Vitamin E may help prevent or minimize wrinkles when applied to your skin regularly, although evidence is not conclusive regarding whether topical vitamin E has any noticeable effect on wrinkles or other signs of aging. The moisturizing and antioxidant properties of vitamin E may offer other skin benefits, however, such as decreasing skin roughness and flaking. Consult your doctor before rubbing vitamin E on your skin and discontinue use immediately if you develop a skin rash or other signs of an allergic reaction. Clean the affected area using a mild facial cleanser and lukewarm water. Avoid harsh soaps and hot water when washing your face, as these are irritating and drying and can make wrinkles worse. Gently pat your skin dry with a soft towel. Puncture a small hole in a capsule of vitamin E with a clean pin or pair of scissors. If you intend to cover a large area with the vitamin E gel, make a larger hole to increase the speed at which the gel is released from the capsule.
Squeeze a small amount of vitamin E gel onto your clean fingertips and dab it onto wrinkled areas. Be careful not to get the vitamin E gel in your eyes or nose. Spread the gel around your face, using gentle pressure and the tips of your fingers. Let the gel dry before going to sleep or using cosmetics or other skincare products. Rubbing vitamin E on your skin within 8 hours of sun exposure may help prevent wrinkles caused by inflammation and sun damage, according to John R. Trevithick, PhD, of the University of Western Ontario. Clean pin or pair of scissors Does Vitamin E Skin Oil Have Side Effects? Vitamin E and Skin Reaction Homemade Vitamin E Oil Lotion How to Get Rid of an Allergic Reaction Rash How to Rub Vitamin E on the Scalp to Promote Hair Growth Can You Improve Skin Tone With Vitamin E Oil? Vitamin E Oil for Burns How to Heal Hair With Vitamin E Vitamin E Skin Cream Benefits The Best Vitamins for Skin Elasticity
The Safety of Vitamin E Oil in Pregnancy Vitamin A, C & E in Skin Care When Pregnant Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E Skin Care Cream: The Information What Are the Benefits of Using Vitamin E on the Face? Severe Stress-Induced Allergic Reactions Can Too Much Vitamin C Cause Hives or a Rash? How to Rub Vitamin E on the Skin Vitamin E for EczemaYou've probably heard your doctor discuss the health benefits of taking vitamin E, which include boosting your immune system, preventing stroke-induced brain damage and protecting against certain cancers. But vitamin E oil can also work wonders when it comes to your hair, skin and nails. (Just take a look at this girl's smooth alabaster complexion). However, it isn't as simple as buying a face cream labeled with the powerful ingredient. Skincare specialists praise vitamin E oil for its beauty benefits, but they do so with caution. "Vitamin E is always a tricky ingredient to use," says celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas.
"It's an awesome antioxidant, but it's heavy, so if you are prone to break outs, it could make you break out more. Vitamin E has always been used in skincare, but I think the purity of it has changed." Dr. Stafford R. Broumand, a New York City-based cosmetic and plastic surgeon, echoes the evolution of the super vitamin, explaining, "Vitamin E exists in eight chemical forms (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta- tocopherol and alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta –tocotrienol). Tocopherol is the only form that is recognized to meet human requirements. However, most Vitamin E oils do not contain all eight forms and some have soy." According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, our society's growing obsession with oils is rooted in the belief that a "natural" product is the cure-all for dry skin, eczema, etc. "The fact is that the oil may be moisturizing to help the condition, but the vitamin E part of it is unnecessary... and can sometimes cause an allergy," she says.
So how can we get the most out of vitamin E oil without causing more harm than good to our bodies? Apply it at night. "The oil can be thick and greasy, so it's best used before bedtime, possibly in place of a night cream or moisturizer," says Dr. Broumand. Combine it with vitamin C. "It has been shown that when combining vitamin E with vitamin C, it can act as a natural form of sun protection," explains Dr. Broumand. "Vitamin E oil works to block free radicals from the body, which play a large part in the aging process. If we can fight off free radicals, then we can reduce wrinkles and keep the skin youthful-looking." Vargas adds, "It has basic antioxidant properties that everyone needs. It is unavoidable that we are all suffering from environmental stress. [Vitamin E oil] protects the skin against cell mutation in the sun and pollution. It's also an anti-inflammatory, so it calms and hydrates sensitive skin." Swap it in place of skin-brightening creams. "Free radicals can also prevent the healing of scars, so applying vitamin E oil will help to repair and improve the appearance of the damaged tissue," says Dr. Broumand.
Use it to target excessive dryness. "There have been some studies to show that vitamin E oil may increase circulation to the scalp," says Dr. Broumand. "This temporarily increased blood flow to the area could help to enhance the health and strength of the hair follicles. Vitamin E oil can also work to hydrate and moisturize dry, brittle hair." Vargas also recommends massaging vitamin E oil on your cuticles and lips to prevent and soothe chapped skin. Is vitamin E oil a part of your daily beauty regimen? Want more HuffPost Style beauty content? Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostBeauty. (For everything else check out our main HuffPost Style Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram @HuffPostStyle.) Do you have a beauty story idea or tip? (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)Few of us embrace the signs of aging skin--those fine lines and creases that creep up after 30. Eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and using a moisturizing sunscreen will help preserve complexions, but they won't make a 50-year-old look 35.
And for those who want a dramatic age reversal, there are plenty of medical solutions—from face-lifts to injectable treatments for lines and creases. But there are also any number of tricks you can do at home or find at a beauty salon or drug store that are reputed to reduce lines with scant (or no) science behind them. Here's a short list of some popular wrinkle-fighting moves that doctors say are useless, unproven or harmful—and some real tips from dermatologists for keeping your skin young:Egg whites, mashed banana and honey—no, we're not talking about baby food. Each of these has been touted as a beauty treatment that will make skin appear more youthful, although dermatologists say there's no good reason why they would. Then there's citrus fruit and oils. Rubbing your face with pineapple—the most commonly used fruit—will, in fact, exfoliate dead cells, which improves the skin's appearance temporarily. But a castor or olive oil treatment can plug up pores and cause acne.
2. Exercising the Facial Muscles. Actually, making faces aggravates, rather than prevents, wrinkles. There is no evidence that you can build up the small, thin muscle fibers in facial skin the same way you tone biceps.Some beauty practitioners apply small jolts of electricity to facial muscles to "reprogram" them to lift. But the effects are brief, says Dr. Susan Weinkle, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of South Florida: "You need to kill the nerve to stop it from contracting for any length of time." The FDA is currently evaluating technology that will kill the nerves. 4. Vitamin E Creams. In any beauty-supply store, you'll see dozens of creams with long lists of ingredients, often including vitamin E. Alas, the vitamin E in these creams does not prevent wrinkles and can cause an allergic rash. What does work on wrinkles (other than a trip to a plastic surgeon)? Dermatologists recommend creams containing tretinoin, marketed as Retin A or Renova and available only by prescription, or the weaker over-the-counter creams containing retinol.
"If I had to choose one cream, I'd choose one that contains tretinoin or retinol," says Weinkle. Dermatologists also recommend creams with high concentrations of alpha hydroxyl acid, which exfoliate dead skin and trigger formation of new collagen and elastic fibers. OTC versions have a concentration of 6 percent or less of alpha hydroxyl acid, while prescription products typically contain 12 percent or more. Other helpful creams are those that contain Vitamin C and the brand formulations TNS Recovery Complex, Citrus CRS, Revaleskin and Prevage. Creams based on the small chains of amino acids called peptides seem to have some benefit in promoting collagen production, says Chicago dermatologist Carolyn Jacob, but the proof so far only comes from lab experiments, not large clinical trials with people. And then there's prevention: Ultraviolet A rays (UVA, not UVB) are most responsible for skin aging, so check your sunscreen for UVA blockage, and opt for 30 SPF in sunny climates, says Weinkle.