sun formulations, anti-wrinkle creams, and facial products, while in butter form it is recommended for bodymilk/creams, creams, after-sun formulations and serums, again with a dose of between 2 – 5 per cent.
For scrub formulations, 85 per cent of particles are said to be less than 240 microns in size and the ingredient is recommended for bar soaps, facial cleansers, shower gel, and massage products.