Monday, October 26, 2009

Vitamin E - Potent Antioxidant

Vitamin E is a well-known cosmetic ingredient that has time proven scientific research to substantiate its claims as one of the best antioxidants on the market.  In the scientific world Vitamin E is called tocopherol which is derived from the Greek words tokos, meaning "childbirth," and pherein meaning "to carry."  The "ol" on the end of the word designates it as an alcohol.  Vitamin E can be divided into two basic forms-tocopherols and tocotrienols.  These two forms can be further subdivided into eight different forms depending on their chemical composition. 

When applied topically Vitamin E has two major functions: to protect the skin from UV light damage and maintain the skin's barrier function.  Even a little UV exposure is able to deplete Vitamin E content thereby reducing the antioxidant protection.  This occurs even without reddening of the skin.  The damaged skin has the ability to return the levels of Vitamin E to almost baseline within 24 hours, but a lot of epidermal damage can occur within that time period.  Vitamin E should be used in sunscreens because of its ability to reduce free radical damage in the skin thus reducing the severity of sunburn.  It can be used both before and after the skin's exposure to the sun.  Vitamin E is best used in combination with other antioxidants such as Vitamin C, green tea, and coenzyme Q10.

Vitamin E is the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in the cell antioxidant defense system.  Biologically Vitamin E protects fatty acids and other components of cell membranes and LDL from oxidation by free radicals.  When taken orally or used topically Vitamin E can help the body in its fight against free radicals.  Vitamin E can help slow down the aging process and is a great preventive against vascular damage. 

Vitamin E should be incorporated into your skin care treatment plan to provide a powerful antioxidant that is crucial in fighting skin aging.  Free radical damage leads to a compromised barrier function leading to water loss and bacterial invasion hindering the skin's ability to function normally. Vitamin E has a role in preventing these problems.  It is highly recommended that you add a product containing Vitamin E to your skin care arsenal.

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