You'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.)Vitamin E, you can slather it on your skin or swallow it in a capsule. Praised as an antioxidant, vitamin E also helps your body in a number of other ways, such as helping your immune system and helping keep vessels healthy. There are claims that vitamin E, as an antioxidant, fights a host of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, age-related vision loss, wrinkles, and even certain cancers. shelves are loaded with goods that contain vitamin E that claim to reverse age-relatedThe real benefits behind vitamin E are found in the seesaw balance of free radicals and antioxidants.
Free radicals in the body are oxygen molecules that lose an electron, which makes them unstable. unstable molecules interact with cells in the body in a way that can causeAs the process snowballs, cells can be damaged and you are made vulnerable Free radicals can be created by our bodies as we age, or by everyday factors like digestion or exercise. also caused by exposure to external things like: Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating the missing electrons that destabilize them. in many foods and are also made in our bodies using the vitamins and minerals Unless your diet is very low in fat, it’s likely that you’re getting enough vitamin E. pollution, and even exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun can deplete your body’s stores of the vitamin. According to the National Institutes of Health, teenagers and adults should get about 15 mg of vitamin E a day. Pregnant women should get the same, and breastfeeding women should up that to
For children, they recommend 4-5 mg for infants, 6 mg for children between 1-3 years old, 7 mg for those between ages 4-8, and 11 mg from ages 9-13 years. You don’t need capsules and oil toMany processed foods, especially cereals and juices, are fortified with vitamin E. It’s also found naturally in many foods, including: Try this quick and easy recipe for guacamole » Since their identification, free radicals, vitamin E, and other antioxidants have been subject to research for their ability to prevent a number of diseases. Macular degeneration is the primary cause of blindness in people age 55 and older. A study conducted by the National Eye Institute found that taking high levels of antioxidants and zinc can decrease your risk of getting advanced macular degeneration by as much as 25 percent. It’s believed that people with higher levels of vitamin E are at reduced risk of heart disease. But one study that followed over
14,000 U.S. males for eight years found no cardiovascular benefit from takingIn fact, the study determined that vitamin E was associated with a higher risk of stroke. Another study that followed 35,000 men for five years found that taking vitamin E supplements had no effect when it came to lowering any type of cancer risk. A 2011 follow-up found that study participants who had taken vitamin E actually had a 17 percent higher risk of developing Vitamin E is widely touted as a salve that helps speed healing and reduce scarring. While there have been a few studies that support this, the greatest body of research indicates that vitamin E does not help skin wounds heal faster. One study found that slathering vitamin E oil can actually worsen the appearance of scars, or simply have no effect at all. About a third of participants developed contact dermatitis, which is a type of skin rash. The rush to supplement our diets
with antioxidants, including vitamin E, may not be the best course of action. that taking large doses of any antioxidant has no real preventative or therapeutic value unless deficiency is your problem. In March 2005, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions published an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, which claimed high doses of vitamin E may significantly increase mortality by all causes. Their findings, based on a review of 19 clinical trials, unleashed a firestorm of rebuttals, but little in the way of scientific proof. So, should you use vitamin E oil? It’s not likely it will have positive effects on your skin, and carries a high risk of skin rash. As for taking vitamin E internally, if you take the recommended dose, it’s considered relatively safe. Excessively high doses of vitamin E are not recommended. Related News: Americans Spend Billions on Vitamins and Herbs That Don’t Work »