If you’re looking for natural ways to enjoy healthy skin, vitamins are important to help improve skin appearance and health. These vitamins polish your skin in many ways. Vitamin E is one of those important vitamins for your skin. 

 

What is vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is an essential nutrient enriched with anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin E plays a significant role in the health of your skin, blood, and brain. It’s also beneficial for vision and reproduction. Its strong antioxidant properties[i] make it effective in clearing the effects of free radicals produced in your body by the metabolism of food and toxins in the environment. The role of Vitamin E in skin care is based upon its anti-oxidative property. 

 

The recommended consumption amount of vitamin E for adults is 15 milligrams per day. Vitamin E deficiency can lead to nerve pain, i.e., neuropathy.

 

Sources of Vitamin E

Vitamin E can be found in many foods, such as:

• Canola oil and olive oil
• Almonds and peanuts.
• Fortified cereal and margarine
• Abalone and salmon
• Leafy vegetables and vegetable oils
• Broccoli and spinach
• Sunflower seeds and hazelnuts

 

Natural vitamin E in food is often labeled as d-alpha-tocopherol on food labels. Meanwhile, the synthetic version of vitamin E is often known as dl-alpha-tocopherol. Natural vitamin E is thought to be more potent than its synthetic type.

 

Benefits of Vitamin E

Research on vitamin E has provided evidence for many benefits of Vitamin E. It can help in the management of different medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes mellitus, heart diseases, liver diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. However, the major benefit of Vitamin E lies in skincare.

 

Vitamin E for skin

Protecting the skin is a major vitamin E function. Vitamin E is the main ingredient in cosmetics for mature-looking skin. Our skin starts losing its shine and glow as we age. You’ve probably seen your bike or car getting rusty. A similar process occurs in your skin when its cells are exposed to molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for the wear and tear, i.e., dullness of your skin.

 

As an antioxidant, Vitamin E neutralizes the free radicals, reduces oxidative stress[ii] , and protects your skin’s cells from damage. Consequently, it prevents the skin from aging too early. In addition to this, Vitamin E protects the skin from environmental stressors. It also keeps the skin clear of toxins produced within the body.

 

Some types of rays in sunlight can damage our skin. They can make our skin prone to irritation, dark pigmentation, and acne. Therefore, it is important to keep our sin safe from such types of harmful rays. This is also the area where Vitamin E comes into play. Research has stamped the photoprotective properties[iii] of Vitamin E. It means that Vitamin E for the skin protects it against many of those harmful rays of sunlight.

 

 

The Takeaway Message

Vitamin E is an important vitamin providing us with plenty of benefits. Skin protection is one of the major benefits of vitamin E. The significance of Vitamin E in skin care[iv] lies in its antioxidant and photoprotective properties. It maintains the skin’s glow, delays the aging of the skin, and protects it from harmful rays.

 

Get in touch with us today to know more about your skin and Vitamin E.

[i] Niki E. (2015). Evidence for beneficial effects of vitamin E. The Korean journal of internal medicine, 30(5), 571–579. https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2015.30.5.571

[ii] Ryan, M. J., Dudash, H. J., Docherty, M., Geronilla, K. B., Baker, B. A., Haff, G. G., Cutlip, R. G., & Alway, S. E. (2010). Vitamin E and C supplementation reduces oxidative stress, improves antioxidant enzymes and positive muscle work in chronically loaded muscles of aged rats. Experimental gerontology, 45(11), 882–895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2010.08.002

[iii] Krol, E. S., Kramer-Stickland, K. A., & Liebler, D. C. (2000). Photoprotective actions of topically applied vitamin E. Drug metabolism reviews, 32(3-4), 413–420. https://doi.org/10.1081/dmr-100102343

[iv] Keen, M. A., & Hassan, I. (2016). Vitamin E in dermatology. Indian dermatology online journal, 7(4), 311–315. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5178.185494