Benefits Of Vitamin E For Skin Hair And Health

Vitamin E is a wonder drug! It can treat a range of problems of the heart and blood including blocked arteries, high blood pressure, hardened arteries in the leg, varicose veins, diabetes, and related complications, and nerves including Alzheimer’s diseases and dementia. Vitamin E is also beneficial for the eyes, safety of the fetus in the womb, women’s health, and impotence in men. It is also commonly used to heal parched and dehydrated skin and is increasingly found in all pharmaceutically produced skin care products. Vitamin E or alpha-tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is predominantly found in green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, seafood, and fruits.

Vitamin E supplements are prescribed when your body is, for some reason, unable to absorb the nutrient from your regular diet. The topical application of Vitamin E can be in the form of an oil extract used on your skin and in your hair for growth and nourishment.

Vitamin E Oil Uses

Skin Benefits

1. Acts As a Moisturizer
2. Reverses Premature Skin Aging
3. Treats Sunburns
4. Lightens Dark Spots
5. Acts As A Cleansing Agent
6. Heals Dry Fingernails
7. Treats Stretch Marks
8. Soothes Pain From Cold Sores

Hair Benefits

9. Stimulates Hair Growth
10. Prevents Premature Graying
11. Gives Lustrous Hair
12. Repairs Split Ends

Health Benefits

13. Treats Minor Burns
14. Lightens Scars
15. Prevents Skin Cancer
16. Treats Other Skin Disorders
17. Reduces The Effects Of Bad Cholesterol
18. Treats Cystic Fibrosis In Babies

Vitamin E Benefits For Skin

1. Acts As A Moisturizer

Vitamin E restores and rejuvenates dehydrated skin.

What You Need

• Vitamin E oil
• Moisturizer or carrier oil like olive oil or seaweed serum

What You Need To Do

Mix a few drops of vitamin E oil with your night moisturizing lotion and apply it on your body before going to bed.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E is an oil-soluble nutrient and is hence heavier than water-soluble products. It works best for dry and damaged skin since it restores the lost moisture.

Caution

If you have normal or oily skin or are prone to breakout, you should seek a dermatologist’s advice. Since it is a heavy humectant, vitamin E can increase the chances of breakouts.

2. Reverses Premature Skin Aging

Vitamin E thwarts all chances of your skin becoming dull, wrinkled, and saggy.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E boosts the production of collagen, a fiber-like protein that is responsible for maintaining skin elasticity. It thereby reduces the ocurrence of fine lines and wrinkles that are signs of aging.

3. Treats Sunburns

Vitamin E is also known to lead to quick recovery from sunburns.

What You Need

Vitamin E oil

What You Need To Do

Take a few drops of vitamin E oil or break a vitamin E capsule, and rub it gently over the burnt area.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E contains antioxidants that neutralize the effects of free radicals caused by ultraviolet radiation, thus soothing sunburns.

4. Lightens Dark Spots

Dark spots can be attributed to a variety of factors such as free radical damage, aging, liver problems, etc. Vitamin E can alleviate such problems.

What You Need

• Vitamin E capsule
• Moisturizer or carrier oil like olive oil

What You Need To Do

1. Break the capsule and mix it with your body lotion or a carrier oil like olive oil.
2. Then, apply it over the dark spots.
3. Continue once daily until the spots have become visibly lighter.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E is an enriched source of free radical fighting antioxidants. These antioxidants reduce free radical damage that may have resulted in hyperpigmentation leading to spots.

5. Acts As A Cleansing Agent

Vitamin E also helps cleanse dirt, grime, and other impurities while simultaneously maintaining your skin’s oil balance.

What You Need To Do

Use a few drops of vitamin E oil on a cotton ball to wipe your face. Use twice daily.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E is a heavy emollient, which makes it easy to remove impurities from the surface of your skin as well as maintain its oil balance.

6. Heals Dry Fingernails

Vitamin E oil is an effective treatment for dry, cracked cuticles and nails.

What You Need To Do

Rub a few drop of vitamin E oil on dried cuticles and nails and massage.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E oil, being a great moisturizer, is suitable for application on dry nails and cuticles (10). Thus, it protects your skin.

7. Treatment Of Stretch Marks

Vitamin E oil is beneficial post delivery since it helps fade stretch marks.

What You Need To Do

Regular application of this oil on the stretch marks coupled with a gentle rubbing motion has shown to reduce the appearance of these marks.

Why Does It Work

Stretch marks appear owing to skin losing its elasticity because of the stretching of the upper and lower layers of the skin. They manifest as white stripe-like marks. Vitamin E oil is known to restore skin elasticity and lighten stretch marks.

8. Soothes Pain From Cold Sores

Vitamin E oil is known to take the bite off painful cold sores.

What You Need To Do

Crack open a vitamin E oil capsule and directly apply it on the blister.

Why Does It Work

This oil acts as a lip moisturizer and is extremely effective in getting rid of dryness resulting from a cold sore and its eruption, thereby providing relief from the stinging sensation that accompanies it.

Benefits Of Vitamin E For Hair

9. Stimulates Hair Growth

Vitamin E repairs damaged hair follicles and encourages healthy hair growth.

What You Need

• Vitamin E capsules
• Warm coconut oil or olive oil

What You Need To Do

1. Break the vitamin E capsules and mix the extract with the warm coconut or olive oil.
2. Then, massage your hair and scalp with this mixture.
3. Leave it on for about 30 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E oil contains antioxidants that improve the circulation of blood to all parts of the body, including the scalp. It conditions your hair from the root to the shaft and ensures healthier growth.

[ Read: Vitamin E for Hair Growth ]

10. Prevents Premature Graying

Vitamin E oil is very effective in slowing down the aging process, be it your skin or hair.

Why Does It Work

The potent antioxidants present in this vitamin E can effectively prevent the corrosion of tissues, thereby reducing the probability of premature graying.

11. Gives Lustrous Hair

Oiling your hair with vitamin E oil on a regular basis deeply conditions the hair and makes it healthier and shinier than before.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E is a natural moisturizer that keeps your scalp in good condition. Also, since vitamin E can be directly applied to your hair to condition it and make it smoother and softer.

12. Repairs Split Ends

Split ends and other damages caused due to constant blow drying, curling, and coloring are some of the common problems associated with hair. They can be treated at home with the help of vitamin E oil.

What You Need

• 3 ounces olive oil
• 3 ounces coconut oil
• 3 ounces hemp oil
• 3 ounces jojoba oil
• 2 ounces vitamin E oil

What You Need To Do

1. All you need to do is mix the olive, coconut, hemp, and jojoba oils to make an oil mixture.
2. Add vitamin E oil to it.
3. This can be used either as a hot oil or as a sealant to cure split ends.

Why Does It Work

The vitamin E helps strengthen and smoothen the cuticles of your hair, thereby reducing instances of splitting and breakage.

Vitamin E Benefits For Health

13. Treats Minor Burns

Vitamin E oil can be used to treat minor burns and injuries.

What You Need To Do

1. Pour a few drops of vitamin E oil on a cotton ball and gently apply to the burn area.
2. Make sure that the burn has cooled down before you apply the oil. Repeat this over the next few days until it has healed completely.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E oil has remarkable curative powers. It has the ability to heal wounds caused by small burns.

14. Lightens Scars

It is considered to be a superior treatment option for the removal of scars caused due to burns or acne.

What You Need To Do

1. You can apply a few drops of vitamin E oil to the scar tissue irrespective of whether it is old and faded or still fresh.
2. Gently massage the oil into the scar in a circular motion.

Why Does It Work

The oil will penetrate deep into the skin to repair the scar tissue at the source, thereby helping to diminish the appearance of blemishes.

15. Prevents Skin Cancer

Vitamin E oil is known to effectively prevent skin cancer.

What You Need To Do

1. Add around 4 to 5 drops of vitamin E oil to your sunscreen.
2. Apply it before heading out.

Why Does It Work

The powerful antioxidants present in vitamin E act as a protective shield against the harmful effects of the sun that cause the multiplication of cancerous cells.

16. Treats Other Skin Disorders

Vitamin E proves to be an effective treatment for skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis.

What You Need To Do

Apply vitamin E oil twice a day on the affected area on a regular basis for quick recovery.

Why Does It Work

It keeps your skin supple and combats the dryness of eczema and restores skin elasticity. Vitamin E can also restore the mechanism of skin regeneration, thereby effectively treating psoriasis.

17. Reduces The Effects Of Bad Cholesterol

Including vitamin E oil in your diet supports the heart, which in turn ensures long and healthy life.

Why Does It Work

The accumulation of bad cholesterol in the arteries causes the heart to pump harder to circulate the blood, thereby increasing the risk of a heart attack. Vitamin E oil negates the effects of bad cholesterol by disallowing it to oxidize and preventing it from lining up the arteries.

18. Treats Cystic Fibrosis In Babies

Vitamin E supplements are known to help fight off the effects of disorders like cystic fibrosis that result in pancreatic blockage.

What You Need To Do

Include dietary vitamin E supplements in your child’s food to alleviate this problem.

Why Does It Work

Vitamin E supplements help children with cystic fibrosis maintain adequate weight and alleviate pancreatic blockage that results from the deficiency.

Foods Sources

Some of the food sources that can help you naturally supplement your vitamin E deficit include:

Sunflower Seeds: An ounce of dry roasted sunflower seeds delivers 7.4 mg of vitamin E which basically amounts to close to 90% of your daily requirement. In case sunflower seeds are difficult to find, you can replace them with sunflower oil since it provides 5.6 mg of vitamin E.

Avocado: Just half an avocado contains 2 mg of vitamin E and 161 calories. It makes up a major chunk of both your vitamin E as well as calorie intake.

Pine Nuts: One ounce of pine nuts contain 2.6 mg of vitamin E and 191 calories. You can either choose to add pine nuts to your salads for more texture or drizzle some pine nut oil.

Spinach: Spinach is a very nutritious green that contains adequate amounts of calcium, folates, as well as vitamin E. One cup of boiled spinach can make up for 20% of your required vitamin E content. It is also a good source of fiber that helps in weight management.

Kale: Kale is an increasing popular salad green that also contains a decent amount of vitamin E. Abundant in many nutrients, one cup of boiled kale can cover 6% of your daily vitamin E requirement.

Turnip Greens: These are not the most delectable greens, but they are highly nutritious. Half a cup of turnip greens contains 2.9 mg of vitamin E and only 24 calories.

Swiss Chard: Swiss chard is the healthiest among all greens containing abundant vitamins A, C, and K, along with enough vitamin E. One cup of boiled Swiss chard is accountable for 17% of your daily vitamin E requirement.

Mustard Greens: A lot like swiss chard, mustard greens contain a variety of essential nutrients. One cup of boiled greens contains about 14% of your dietary requirement of vitamin E.

Almonds: Nuts usually contain a high concentration of vitamin E as is found in almonds with 7.5 mg in every ounce.

Parsley: Parsley is not only a great idea for additional flavor and texture to your salad, but it is also adequately rich in vitamin E.

Nutritional Requirement Of Vitamin E

Here is an overview of the age-wise nutritional requirement of Vitamin E:

CATEGORY   (CHILDREN & ADULTS)	TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS (UL) OF VITAMIN E (ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL) IN MILLIGRAMS (MG) AND INTERNATIONAL UNITS (IU)
1-3 years	200 mg/day (300 IU)
4-8 years	300 mg/day (450 IU)
9-13 years	600 mg/day (900 IU)
14-18 years	800 mg/day (1,200 IU)
19 years and up	1,000 mg/day (1,500 IU)

Risks Of Deficiency

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient required for the development and maintenance of the human body. Deficiencies of vitamin E manifest in the form of:

• Dryness of skin
• Cataract
• Mild anemia
• Decreased sex drive
• Reproductive and fertility issues
• Leg cramps
• Gastrointestinal problems

Risks Of Over Consumption

Vitamin E usage mostly includes oral consumption or topical application. When consuming orally, it is advisable to limit the dosage to 15 mg daily. Exceeding this limit might cause serious side effects. Also, people with the following health problems should avoid consumption of oral vitamin E supplements:

Diabetes

Vitamin E can increase the risks of heart failure in people suffering from diabetes.

Low Vitamin K Levels

It can worsen clotting problems in case of vitamin K deficiency.

History Of Cardiac Issues

Vitamin E can increase the risks of heart attack among people with a history of heart-related problems.

Heart And Neck Cancer

People suffering from cancer of the neck or heart should avoid taking more than 400 IU of vitamin E per day.

Retinitis Pigmentosa

Synthetic vitamin E supplements can speed up vision loss among patients with retinitis pigmentosa. A lower (3 IU/day) and controlled dosage are, however, harmless.

Surgeries

Since vitamin E is a blood thinner, it can increase the risks of bleeding and should hence be avoided before and after surgery.

Vitamin E is a dietary supplement that is necessary for maintaining overall good health. If you know of some more benefits of Vitamin E, feel free to leave us a comment.