We all know that working vitamins into our diet is essential for our health and that the Vitamin D our bodies generate from sunlight on our skin provides us with an all-important boost.
But did you know applying vitamins to your skin could work wonders too? Vitamin E is a nutrient found in foods like nuts, seeds, green vegetables, and has been a staple ingredient in skincare products for many years.
In its pure form and worked into an oil, those using Vitamin E as a facial treatment have reported seeing some excellent results.
What are the benefits of using vitamin E oil on your face?
As a vital nutrient, Vitamin E oil has been noticed to leave skin looking smoother and nourished.
- It can help with dry skin. Research has shown that vitamin E is an effective mineral in relieving sensitive skin conditions1
- It removes dirt. As a heavy emollient, the oil could help pull dirt from clogged pores and leave your skin looking fresher
- It can help with evening the tone of your skin. A study has shown that Vitamin E and Vitamin C work together to reduce the appearance of patchy skin caused by the effects of the sun’s UV rays2
- It can help with younger looking skin. As an antioxidant, Vitamin E can improve the appearance of skin by helping the face to look firmer and fuller3
How to apply Vitamin E oil
There are a few steps to applying Vitamin E oil safely and effectively. Here’s how to use Vitamin E oil on the face:
- Step 1: Conduct a patch test. Vitamin E oil is not for everyone and it can adversely react with some people’s skin. That’s why you should always test the product on the back of your hand and leave it 24 hours to check for any redness or soreness.
- Step 2: Provided there’s no bad reaction, you can begin using Vitamin E oil on your face. You’ll first need to wash your face and dry it by patting gently with a towel.
- Step 3: Warm a towel in a dryer or on a radiator and wrap it across your face, leaving it for a couple of minutes. The heat will help to open your pores, ready to soak in the oil.
- Step 4: Place a pea-size amount of the oil on the ends of your fingers and then gently rub into the skin across your face and neck.
- Step 5: Leave on for a suitable amount of time. What will be suitable depends on your skin type and what results you’re hoping to achieve from the oil. Those with sensitive skin shouldn’t leave it much longer than 15 minutes, while if you’re using the oil to treat dry skin, it can be left overnight.
- Step 6: Once ready, rinse off with warm water and dry your face gently. If you’ve left the oil overnight, you can simply do this in your morning shower.
How long should I be leaving it on?
As we mentioned, how long you should leave Vitamin E oil on will depend on your skin type.
Sensitive skin: 15 minutes maximum, as the oil can irritate the skin if left. To dilute it for longer use, you could try mixing the oil with jojoba oil or coconut oil.
Oily skin: 15 minutes maximum, as the oil is thick and can contribute to the clogging of pores if left too long. With 15 minutes, you should see the benefits without risking the downsides.
Dry skin: Overnight, as the moisturising qualities of the oil will need time to work on your skin.
Normal skin: You should be okay to use the oil overnight, but you may wish to dilute it with another base oil.
If you’d like to give your facial routine a wake up call, browse all our latest skincare products today.
Shop Skin Oils
Last updated: 2 June 2020
Sources
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9731960
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789494/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789494/
