Disclaimer: The information provided is not intended as medical advice. For any medical concerns, always contact your doctor.
Vitamin E oil for hair may be something you’ve heard about along with a list of other hair oils. As with many other oils, vitamin E oil can add shine and smoothness to your locks. But is it beneficial for overall hair health?
To start, vitamin E is an oil that is naturally found in dozens of foods that you eat every day. You’ll often see it listed as tocopherol or tocopheryl acetate in many skincare and haircare products. It’s an essential nutrient that you simply cannot live without. Its properties help various parts of the human body, including skin, brain, and yes — hair.
While the specific benefits and methods of incorporating vitamin E into your hair routine vary depending on your specific hair type, this vitamin is loaded with potential.
Let’s break down the properties of vitamin E, how it benefits different hair types, and ways you can add it to your haircare routine.
Benefits of Vitamin E Oil for Hair
Consuming vitamin E in food or supplement form is essential for your brain, skin, vision, and reproductive health as well as proper blood circulation. Foods like sunflower seeds, leafy greens, and avocado — as well as carrier oils like sunflower oil, olive oil, and coconut oil — are rich in vitamin E.
Including vitamin E oil as part of a balanced diet as well as your skincare routine can enrich your overall health and skin. But what can it do for your hair? Here are just a few of the potential benefits.
May Improve Scalp Health
If you suffer from a dry scalp, whether it be from having naturally dry skin, overwashing your hair, or a more chronic condition, consuming vitamin E could support a healthy scalp. Scalp flakiness and alopecia (an autoimmune condition that affects the hair follicles and causes hair loss) have been linked to high levels of oxidative stress.
However, according to the National Institute of Health, the antioxidant properties you receive from consuming Vitamin E help protect cells from the damage done by oxidative stressors, including damage caused by the sun’s UV rays and pollution. Studies show that consuming vitamin E also has a moisturizing effect on skin, thus helping to protect against dry, irritated skin.
If you think you may have an underlying health condition, always check with your general physician or dermatologist.
Smooths Damaged Hair
It’s no secret that applying certain oils to your hair can keep your locks looking shiny, sleek, and frizz-free. As it turns out, vitamin E oil is excellent for those with dry and damaged hair. For instance, some oils, like argan oil, contain vitamin E.
When vitamin E-rich oils like argan are applied to hair, they can support healthy hair by sealing hair cuticles and locking in moisture. The oil’s lubrication and smooth texture allows you to detangle your hair without causing split ends, frizz, or hair breakage.
Supports Hair Growth
While some people are blessed with long healthy locks, others may have a hard time growing their hair. Sometimes it’s due to long-term heat or color damage. It can also be caused by aging, a time when hair loss and thinning start to occur.
No matter what a product claims on the label, there is no medical cure-all for hair loss. That said, scientific studies reveal that some patients with varying levels of hair loss experienced a significant increase in the number of hairs on their heads after receiving vitamin E supplements. This may be correlated to the fact that vitamin E helps fight off the effects of oxidative stress, which can improve the scalp’s ability to grow more bountiful hair.
And because vitamin E is necessary for healthy blood flow, it has the potential to stimulate blood circulation to the scalp, which may then promote hair growth.
How to Add Vitamin E Oil to Your Hair Routine
Ready to give vitamin E for hair a try? The good news is that it’s easy to do. You can choose the DIY route, or for the simplest method, you can choose hair products that include this powerful ingredient. Consider these tips before delving in.
Use Haircare Products With Vitamin E
Not all haircare products are created equal, so look for high-quality products that contain vitamin E. While you can certainly find many products on store shelves that seem to fit the bill, these options are not made for your unique needs.
On the other hand, Function of Beauty’s shampoo and conditioners not only include tocopheryl acetate, a vitamin E compound that helps nourish and soften your hair, but they are fully customizable to address your specific hair type and hair needs.
Although all hair types can benefit from products rich in vitamin E, those with thick, curly, coarse, or dry hair can especially benefit from vitamin E for achieving hair goals such as:
- Hair strength
- De-frizzing
- More shine
- Scalp soothing
Try a DIY Treatment (But Proceed With Caution)
Another way to use vitamin E oil for hair is to create a DIY vitamin E oil serum. To do so, you can pick up a bottle of pure vitamin E oil from a natural food store or beauty store. You’ll usually find them in a small glass vial with a dropper.
But be warned: If you apply it as a topical treatment directly to your hair without a carrier oil such as coconut oil or jojoba oil, it could be far too thick and sticky.
To use this DIY method, mix a couple of drops of pure vitamin E oil with a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil. Then simply warm up the mixture with your hands and massage it into your damp hair.
Leave the mixture in for about an hour and wash it off with cool water once it has fully immersed your hair. Using this DIY vitamin E treatment twice a week can help restore moisture, and give you shinier locks.
For the Win: Vitamin E Oil for Hair
Along with eating more vitamin E-rich foods, consider using hair products that have this nutrient. For instance, you can customize your own Function of Beauty shampoo and conditioner infused with vitamin E oil to promote shiny, hydrated, and healthy-looking hair. Investing in hair styling products that are rich in vitamin E properties, like hair masks, serums, and mists, can also help you nourish and soften your hair.
If you’re not sure that vitamin E is suited for your specific hair type, no need to worry. Vitamin E is just one of many naturally derived ingredients that can enrich your hair health. So whether it’s shea butter that adds moisture to your hair, coconut extract that nourishes your roots, or primrose oil that strengthens your locks, take our hair quiz to determine which ingredients can improve the health of your unique hair texture.
