Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects and repairs the skin.Antioxidants are agents that neutralize the oxidant effect of free radicals, which are molecules that damage collagen and cause skin dryness, fine lines and wrinkles.

 

A simple chemistry lesson can explain how vitamin E does this. The atoms that comprise your body try to maintain an even number of electrons -- that's what makes them stable. If an atom has an uneven number of electrons, it will steal an electron from another atom to become stable. When your skin takes a beating from outside factors, such as the sun's ultraviolet rays, your body can produce free radicals. Free radicals are atoms with an uneven number of electrons, and when they form inside your body, they steal electrons from healthy cells like the ones that make up your skin. This can cause a damaging chain reaction, and that's where antioxidants like vitamin E come in.Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and prevent cellular damage from occurring.

 

Vitamin E is one of the most powerful antioxidants, but your body can't produce it, which means you have to make sure you're getting enough of this valuable nutrient in your diet. Considered an antioxidant superstar. It is one of the most well-known and researched antioxidants, both when taken orally and when used in skin-care products. It is fat-soluble and available in various forms, with the most biologically active being alpha-tocopherol.

 

How does Vitamin E benefit skin

• Protecting the epidermis from early stages of ultraviolet light damageIncreasing the efficacy of active sunscreen ingredients

• Reducing the formation of free radicals upon skin exposure to UVA rays and other sources of skin stress

• Preventing the peroxidation of fats, a leading source of cell membrane damage in the body

• Reducing transepidermal water loss from skin and strengthens the skin's barrier functionProtecting the skin barrier's oil (lipid) balance during the cleansing processReducing the severity of sunburn