Srečko Gross, M.Sc., pharmaceutical engineer and former Production Director at Pliva, holds multiple patents in ultrasonic extraction and has spent 35 years unlocking the potential of the olive plant.
"Meeting Srečko Gross at the Zagreb Olive Oil Festival was a turning point for us. Seeing the prototype oils we produced together that day — and understanding the science behind his extraction process — completely shaped how we think about polyphenol content in our own range."
— Dr Neil Jarrett, Dalmatia Oil Shop
Why the Leaf — Not the Oil?
Olive polyphenols — led by the powerful antioxidant oleuropein — are a thousand times more soluble in water than in oil. This means olive oil contains relatively little of them. Gross recognised this early: "I used that physical fact to patent a process for extracting polyphenols from the olive leaf using ultrasound — because they are water-soluble."
How Ultrasonic Extraction Works
"Imagine a plant cell as a tiny sphere with its own membrane. Using ultrasound — around 40,000 vibrations per second — we break that cell membrane open. Then we use water to draw the polyphenols out."
This low-temperature method requires half the raw material of traditional extraction and preserves far more of the active compounds.
The Numbers
Gross's olive leaf extract contains a guaranteed 10,000 mg of oleuropein per kilogram — 7 to 10 times more than the finest olive oils, and 40 to 60 times above the EU-approved health claim threshold (EFSA, EU 432/2012), which recognises that olive polyphenols help protect blood lipids from oxidative stress.
From Lab to Skincare
Polyphenols are among nature's most studied antioxidants, helping protect cells from oxidative damage — a primary driver of skin ageing. By concentrating the olive leaf's natural polyphenols through a patented process, our skincare delivers what olive oil alone cannot.
"When I talk about the olive, I always mean the whole tree — the leaf, the fruit, the oil, the stone, the wood. Everything can be used well." — Srečko Gross
This is the science behind our formulations. Not marketing — chemistry.
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