Setting the Standard Before Sourcing
With the formulation direction in place, the next step was clear:
sourcing ingredients that truly meet our standards.
But “quality" isn’t a one-size-fits-all label.
Ownist believes that every ingredient requires its own unique standards.
For Triple Shine, that elevated benchmark began with its most essential element: glutathione.
Why Glutathione Purity Matters
Glutathione, derived from yeast extract, was one of Triple Shine’s core ingredients—and purity was critical.
A label may list 1,000 mg of glutathione, but if purity is only 5%, the actual active glutathione content is just 50 mg.
The problem is that most products do not clearly disclose purity levels.
Instead, total weight is emphasized, while the actual active content remains unclear.
For Ownist, that level of ambiguity simply wasn’t acceptable.
Because without clarity on purity, neither efficacy nor trust can truly exist.
Searching Beyond Borders
That belief made one thing clear: ingredients cannot be taken at face value—they must be verified.
To meet our standards for transparency, we began a global search, meticulously deconstructing technical data and sourcing documents.
Yet, it quickly became clear that digital transparency has its limits.
Purity claims without context left too many questions unanswered.
That’s what led Ownist to Vitafoods Europe, one of the largest nutraceutical exhibitions in Europe.
There, we moved beyond datasheets, engaging in raw, in-depth conversations with dozens of suppliers about sourcing transparency and manufacturing integrity.
Those meetings marked the start of a longer evaluation process — a process of constant verification and ruthless elimination after returning to Korea.
Why It Took Seven Months
Ingredient sourcing proved far more complex than expected.
Some suppliers offered high purity but lacked reliable origin documentation.
Others met quality expectations but were not eligible for import into Korea.
Again and again, options had to be ruled out.
After seven months of obsessive review, we finally met our match:
- 50% purity glutathione
- a clearly traceable origin
- and an amount optimized for formulation integrity
At the time, it felt like the hardest part was over.
Turned out it wasn’t — but this definitely marked a critical moment in how Triple Shine continued to take shape.