Ingredient Spotlight: The Benefits of VITAMIN E for Your Skin

Posted by Otis Skincare on

An essential for a healthy, glowing complexion.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant found on the ingredient list of tons of anti aging moisturizers (including our own of course!)

But what makes it so good for your skin?  

Read on for the top five reasons Vitamin E has earned a place in your skin care routine – and the best ways for you to reap the skin benefits.

 Vitamin E oil in brown glass flacon with apricots

Vitamin E reduces signs of aging and is essential for a healthy, glowing complexion

 

Vitamin E has built up a strong reputation for its anti aging benefits and ability to improve your general health.

But you might be wondering …

Why is Vitamin E so great for a man's skin? 

As a potent source of antioxidants, Vitamin E is excellent at reducing signs of aging and keeping your skin looking younger.

It provides a natural shield from the daily environmental damage that a man’s skin is exposed to. It’s this cellular damage that causes signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles to appear, and for skin to start to sag.

And Vitamin E helps to strengthen and repair the barrier function of your skin, which can be badly affected by shaving.

It also stimulates your skin’s natural repair mechanism - particularly important when you’re dragging a blade across your face most days!

On top of that Vitamin E is excellent at hydrating your skin. And as a natural anti inflammatory it soothes and calms redness and irritation too.

It also acts as a pretty effective natural protection from the sun, improving the efficiency of your sunscreen.

Vitamin E is also essential for strong, healthy hair growth too:

 

Firstly, a quick refresher on antioxidants…

How antioxidants keep your skin looking younger 

Antioxidants, like Vitamin E, naturally work to neutralise the environmental stresses (free radicals) that damage your skin’s collagen and cause fine lines and wrinkles to appear.

What exactly are free radicals?

These are molecules generated by daily environmental damage, such as UV radiation from the sun and air pollution. They cause destructive changes to your cells and tissues, accelerating skin aging.

And antioxidants? Basically, they're molecules that block, or neutralise, the damage caused by these free radicals.

Antioxidants help to stimulate collagen production, giving your skin a healthy, smooth appearance.

 handsome young man applying anti aging cream while looking in the mirror

A potent source of antioxidants, Vitamin E is excellent at keeping your skin looking younger and healthier.

 

The 5 benefits for your skin of Vitamin E 

Starting with...

01 |  Vitamin E keeps your skin looking younger 

As we mentioned, Vitamin E is an exceptional antioxidant and fights off the damage caused by free radicals in our environment. So it helps to stop signs of aging (like lines and wrinkles) from forming.

Vitamin E also encourages collagen production. Collagen forms the structural support for your skin. So it helps stop any signs of sagging, as well as improves the texture of your skin to give you a healthy even-toned complexion.

 

02 |  Vitamin E strengthens your skin’s protective barrier, vital if you shave 

Because Vitamin E increases moisture content it helps to preserve the lipids in your skin and strengthen the protective barrier. If you imagine your skin’s outer layer is like a brick wall, then your skin cells are the ‘bricks’ and lipids form the ‘mortar’ which holds the bricks together.

If you have any ‘cracks’ in your skin barrier - from irritation or nicks caused during shaving, for example – then Vitamin E essentially seals up and heals those little cracks to prevent moisture from escaping and keeping your skin’s protective barrier intact.

 

03 |  It calms and soothes any irritation 

Vitamin E is anti-inflammatory so it will relieve any red, itchy skin symptoms.

And by helping your skin to stay moisturised and supple it soothes away irritation and makes your skin feel comfortable.

 

04 |  Vitamin E is exceptionally moisturising 

It’s an oil soluble ingredient meaning that it can penetrate deep into the epidermis and preserve the lipids, or fats, in your skin. It also promotes long lasting moisture retention so your face will feel smooth and hydrated for much longer than from products without Vitamin E.

Find Vitamin E in Hydrating Daily Moisturizer

 

 

05 |  It provides a natural barrier to the sun, increasing the efficiency of sunscreen 

Studies have found that Vitamin E has photoprotective properties as well, giving moderately effective natural protection from the sun. But more importantly, when used under sunscreen and in conjunction with Vitamin C, the combination provided four times more protection than using sunscreen alone.

 

The best ways to benefit from Vitamin E 

The easiest way to give your skin the youthful benefits of Vitamin E is to use skincare products which include this vitamin (in the form alpha tocopherol) in your skincare routine. Because it’s fat soluble using creams and moisturizers or a serum with vitamin E included is the best way to use the ingredient.

But also…

You can also get all the healthy anti aging benefits of Vitamin E from your diet. The following foods are all rich natural sources:

  • Leafy green vegetables – like kale, broccoli and spinach
  • Nuts – such as almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts
  • Seeds – such as sunflower seeds
  • Vegetable Oils – Sunflower, Wheat germ and Olive Oils

And we’ve listed some other excellent sources of antioxidant rich foods here: “EAT HEALTHIER, LOOK YOUNGER: an A-Z of the 27 best anti aging superfoods".

 

almonds and walnuts displayed in wooden bowls

Nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts) are a great source of anti aging Vitamin E

 

Whilst you can take vitamin E as a food supplement taking too much (more than 1000 mg per day) can be harmful. There have been reports of thinning of the blood and increased risk of bleeding from ingesting too high a quantity in capsule form. Best to stick to natural food sources.

So to sum it all up…

The Takeaway

Vitamin E is so often included in the best skincare products because it is one of the ultimate skin care ingredients.

Chock full of anti aging benefits, Vitamin E:

  • keeps your skin looking younger
  • strengthens your skin’s protective barrier, vital when shaving
  • calms and soothes any irritation
  • is extremely moisturising
  • and provides a natural barrier to the sun, increasing the efficiency of your sunscreen

What more could you ask for?

 

All you need to stay looking handsome. 
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PRESTIGE SKINCARE FOR MEN.
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