When the most active and beneficial compounds of a plant have been identified and isolated for use in a dietary supplement or food, that product is called an “extract.” There are a number of different ways to remove these desirable compounds from the plant. Water and alcohol are two of the most well-known and commonly used materials (technically known as “solvents”). In fact, a tea bag in hot water is an example of a water extraction that almost everyone has at some time preparedfor themselves. Supercritical CO2, meaningcarbon dioxide in a liquid form, is a special type of non-toxic solvent that is particularly good for extracting essential oils without damaging them or causing them to become rancid through oxidation. Supercritical CO2 extraction is the preferred method for obtaining a full spectrum essential oil extract, discarding the non-essential fibrous plant material. Supercritical CO2 yields a very high quality extract, with no heavy metals or potential for bacterial growth. Because it evaporates completely there is also no concern about contamination or residue left in the extracted materials.

Sea buckthorn berries are difficult to harvest. They must be removed from shrub-like trees covered in thorns. As a shortcut, some companies actually cut down the shrubs, freeze the branches, and shake them to make the frozen berries fall off. This is a poor choice for two reasons. Freezing and then shaking off the berries damages them and yields a poor quality, low nutrient extract. Cutting down the shrub as a harvesting method is not a sustainable practice. All of the sea buckthorn berries in Omega-7 are hand-harvested. This is labor intensive, and thus more expensive, but well worth it. It ensures that the plants survive to produce a crop year after year and allows us to offer a highly potent and effective product.