Tocopherol: How vitamin E benefits your skin

Vitamin «E» like eternal youth?

Vitamins are not just found in smoothies. The power packs are also used in skin care, especially vitamins A, C and E. Each of them has a special area of ​​application. Vitamin A is often used for impure skin and acne. With its peeling effect, vitamin C ensures a fresh glow. And vitamin E is a real all-rounder. It protects against cell damage, improves skin moisture and promotes regeneration. Tocopherol is really good for every skin type. We explain here what it can do and how you care for your skin with it.

💡 Reading tip: Find out what anti-aging care can do, what it can't and why.

Where vitamin E is found

Vitamin E occurs naturally in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils, for example. There it protects the sensitive fatty acids from damage caused by oxygen and light. It is a very effective antioxidant. These saviors are hugely important for the oil itself and for your skin. They prevent oils from going rancid. And they slow down skin aging. Because oxidation also affects your skin.

☝️ As a natural component of many vegetable oils, vitamin E is contained in most natural cosmetics without it being declared separately. If it appears separately in the INCI list, there is a lot of it.

Tocopherol – where does the term come from?

If vitamin E is added to a product, it is declared as tocopherol. But why actually? Behind the term vitamin E is a whole group of radical scavengers called tocopherols and tocotrienols. The INCI designation comes from them. Sometimes this vitamin is also given as α-tocopherol. This is a particularly potent member of this group of substances.

Vitamin E has a dual function in cosmetics

There are two reasons why manufacturers add a little more tocopherol. We at FIVE do that too, by the way.

1. Vitamin E makes the product durable. It goes without saying that natural cosmetics only use natural preservation methods. Vitamin E is one of them. It prevents oils from going rancid. This is important so that you can enjoy your good cream or care oil for a long time.
2. Vitamin E also «preserves» your skin. Tocopherol is one of the few substances that actually have a major effect on skin aging. We owe this primarily to its antioxidant effect.

The 5-fold effect of vitamin E

Tocopherol has an antioxidant effect

Free radicals are formed when you are exposed to UV light, when you are stressed, when you drink alcohol, eat unhealthily or smoke. The oxidative stress can also get out of hand during sport. So actually you are exposed to it all the time. When free radicals attack healthy cells, skin aging accelerates.You can counteract this with skin care full of antioxidants. They render free radicals harmless. This way, these everyday influences can affect your skin less.

Vitamin E promotes cell division

The surface of the skin is constantly changing. Old cells are shed and fresh ones rise to the surface. When this process slows down, skin literally begins to look old. Not with tocopherol! It promotes the formation of fresh skin cells. This keeps the surface smooth and fresh.

More clamping force

For a youthful appearance, not only the surface but also the supporting substructure of the skin is interesting. Proteins such as collagen, keratin and elastin cushion them and keep them elastic. Vitamin E stabilizes these important proteins in the skin. This prevents deep wrinkles and sagging contours.

Better skin hydration

A healthy water balance makes the skin look plump and fresh. We have already discussed how the skin retains water. Vitamin E supports it her there. It helps to bind waterin the horny layer, i.e. where it escapes particularly easily. Tocopherol thus improves skin moisture and makes it look plump.

Vitamin E reduces inflammation

Inflammation is basically part of the defense response. This eliminates unwanted germs from the skin. Unfortunately, inflammation quickly takes over and then it becomes uncomfortable. Redness, feelings of tightness or painful skin areas often occur with impure and damaged skin. Vitamin E helps by strengthening the skin barrier. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect. In this way, the unpleasant symptoms subside more quickly and the skin can heal.

Vitamin E is so good for your skin

The combination of these five effects is simply awesome for the skin. As promised, tocopherol is a true beauty all-rounder.

• Tocopherol slows down skin aging. It counteracts wrinkles, increasing pigmentation and age spots. This keeps the skin looking smooth and rosy for longer.
  🦜 The early bird stays radiantly beautiful: It's never too early to include tocopherol in your skin care routine.
• Inflammation, pimples and cracks subside faster thanks to improved wound healing. In addition, vitamin E reduces the formation of scars and pimples in acne.
• Structurally damaged skin Tocopherol helps to repair its protective barrier. Dryness and irritation are relieved.
• During pregnancy vitamin E prevents stretch marks. It keeps the skin elastic. So it grows better with the belly.

How do you get enough vitamin E?

You should ideally get vitamins from a balanced diet. From the inside, vitamin E contributes to healthy cell division and promotes blood circulation. In this way, nutrients are distributed more thoroughly through to the skin. However, dietary tocopherol is not available in rough amounts. Most of the time you just cover the need for a healthy body function. For a slow aging effect, it has to be more. Now please do not swallow heaps of dietary supplements! It is much better to apply tocopherol in a targeted manner, i.e. directly on the skin.

☝️ The perfect addition to skin care: A delicious muesli with nuts in the morning provides the ideal basis for a balanced supply of vitamin E from within.

How important is the dosage of vitamin E?

If you use a cream or serum with vitamin E, you don't have to apply super thick. The important thing is that you make the vitamin E available directly where it is needed. And using products lavishly can overwhelm the skin. Much more important than the amount is that your skin can absorb vitamin E well.

Tocopherol and vegetable oils - together to the goal

Vitamin E is fat-soluble. So it is stored and transported in oils. It is important to use suitable carriers. For more elasticity, you want an oil that penetrates deep into the skin. Not every lipid can do that. Mineral oils only remain on the surface. Therefore, creams that only contain mineral oils cannot infiltrate vitamins into the skin. For this you need natural oils. The body can use them and therefore allows them to pass. Sea buckthorn pulp oil, for example, transports the tocopherol right into the skin.

When does tocopherol belong in your skin care

It's never too early. Vitamin E helps your skin to protect and regenerate. And this is always necessary, not just when signs of skin aging become visible. Then only time travel helps. But until the technology is ready, we have to be content with prevention. It works better the earlier you start. In addition, the natural ingredient is suitable for absolutely every skin type.

Even before the first wrinkles become visible, the skin gives off warning signals. Is it already dry, less elastic or do wounds heal poorly? Such signs can already indicate a sluggish cell regeneration. Now at the latest it is time to include vitamin E in your care. Facial oils or creams with vegetable oils are best suited for this. In this way, the skin can optimally absorb the beauty vitamin and let it work in depth.

May we stay fresh and crunchy for a long time to come!
Your Anna

🌟 By the way: All oil-based FIVE products contain an extra portion of vitamin E for youthful skin.