— SKINCARE
Vitamin E Skin Benefits You Should Know
Do you know about the skin benefits of vitamin E? Whether you use vitamin E oil on your skin, take vitamin E supplements, or eat vitamin E-rich foods, this powerhouse vitamin offers many great skin benefits. Keep reading to learn how this vitamin helps keep your skin soft, healthy, and youthful-looking.
Skin Benefits Of Vitamin E: Understanding Antioxidant Properties
Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are pesky little atoms that cause oxidative stress (or cell damage) in the body.
This damage can show up anywhere, but you most often see it as dry skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sunspots. Free radicals form in several ways. They’re a natural function of the body when you exercise or when your body converts food into energy. Yet they can also be environmental – from cigarette smoke, air pollution, or UV exposure.1
The best way to protect skin cells from the visible signs of aging is to make sure you’re getting enough powerful antioxidants, like vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E.
Vitamin E Oil Might Help Reduce the Appearance of Dark Circles And Dark Spots
Aside from fine lines and wrinkles, nothing visibly ages you faster than dark spots and undereye circles. Vitamin E may also help in these areas.
Dark spots
Dark spots, or “skin hyperpigmentation,” are generally caused by an excess of melanin (skin pigment). Melanin production increases with sun damage, hormones, age, and even the use of certain cosmetics. It can then show up as dark spots on your face, arms, hands, or decolletage.2
Vitamin E oil is able to penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin. Here, it may help reduce the appearance of brown spots.3
However, topical skin care products can also combine several active ingredients (including vitamin E) to help brighten the appearance of dark spots. Look for ingredients made from natural plant compounds to help get a brighter, smoother look.4
Dark Undereye Circles
Dark circles under the eyes can make you look exhausted – and much older than you are. But studies show that 0.1% vitamin E in a topical eye cream may be effective in reducing the appearance of dark under-eye circles. These results occurred when two power house antioxidants were combined – vitamin C and vitamin E.5
You may also want to seek out a skincare product with tripeptides to add an extra brightening appearance to the eye area.
What About Fine Lines and Wrinkles?
Free radicals age your skin prematurely because they break down the collagen in your skin.6 Collagen is a protein that keeps skin looking firm and youthful. When collagen breaks down, skin becomes wrinkled and saggy.7
Eating more antioxidant-rich foods and using more antioxidant skincare products can help keep your skin looking and feeling younger.
You should also limit exposure to free radicals like UV rays and pollution whenever you can. In fact, sun exposure may be responsible for up to 80% of the visible signs of aging 8
Using Vitamin E Oil as a Skin Moisturizer
A topical application of vitamin E oil – as part of a daily skin care routine – may have skin benefits for all skin types. The vitamin E you should look for in skincare products is known as tocopheryl acetate.9
Studies have shown that a concentration of around 5% vitamin E may support hydration in the outer layer of the skin.10 This may be especially soothing for dry skin types.
Research has also shown that vitamin E oil helps support a healthy skin barrier.11 The skin barrier protects against infections, toxins, allergens, and dry skin caused by water loss.12
If you have very sensitive skin, you should try these topical formulations using a small test patch first. They may cause irritation on some people.
Maximizing Vitamin E in Your Diet
In addition to using vitamin E oil on the skin or taking vitamin E capsules, you can also fill your diet with foods rich in this vitamin.
Foods like pumpkin, asparagus, mango, avocado, wheat germ, sunflower oil, almonds, peanut butter, spinach, and collard greens are all rich in vitamin E. Bell peppers are a standout, as they double up on both vitamin A and vitamin C antioxidants.13
The Potential Benefits of Vitamin E Aren’t Just Skin Deep
The skin benefits of vitamin E are wonderful, but the vitamin’s advantages don’t end there. Vitamin E may also support your body’s defense against free radicals, and support immune health and blood circulation.14
Sources:
1.https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth 2.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11702317/ 3.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.13305 4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3663177/ 5.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4976416/ 6.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00371836 7.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-skin-wrinkle-wit/ 8.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3790843/ 9. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/ 10.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9706379/ 11.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7714696_Vitamin_E_Critical_Review_of_Its_Current_Use_in_Cosmetic_and_Clinical_Dermatology 12.http://www.ijmr.org.in/article.asp?issn=0971-5916;year=2018;volume=147;issue=1;spage=117;epage=118;aulast=Kanwar 13.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-e/ 14.https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002406.htm
