Winter is still around and low humidity often steals moisture from our bodies. Naturally, our skin often ends up dry, flaky, and itchy, while our hair starts looking dull and damaged. Hence it is important to keep your skin and hair healthy, nourished, and looking good all season long. One of the first steps is consuming vitamins and minerals every day, which is essential to sustain a healthy body and mind. Vitamin E plays a pivotal role in your body’s ability to maintain healthy skin, hair, and muscles, as well as support healthy levels of immunity. Dr. Sachin Pawar, MD, Head – Medical & Technical affairs – India Cluster, Procter & Gamble Health Limited shares the benefits of consuming vitamin E for your hair and skin.
As published by the National Centre of Biotechnology Information authors Mohammad Abid Keen and Iffat Hassan, Vitamin E was first discovered in 1922 by scientists Herbert M Evans and Katherine Bishop at the University of California at Berkeley. Vitamin E has since been in use for more than 50 years in dermatology.
Unlike other antioxidants, vitamin E has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that protect the body from free radicals produced by environmental pollutants and stressors. Our cells need daily nourishment to keep us healthy and active and Vitamin E plays a pivotal role in it.
Benefits of Vitamin E for skin:
A component of many beauty products, Vitamin E is a free-radical scavenger that protects the skin from the adverse effects of solar radiation/UV rays. Its antioxidant properties nourish your skin and reduce free radical damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. Vitamin E also acts as a moisturizing agent for your dull skin. Furthermore, collagen, which is an important part of your skin’s structure and elasticity, is less likely to be damaged and can help protect you against the signs of aging.
A study conducted in 2016 showed that vitamin E is also effective for reducing dark under-eye circles when it’s combined with antioxidants like vitamin C and retinol.
Vitamin E also helps you fight acne. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties act upon the bacteria causing acne by reducing the formation of comedones.
Benefits of Vitamin E for hair:
Not just on the skin, Vitamin E also helps improve your hair. Vitamin E supports your scalp’s microcirculation and oxygenation and thus provides nourishment at the cellular level. Therefore, Vitamin E is an essential for maintaining healthy hair.
Deficiency of Vitamin E:
While Vitamin E is a vital nutrient for our body, its deficiency can lead to cellular weakness and breakdown. In addition to its activities as an antioxidant, vitamin E plays a pivotal role in boosting your immune function. One of the most common symptoms of Vitamin E deficiency is a low immune system, muscle weakness, retina-related problems, and trouble with balance and coordination. Nevertheless, you can overcome the deficiency with simple alterations to your diet, as well as the addition of Vitamin E supplements to your daily routine. How do I find Vitamin E?
We can easily incorporate vitamin E into our diets in the form of seeds, nuts, oils, and a handful of fruits and vegetables. Some people may benefit from taking Vitamin E supplements in addition to eating foods rich in Vitamin E, such as avocados, papaya, spinach, and almonds. However, one must ensure that the supplements are consumed with a full meal since the nutrient is a fat-soluble vitamin, as stated by the National Institute of Health.
Remember, Vitamin E requirements differ based on factors such as age, gender, pregnancy status, and breastfeeding. It is very important to consult with your doctor to learn more about how much Vitamin E your body and lifestyle need.
