Vitamin E Oil Benefits for Skin & How To Use It For Healthy Glow?

If you’ve been looking for a magic potion for your skin, you should consider Vitamin E. An essential nutrient found naturally in some foods including nuts, seeds and green vegetables, it has been a popular ingredient in skincare product for years.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties that are effective in maintaining skin health [1]. Read on to know about its benefits, precautions and what products to use.

What Experts Say

“Vitamin E is basically an oil-soluble antioxidant. Among eight different types of vitamin E tocopheryl acetate and tocopherol are commonly used in skincare products. Vitamin E oil can fight against free radicals and protects your skin from damage. It also has moisturizing and healing properties that help to boost the barrier function of your skin.

Abhisikta Hati (PG, Chemical Technology), Senior Product Development Executive, SkinKraft

Highlights:

• Is Vitamin E Oil Good For Your Face?
• Benefits of Vitamin E Oil
• Vitamin E Oil Precautions And Safety
• How To Apply Vitamin E Oil To Your Face?
• Tips for Vitamin E oil
• Frequently Asked Questions About Vitamin E Oil For Skin

Is Vitamin E Oil Good For Your Face?

Yes, Vitamin E oil for skin is highly beneficial. It moisturizes and nourishes your skin. It adds to your glow and makes your skin smooth and healthy. The oil is also known to reduce hyperpigmentation and wrinkles, besides maintaining skin health.

According to our senior product development executive, Abhisikta Hati, “Vitamin E is basically an oil-soluble antioxidant. Among eight different types of vitamin E tocopheryl acetate and tocopherol are commonly used in skincare products. Vitamin E oil can fight against free radicals and protects your skin from damage. It also has moisturizing and healing properties that help to boost the barrier function of your skin.”

Benefits of Vitamin E Oil

1. Reduces Hyperpigmentation

Increased melanin production in your skin causes a darker skin tone. The hyperpigmentation of your skin is known as melasma.[2] According to skin experts, melasma can be treated with topical Vitamin E.[3]

Studies suggest that combining Vitamin E with Vitamin C can work as a natural sun protector and can reduce hyperpigmentation. If you’re adventurous and enjoy staying out in the sun for long hours, this can be your new best friend!

2. Prevents Skin Aging

Dry skin is one of the major reasons for early skin ageing. Often dry skinned people experience more wrinkles and fine lines. Vitamin E is antioxidant-rich and the antioxidants present in Vitamin E oil can improve your blood circulation.

Having moisturizing properties, it can make oil can make your skin look firm and youthful! Direct usage of Vitamin E oil and other topical forms of Vitamin E slows down your skin-ageing process [4].

3. Improves Dry Skin Conditions

Vitamin E oil acts as a moisturizer to reduce and prevent dry skin. It reduces the flakiness and the anti-inflammatory properties of Vitamin E oil soothe irritated skin. This oil is often associated with the treatment of skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. A randomized controlled trial was done to see the outcome of using oral Vitamin E supplements on atopic dermatitis patients. The result showed significant improvement in the skin condition among the participants. [5] A study on the efficacy of a new topical treatment for psoriasis suggests that Vitamin E oil can help treat psoriasis[6].

4. Removes Dirt

Vitamin E oil is a heavy emollient. It removes dirt from your pores to give you a refreshed and smooth appearance. A few drops of Vitamin E oil should do the trick. Vitamin E capsules can be a great addition to your skincare regimen for cleaning up your skin pores.

Also, the combination of vitamin a and vitamin E helps in removing the acne-causing bacteria.[7]

5. Reduce Dark Spots

Topical usage of Vitamin E oil is often used to treat dark spots like acne scars and wound marks. Most spot correcting products such as creams and gel contains vitamin E oil as a key ingredient. But there is not enough evidence to support the efficacy of Vitamin E oil for face acne.

In fact, one old research shows the lack of effectiveness of vitamin E oil in eliminating the cosmetic appearance of scars. One-third of the participants of that study experienced no study improvement of scars and developed contact dermatitis instead. Even though the study does not disapprove of Vitamin E oil for scars, it highly discourages its use on surgical wounds.

6. Prevent Sun Burn

A few studies have shown that using Vitamin E oil can protect you from sunburn. Applying vitamin E oil on a sunburned area will soothe the skin and reduce the redness. One study talks about the reduction of sun damage after the application of topical Vitamin E.

7. Fights Against Free Radicals

Free radicals can occur due to extreme sun exposure, environmental pollutants, radiation and tobacco smoke. It breaks down your collagen layer resulting in early ageing signs, blemishes and unwanted acne breakouts.

Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that prevents oxidative damage to your skin cells caused by free radicals. [8] It absorbs the energy from ultraviolet rays and protects your skin cells. [9]

Vitamin E Oil Precautions And Safety

Vitamin E oil is not feasible for every skin type. It is often associated with allergic reactions. If you are allergic to vitamin E oil, it may worsen your current skin problems. People with a previous history of allergies may experience minor side effects if they use Vitamin E oil for skin. You may notice mild skin irritation and redness. If you have oily skin, it may not be the best option for you to use. However, it does not have any serious side effects.

U.S. Food & Drugs Administration does not regulate the usage of Vitamin E supplements in beauty products. This is because different vitamin E oil products may contain different concentrations of the particular oil.

Also, over the counter products usually have additional ingredients with vitamin E oil. Please read the label carefully before buying the product and consult your doctor in case of any queries.

Word of Caution:

We recommend conducting a small patch test 24 hours before the actual application of the oil. If you do not see any kind of skin irritation or allergic reaction, feel free to use the product.

How To Apply Vitamin E Oil To Your Face?

If you’re using pure Vitamin E oil, follow these steps while applying it to your face:

Step 1: Wash your face and gently pat dry. Cleansing is always the first and most vital step of your skincare regimen.

Step 2: Take a hot/warm towel and wrap it around your face for 2-3 minutes. This will allow your pores to open up and soak in the oil better.

Step 3: In case of sensitive skin, try mixing the vitamin E oil with a carrier oil like coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil.

Step 4: Take a pea-sized amount of the oil. Gently rub the oil into your skin with your fingertips. Don’t be too harsh on your skin.

Step 5: If you have dry skin, you can leave the oil on overnight. If you’re prone to breakouts or have sensitive skin, wash it off after 15 minutes.

Tips for Vitamin E Oil

• Vitamin E oil is sticky. It can stain your pillows and sheets. If you choose to leave it on overnight, wrap a soft towel around your pillow to avoid staining.
• Bedtime is ideal for application as the oil doesn’t allow makeup to stay for long hours. Also, it can make your skin look greasy.
• Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after application to avoid them from feeling greasy and slippery.
• If your skin feels itchy or extremely irritated, apply ice cubes on your skin immediately. It will soothe your irritated skin.
• Usually, vitamin E oil application is kept overnight. Wash your face with a mild cleanser in the morning to remove the vitamin E oil from your face.
• In case you choose to apply the oil to the rest of your body, make sure it doesn’t touch your clothes. You want your skin to reap the benefits of the oil, not stain your clothes!

Frequently Asked Questions About Vitamin E Oil For Skin

1. How Long Can I Leave Vitamin E Oil On My Face?

Before using any oil, it is recommended to determine your skin type first. Vitamin E oil can benefit your skin in many ways. However, it is not suitable for all skin types. The oil can clog pores and aggravate breakouts.

If you have oily skin, wash off the oil after 15 minutes. Over time, if you don’t experience breakouts, you can extend the time limit.

Oral Vitamin E supplements are a better option if you have oily skin. However, its usage for more than a year can result in thinning of blood and reduce platelet count. Consult your dermatologist before consuming Vitamin E supplements.

2.Can You Leave Vitamin E Oil On Your Face Overnight?

Vitamin E promotes smooth skin. If you have dry skin, leaving it on for the whole night is recommended as it does not result in any side effects in most cases.

As an overnight treatment, mix Vitamin E oil with a carrier oil like jojoba oil or coconut oil. A carrier oil will dilute the Vitamin E oil and make sure it stays on the skin. Essential oils like Vitamin E oil evaporate easily and don’t stay on the skin for long hours if applied alone.

If you have oily or sensitive skin, leaving Vitamin E oil on for the whole night is not recommended. Wash off the oil 15 minutes after application.

3. What Is The Best Vitamin E Product For You?

If you have dry skin or eczema, applying pure Vitamin E oil can be beneficial. However, if you have oily skin, it is recommended to buy a moisturizer containing Vitamin E to avoid clogging your pores.

If you experience any allergic reactions or outbreaks after using it, visit a dermatologist. Your doctor will help you determine which form of Vitamin E will best suit your skin.

4. How To Use Vitamin E Capsules For Face?

You can buy Vitamin E capsules from any medical shop. Cut the capsule and take the oil from it. Massage the oil into skin gently using your fingertips. Make sure you use vitamin E oil for face at night. Keeping it overnight will retain the maximum amount of benefit. You can also mix the capsule oil into face masks and creams.

5. Can Vitamin E Oil Burn Your Face?

Vitamin E oil will not burn your face. It may cause minor allergic reactions but no severe damage has ever been reported because of Vitamin E oil.

6. How Much Vitamin E Oil For Face Is Recommended?

National Institutes of Health recommends oral consumption of 15 mg of Vitamin E every day both for teenagers and adults.[11]. There is no data available for the facial application of vitamin E oil. However, most anti-ageing cream that has Vitamin E oil only uses .05 to 1 % concentration of the oil.

Wrapping Up

Vitamin E oil can be the new bestie for your skin. It has a diverse range of benefits to offer if incorporated into your regular skincare regimen. If you are new to vitamin E oil, above mentioned steps of oil application and tips would be highly useful for you. Also, go slow with your vitamin E oil experiment and do not forget the patch test before the actual application. Remember, precaution is always better than the cure.

Begin By Knowing Your Skin