Conversations about Vitamin E benefits are rife, especially because they’re the easiest way to combat dry, dull skin. Infact, the pharmacy-bought oval, soft gel Vitamin E capsule is the most common beauty hack that makeup artists and celebrities worldwide swear by. Besides being super-effective, it is easily available and convenient to carry along in your bag. Shakira, the famous Columbian singer has a beauty hack to beat the flying blues. To make up for inflight dehydration, she puts some Vitamin E capsules on her skin to cheat a glow. Closer home, actor Nimrat Kaur uses the oil from Vitamin E capsules on her face and neck as her night-time skin ritual. We spoke to dermatologists and skincare experts about their take on the hydrating and glow-boosting ingredient.
Benefits of Vitamin E for your skin
- There are numerous scientific studies to how that alpha-tocopherol or Vitamin E helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and also prevents age spots. This is because Vitamin E performs an antioxidant activity that controls the damaging effects of free radicals on the skin. “The antioxidant properties prevent the skin cell from oxidative damage,” explains dermatologist and cutaneous surgeon Dr Satish Bhatia.
- Vitamin E stimulates blood flow to the skin and hair, increasing the collagen production, and this causes the skin to glow. Though topical application helps to counter a dull and dry complexion, for best results Dr Bhatia recommends an oral dose of 400mg (twice daily).
“Increased collagen also ensures a firming action and that’s why it is a popular ingredient in many anti-ageing over-the-counter beauty products,” he says.
Vitamin E in green beauty
When it comes to skincare products, Vitamin E is a super ingredient, especially in anti-ageing formulations. Shubhika Jain, co-founder Ras Luxury Oils, a homegrown brand that uses only naturally-derived ingredients explains, “Since Vitamin E helps in renewing skin cells, maintaining elasticity of skin and also boosts production of collagen naturally, we try to use base oils keeping in mind their Vitamin E content. As a policy, we don’t enrich our products with additional or synthetic chemicals, instead we include cold-pressed oils such as argan, pomegranate, almond, jojoba, hazelnut, avocado and grape-seed that are rich sources of Vitamin E.” Within the green beauty space, Vitamin E is popular because it acts as a natural preservative extending the life of the products, preventing them from oxidising and going rancid. Shivani Shah, co-founder, Naturma, also reveals that they add Vitamin E derived from wheatgerm extract in their line of beauty products.
The Vitamin E glow diet
Vitamin E is considered one of the safest dietary supplements for skin and hair and can be bought without a prescription. However, it is also available in the natural form, so you do not necessarily need to depend on the supplemental unless in certain conditions. “Meeting the Vitamin E daily requirement has been linked with hair growth and also adds shine to the hair making it look lustrous and strong,” advises Dr Harpreet Pasricha, nutritionist and diet consultant, Diet Dr Clinic. “We can effectively treat dry skin problems with the help of a vitamin-rich diet. It is especially essential during the winters, as it aids in soft and supple skin.”
When it comes to Vitamin E benefits, beauty is skin deep. Being a fat-soluble vitamin, it also aids in the production of certain hormones called prostaglandins that aid in regularising blood pressure. For good hair and skin days, make it a habit to start your day with soaked almonds which are the leading natural sources of Vitamin E. To get your skin glowing, Pasricha also suggests adding nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sabza seeds) to your diet, either as snacks or as garnish on salads and soups. Meats and fortified foods also have a high concentration of the vitamin. All cold-pressed plant oils (sunflower, cottonseed, olive, and coconut) are rich in Vitamin E, and among them, wheatgerm oil has the highest content. Other great sources include avocado, spinach, mustard greens and sweet potatoes. Include avocado into salads and sandwiches or mash up to make your own bowl of guacamole. Since it is a fat soluble, Vitamin E is absorbed best when taken with higher-fat foods. If you want your skin to glow and hair to grow, include some natural fats in your diet as well.
It is nearly impossible for a person to overdose on Vitamin E through natural sources. Most people who experience an overdose even in case of supplements are the ones who are taking blood thinners. So the next time you’re having a bad skin week, you know the missing link.
The article was first published in Vogue
