Have you ever seen Vitamin E written on a skincare product ingredient list and wondered exactly what are the benefits of vitamin E for your skin? After all, we all immediately assume that it is beneficial simply because it is a vitamin, but what is it exactly and how does it work?
What is vitamin E?
Vitamin E was accidentally discovered in a lab experiment in the 1920s in which a scientist discovered that there is something in wheat germ oil that is helping the laboratory rats reproduce. At that time, he had no idea what it was and he called it `factor X´.
Thinking it was good for the sex life of rats, the myth of `factor X´ gradually grew and this element became popularly known as “the shady lady of vitamins”.
In 1936 it was officially named tocopherol, from the greek words tocos which means “offspring”, and phero which means to “bring forth”.
What is Vitamin E made of?
Vitamin E is a fat soluble nutrient and is the most abundant lipophilic antioxidant in the skin. Vitamin E is not a single molecule but in fact it is made up of a group of compounds, four of which are called tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta), and four tocotrienols (also alpha, beta, gamma and delta). It has been found that people with chronic inflammatory skin disorders like acne or psoriasis tend to have low serum Vitamin E levels.
Vitamin E plays several roles in the health of skin:
- Vitamin E is a potent anti-oxidant that is very beneficial for the skin. It neutralises free radicals hence protecting the skin lipids, proteins and DNA from oxidative damage.
- Vitamin E plays an important role in sun protection because it absorbs UV light and reduces UV induced skin redness, DNA damage and other markers of photo damage. It has also been found, in animal studies, to reduce skin cancer from UV exposure.
- Vitamin E is a strong anti-inflammatory that reduces skin redness caused by exposure to UV and other stressors, and it also soothes skin inflammation caused by skin diseases like acne, eczema, and psoriasis reducing their severity.
- Vitamin E helps restore and maintain the skins integrity by reducing transepidermal water loss from the skin barrier hence reducing dryness and making the skin softer.
As you can see here, Vitamin E is very beneficial for inflamed skin, but it is also great for dry and flaky skin because it is deeply moisturising. Furthermore, Vitamin E is also great for mature skin because the skin´s vitamin E levels start to slowly drop as we age.
Regularly incorporating vitamin E in your skincare routine will help protect your skin, improve its elasticity and strengthen its protective barrier.
If you enjoyed learning about vitamin E you might also like to learn about avocado oil.
Note: Please keep in mind that Vitamin E is not a substitute for sunscreen because its UV absorption is limited.