A love of science takes root
Early scientific curiosity, advanced study, and mentorship in skin research establish the foundation for Dr. McCord’s future work.
Our story
Science with a human purpose.
McCord Health began with one family’s experience and a scientist’s determination to create something better for patients, caregivers, and the people who love them.
Where it began
A personal experience became a lifelong mission.
When Dr. Darlene McCord’s mother developed radiation-related skin damage during breast cancer treatment, the visible effects of her illness changed the direction of Dr. McCord’s work. She moved away from conventional retail product development and focused her scientific experience on products intended to bring greater comfort and practical support to people facing serious health challenges.
McCord Research was founded in 1992 from that conviction. The work that followed joined advanced skin science, carefully selected natural compounds, and a relentless commitment to understanding how ingredients interact with cells.
Every formulation is approached with the same standard Dr. McCord would demand for someone in her own family: full knowledge, thoughtful ingredients, and no shortcuts.
Our founder
Dr. Darlene McCord
Dr. McCord’s interest in science began early and developed into a career centered on skin biology, cellular research, product development, and invention. Her work with Dr. Peter Elias at the University of California, San Francisco helped establish the direction of her research and strengthened her commitment to understanding the skin at a molecular level.
Her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2004 made that work personal in a second way. She used the experience to expand her research into oral nutrition and olive-derived compounds, building a bridge between topical care, antioxidant science, and everyday wellness.
Across decades of work, her guiding question has remained practical: how can rigorous science improve a person’s quality of life?
D. Elizabeth McCord, PhD, FAPWCAScientist · Inventor · Founder
A history of purposeful work
From discovery to real-world application.
Each chapter reflects the same combination of scientific curiosity, personal responsibility, and service to others.
McCord Research is founded
Her mother’s breast cancer journey inspires a company focused on improving comfort, skin health, and quality of life.
The first patent
Dr. McCord receives her first U.S. patent for a non-ionic skin therapeutic mixture, beginning a long history of patented development.
Olivamine is developed
Research into olive-derived small molecules leads to a proprietary nutritional foundation used across skin-care and wellness applications.
Research expands into nutrition
Following her own breast cancer diagnosis, Dr. McCord begins exploring the oral use of olive-derived antioxidants and supporting nutrients.
Humanitarian and global research
The McCords support humanitarian health work and international laboratory research, including efforts related to Buruli ulcer and cellular science.
Built on Midwestern values
Local partnerships, personal accountability, and a practical approach to service remain central to the company’s identity.
The work continues
McCord Health continues translating research into approachable supplements and wellness products designed for consistent daily use.
What guides us
The standards behind every product.
Our values come directly from the experiences that created the company.
Patient first
We begin with the person using the product and the family or caregiver supporting them.
Scientific rigor
We seek to understand ingredients, mechanisms, formulation, and quality rather than relying on marketing alone.
No shortcuts
Ingredient selection and product development are held to the standard we would expect for our own families.
Practical impact
Research matters most when it becomes useful, accessible, and relevant to everyday life.
Integrity close to home.
McCord Health grew in Iowa, where long-term relationships, accountability, and straightforward service shape how we work. Those values continue to guide our partnerships and the way we care for customers.
Science with global reach.
Research collaborations, humanitarian efforts, and product partnerships have carried McCord-developed technologies far beyond Iowa while preserving the personal responsibility on which the company was founded.
A continuing legacy
Research is not our backstory. It is our operating system.
McCord Health continues to explore olive-derived compounds, antioxidant pathways, small-molecule science, delivery systems, and thoughtful nutritional formulation.
The goal is not complexity for its own sake. It is to turn meaningful discoveries into products people can understand and use.
Meet McCord Health
The story in our own words.
Discover the science behind everyday wellness.
Explore the research, ingredients, and product-development philosophy that continue to shape McCord Health.