What does my Skin Carotenoid Score mean?

Your Skin Carotenoid Score is a measurement of the presence of carotenoid antioxidants in your skin. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants found in abundance in certain fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids neutralize damaging free radical molecules and are absorbed in human plasma and tissue, providing an excellent indicator of a person’s overall antioxidant health status.

Unlike other methods of measuring antioxidants that require the invasive collection of body fluids (in which antioxidant levels will fluctuate throughout the day), your Skin Carotenoid Score (SCS) is a measurement of the presence of carotenoid antioxidants in your tissue—providing you with a more accurate biomarker of your antioxidant defense level. (The scoring system was developed specifically for the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner and has no relation to other biomarkers that you may be familiar with).

Skin Carotenoid Score Index

10,000 to 19,000 Low Presence of Skin Carotenoids—Readings in this category may indicate situations with high oxidative stress, for example in smokers who have a poor diet and do not supplement with antioxidant supplements. You may be able to increase your SCS by consuming more fruits and vegetables, taking LifePak®, and avoiding free radicals.

20,000 to 29,000 Moderate Presence of Skin Carotenoids—You may be able to fortify your SCS by eating foods rich in carotenoid antioxidants and consuming the recommended dosage of LifePak® daily (which provides a full spectrum of carotenoid antioxidants).

30,000 to 39000 Moderate to High Presence of Skin Carotenoids—Readings in this category are common in people who eat diets higher in fruits and vegetables and/or take antioxidant supplements. You may be able to increase your SCS by looking carefully at your lifestyle choices, including supplementation, diet and exercise, limiting free radical exposure, and by making changes where necessary.

40,000 and higher High Presence of Skin Carotenoids—Readings in this category are common in people who eat healthy diets high in fruits and vegetables and/or take antioxidant supplements. You should continue with positive lifestyle choices, including supplementation, diet, exercise and limiting your exposure to free radicals. Any change in these lifestyle choices may result in a decreased score. LifePak® supplementation will help you to maintain your score and find your optimal Skin Carotenoid Score.

Your individual score may vary based on a number of factors that include diet, physical activity, and exposure to the sun and toxins such as cigarette smoke. Your score may also vary depending on your genetic ability to absorb carotenoids. Although Pharmanex® will continue to provide a summary of all scores for a population comparison in the Skin Carotenoid Score Index, your own Skin Carotenoid Score is unique to you. Tracking your subsequent scores will provide you with more personalized insight to your antioxidant defense level than comparing your initial score to the Skin Carotenoid Score Index.

  Dr. Lester Packer: Free Radicals & Antioxidants video