---
title: "Free radical scavenging"
description: "Measure free-radical scavenging under defined assay conditions."
image: "https://cosmetic-labs.com/wp-content/uploads/radical-scavenging-service-1200x1200-1.webp"
---
# Free radical scavenging

> Measure free-radical scavenging under defined assay conditions.

Source: https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/radical-scavenging
Created: 2025-05-20T15:23:09+00:00
Modified: 2026-10-25T10:20:01+00:00
Author: Emilie SCHOL

Free radical scavenging | Cosmetic Labs

## What is Free radical scavenging?

Free radical scavenging testing measures an ingredient’s capacity to neutralize radicals under defined assay conditions. DPPH and ABTS assays provide chemical antioxidant comparisons, while cell-based tests investigate effects on intracellular oxidation and viability. Chemical scavenging alone does not demonstrate skin protection.

### Why do you need this service?
Chemical scavenging assays compare antioxidant activity under defined reaction conditions. Cellular follow-up can investigate oxidation-related responses, while wrinkle, skin-protection and sunscreen claims require evidence appropriate to those outcomes.

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Definition
## Free radical scavenging assays
Scavenging assays characterize direct antioxidant activity by measuring how a test material changes a radical-based signal. They are useful for screening and comparing ingredients, provided solvent conditions, reaction time, and assay interference are controlled.

### DPPH and ABTS methods
DPPH assays use a stable assay radical, while ABTS methods measure reduction of the ABTS radical cation. Neither radical reproduces the full range of reactive species present in skin. Spectrophotometric readouts may be affected by colored or turbid samples.

Concentration-response curves and IC50 values where the response permits estimation
- Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity under a specified method
- Reaction kinetics and reference antioxidant comparisons
- Sample blanks to identify optical interference

### Cellular follow-up
Skin-cell assays can examine oxidation-sensitive probe signals after a controlled challenge, alongside cell viability, mitochondrial function, or damage markers. Probe signals are method-dependent and should not be treated as direct measurements of every reactive oxygen species.

Together, chemical and cellular findings guide formulation choices and further efficacy work. They support only the antioxidant endpoints tested, not an automatic conclusion about anti-aging efficacy or protection against all environmental stressors.

Applications
## Comparing antioxidant candidates
DPPH and ABTS assays use defined assay radicals. ORAC provides a different method-specific antioxidant readout. Concentration-response estimates, reference-equivalent values and reaction kinetics can help compare materials when solvents, sample preparation and analytical interference are controlled.

These assay systems do not reproduce every reactive species in skin. Coloured or turbid formulations require suitable blanks, and results from different methods should not be treated as interchangeable potency scales.

### Following up in a relevant model
Cell-based studies can examine oxidation-sensitive signals, viability or damage after a controlled challenge. The results may support a mechanistic rationale, but chemical scavenging alone does not establish wrinkle reduction, SPF or protection against all environmental stressors.

ExplorationLearn more about Antioxidant & Redox StudiesInvestigate antioxidant and redox responses through chemical scavenging, cellular defence and oxidative-damage assays with model-specific interpretation. Explore another Antioxidant & Redox Studies page on cosmetic-labs.com.

#### [Oxidative stress efficacy testing](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/oxidative-stress)
Assess antioxidant activity and oxidative damage in chemical or skin-cell models through radical scavenging, redox pathways and protection endpoints. [Check this service](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/oxidative-stress)
#### [DPPH/ABTS radical quenching](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/antioxidant)
Compare DPPH and ABTS radical quenching in defined chemical systems using absorbance measurements, separately from evidence of skin-cell protection. [Check this service](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/antioxidant)
#### [Antioxidant defense activation](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/antioxidant-defense)
Assess endogenous antioxidant responses in pollutant-challenged skin models, distinguishing pathway activation from measured protection against damage. [Check this service](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/antioxidant-defense)
#### [Nrf2 pathway activation](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/nrf2-pathway)
Investigate Nrf2 pathway responses in skin-cell models using nuclear localisation, reporter activity and downstream gene or protein measurements. [Check this service](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/nrf2-pathway)
#### [SOD/Catalase activation](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/sod-catalase)
Measure ingredient effects on SOD and catalase activity in skin-cell models, distinguishing enzyme function from expression and chemical scavenging. [Check this service](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/sod-catalase)
#### [GSH synthesis stimulation](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/gsh-synthesis)
Investigate glutathione production using GSH, GSSG and synthesis-related measurements to separate new synthesis from recycling and consumption. [Check this service](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/gsh-synthesis)
#### [Lipid peroxidation block](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/lipid-peroxidation)
Measure lipid oxidation products and lipid-sensitive probes to assess whether an ingredient limits peroxidation in a defined chemical or cellular model. [Check this service](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/lipid-peroxidation)
#### [Mitochondrial protection](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/mitochondrial-protection)
Assess mitochondrial function during a defined oxidative challenge using respiration, membrane potential, ATP content and complementary damage markers. [Check this service](https://cosmetic-labs.com/services/clinical/efficacy/redox-antioxidant-defense/mitochondrial-protection)

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---

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