Vitamin E has been in the beauty scene for quite some time now, and it’s easy to see why — this essential vitamin is one that can work some serious skin magic. But did you know that it offers great benefits for healthier hair, too?
Today, Love Wellness has you covered with all there is to know about vitamin E for hair, including how it can help you to achieve the gorgeous mane of your dreams.
What Is Vitamin E?
Simply put, vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient that is important for many processes in the body. It can be taken via supplements or consumed from food sources, such as:
- Wheat germ oil
- Almonds and peanuts
- Spinach, kale, and other leafy greens
- Sunflower seeds and sunflower oil
- Kiwi, mango, avocado, and blackberries
- Shrimp, cod, and salmon
When used in hair care products or skincare products, you may see vitamin E listed as tocopherol. This is just the scientific name for the specific form of vitamin E most commonly used in personal care.
The largest and most well-understood benefit that vitamin E offers is its antioxidant function. Think of antioxidants as itty-bitty cell defenders that seek out disease-causing toxins called free radicals. When they come into contact, the antioxidant neutralizes the free radical, wreaking havoc on its ability to damage DNA and cell membranes.
What Exactly Are Free Radicals?
Without getting too scientific, free radicals are oxygen-containing moleculesthat are extremely reactive and unstable. They’re formed when molecules or atoms lose or gain electrons. This results in an unpaired electron without a partner that can easily react with other molecules — and not in a good way.
Fortunately, antioxidants will gladly partner up with an unpaired electron to prevent free radicals from taking over. But if you don’t have enough antioxidants to keep the free radicals in check, something called oxidative stress happens, which can lead to cellular damage down to the DNA level.
And when cells get damaged, it can lead to skin concerns like:
- Premature aging (think: wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging)
- Uneven skin tone
- Irritation
- Breakouts
- Hair damage
In short, free radicals are not good by any means, but antioxidants can help.
How Can Vitamin E Support Healthier Hair?
Vitamin E is an extremely versatile nutrient thanks to its antioxidant properties— it can be applied directly to your scalp via vitamin E oil, massaged into the hair’s length, or ingested as an oral supplement. With this in mind, here are some of the many impressive benefits that vitamin E may offer to help you achieve healthier hair:
1. Supports Scalp Health
Vitamin E is especially important for healthy skin — including the skin that sits on top of your head. Poor scalp health manifests into unhealthy, dry, dull, and damaged hair. Thankfully, vitamin E can support your hair goals by rejuvenating and conditioning your scalp while also promoting a healthy scalp environment.
Pro Tip: A healthy scalp microbiome is vital for your hair health. So, in addition to taking a vitamin E supplement, we also recommend taking a probiotic — such as Healthy Hair Probiotics. One capsule a day is all you need to support longer, thicker, and shinier hair.*
To help further support your hair follicles, we recommend massaging a vitamin E-rich hair oil into your scalp using gentle pressure and circular motions. Strong blood flow to your capillaries helps make sure your hair follicles get the nutrients they need to grow healthy hair.
2. Supports Overall Shine and Luster
Thanks to chemicals, heat, pollution, and genetics, hair can become dry, brittle, frizzy, or dull. You may even experience some split ends and hair breakage as a side effect of dry hair or dry scalp. The good news is that vitamin E might be able to help bring back natural shine to your strands by:
- Delivering key lipids
- Protecting and preserving hair cuticles
- Protecting outer layers of your hair from external stressors
Consider applying pure vitamin E oil to your locks to achieve shiny, salon-worthy hair. You can also give your mane a boost with Good to Glow — a vitamin E and vitamin C skin-loving combo that helps protect against free radicals to support healthy hair. Simply take two capsules a day and rest easy, knowing that your strands are getting the love they need to thrive.*
3. Supports Healthy Oil Production
An imbalance in pH levels on your scalp may lead to excessive oil production or insufficient oil production — with hair fall likely to occur in both cases.
Fortunately, vitamin E is thought to play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy production of oil, as well as pH levels on the scalp in check. It does this by locking in natural moisture and soothing the sebaceous glands to promote optimal hydration. As a result, your scalp gets revived and can better support strong and healthy hair.
4. Supports Strong Hair Growth
Vitamin E supports the proper synthesis of collagen, which is used to build keratin — the protein that hair is primarily made of. Vitamin E can also help promote strong hair growth by working to support the integrity of hair roots on the scalp.
Pro Tip: Thinking about taking vitamin E to support longer, stronger locks? Give it a boost with Call Me Collagen — grass-fed collagen peptide powder clinically proven to improve hair thickness.
The Final Word
Whether you’re dealing with hair breakage, split ends, lackluster locks, or even dandruff, vitamin E might be your saving grace. Mix it with a carrier oil like olive oil or coconut oil to make the most out of it and for even more hair care support, consider taking a break from your hot styling tools.
Heat-damaged hair loses elasticity and can lead to unhealthy strands. Use a nourishing conditioner regularly, eat a balanced diet full of vitamin e-rich foods, and when in doubt, reach out to a dermatologist for help.
Here at Love Wellness, we’re on a mission to bring natural solutions for natural problems to everyone. From gut and vaginal issues to hair and skin support, you can always count on us to have just what you need to feel your best.
Sources:
Why You Should Care About Free Radicals | Cleveland Clinic
Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health | PMC
Keratin: Protein, Structure, Benefits, Uses & Risks | Cleveland Clinic