What are tocopherols?
Tocopherols are a class of naturally occurring compounds that have vitamin E activity. They are used in skin care products because of their ability to protect the skin from skin care products Free radical damage and strengthen the skin barrier.
Tocopherols are a class of organic chemical compounds, many of which have vitamin E activity. The vitamin activity of tocopherols was discovered in 1936.
Related compounds known as tocotrienols also show vitamin E activity. There are four tocopherols and four tocotrienols; everything eight Compounds can correctly be called “Vitamin E”. Of these eight compounds, alpha-tocopherol is the most abundant and biologically active form in the human body.
The most common forms of tocopherols used in skin care products are d-alpha tocopherol, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate, dl-alpha tocopherol, and dl-alpha Tocopheryl acetate.
The prefix “d” before the “alpha” indicates that the ingredient was derived from natural sourceslike vegetable oils, nuts or seeds. The prefix “dl” indicates that the ingredient was manufactured on a synthetic basis.
Research has shown that natural forms of tocopherol are more effective than the synthetic versions, but both have antioxidant activity.
the breakdown
Tocopherols
the good: Tocopherols or vitamin E improve the visible signs of aging, support the skin’s natural barrier and supply the skin with antioxidants.
not so good: Vitamin E products are best used at night as pure vitamin E is too thick to use under makeup. When applied under makeup, it can slip, move, or shine the makeup products.
For whom is that? All skin types except those identified as having an allergy.
Synergetic ingredients: Works well with most ingredients
Keep an eye on: Look out for the different types of vitamin E in your skin care and cosmetic products.
What Are The Benefits Of Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is used to protect the skin’s natural barrier, retain moisture, heal the skin, and add antioxidant properties to the skin.
antioxidant
Tocopherol is found in a wide variety of skin care products because of its potent effects, most notably as alpha tocopherol antioxidant Activity.
In the 1940s, vitamin E was called a “chain breaking” antioxidant because it inhibits the chain reaction induced by free radicals. Tocopherols, in particular, work by adding a hydrogen atom to free radicals, thereby minimizing their deleterious effects.
Since tocopherols are fat-soluble, they are built into cell membranes to protect against oxidative damage. This is important as free radicals contribute to signs of aging, such as: B. fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and age spots.
The antioxidant activity of tocopherol or vitamin E can be combined with ascorbic acid or vitamin C. For this reason, vitamins C and E are called “network antioxidants”. A publication in the magazine Dermatological Therapy explains: “Since vitamin C regenerates oxidized vitamin E, the combination in a cosmetic formulation is synergistic – especially in the UV range Protection.’
Sun damage
According to a 2016 publication in Dermatology News by Dr. Leslie Baumann, MD, ‘Significant evidence has been gathered to suggest that topically applied vitamin E confers photoprotective activity against erythema, edema, sunburn cell formation and other indicators of acute UV-induced damage, as well as responses to chronic UVA and UVB exposure, including Skin wrinkles and skin cancer. “
Research has shown that vitamin E may protect against the harmful effects of UV rays. The mechanism of action is similar to that of vitamin Cacts as an antioxidant to reduce the effects of free radicals caused by sun exposure.
Research suggests that vitamin C Improves UVA protection, while vitamin E is more effective against UVB radiation. Therefore, when these antioxidants are combined, the UVA / UVB protection is enhanced when worn under sunscreen.
In addition, alpha-tocopherol can protect the skin from reactions to chronic diseases UVA and UVB exposurelike wrinkles and skin cancer.
For this reason, you can often find vitamin E in sunscreen formulations. It is important to note that vitamin E is not, in and of itself, a sunscreen and should not be used as such.
Skin barrier
Vitamin E helps maintain the skin’s natural barrier. The barrier consists of the top layers of the skin and the oils, amino acids, ceramides and fatty acids. As the name suggests, the barrier protects the skin from allergens and bacteria and prevents them transepidermal water loss or TEWL.
TEWL occurs when water from the skin is lost to the environment. This is particularly common in dry environments or with aging skin. The lipophilic or the oil-loving nature of vitamin E helps replenish the skin’s natural oils and helps maintain this natural barrier.
Another function of vitamin E is to help the skin retain moisture by strengthening the skin’s natural barrier function. When tocopherol is released into your skin through the oil glands, it can help improve your skin’s water-binding capacity and help moisturize the top layers of your skin. It is also considered an effective ingredient in providing skin protection and aiding in the treatment of eczema.
Does vitamin E help with scars?
Vitamin E is often viewed as a natural remedy for improving the appearance of scar. However, several research studies have shown that tocopherol not only helps with scars, but can also make them look worse.
This is because tocopherol can cause a type of allergic reaction called contact dermatitis in some people, which can make scarring worse.
If you’ve noticed an improvement in the appearance of your scars from using vitamin E, it may be that the extra hydration and protection made it look better by the time the scar healed self.
Does Vitamin E Darken Your Skin?
No, vitamin E does not darken the skin. It’s actually a powerful antioxidant that can help lessen the effects of free radical damage from the sun.
Is Vitamin E Comedogenic?
If you have oily, congested, or acne-prone skin, using an oil-based vitamin E product can lead to it clog your pores.
However, this is not universal for all types of vitamin E. If you have these skin types, you can still take advantage of vitamin E through synthetic tocopherols or non-oil-based vitamin E.
As a general rule for vitamin E, if it has a thick oily texture, clogged skin types may want to avoid it.
Is Vitamin E Good For Dry Skin?
Vitamin E, especially oil-based formulations, can help minimize the appearance of dry skin. It can even help reduce dandruff and support healthy barrier function. However, the thicker, oil-based vitamin E products can be difficult to distribute. So take your time and be gentle.
Are tocopherols vegan?
Both synthetic and naturally occurring tocopherols are considered vegan. This is because they come from plant or vegetable sources. Synthetic tocopherols can be obtained from vegetable oils or petroleum products, which are considered a vegan ingredient. While naturally occurring tocopherols are found in nuts, seeds, soybean oil, and wheat germ oil.
If you are looking for a vegan product, check to see if it is a product cruelty free and the other ingredients are free from animal or animal by-product ingredients.
What is the difference between synthetic and naturally occurring vitamin E?
Vitamin E is naturally contained in avocado, pumpkin and wheat germ oil, but is also obtained synthetically. Some studies have shown that natural sources of vitamin E, unlike other synthetic ingredients, are more effective than the synthetic version. However, with this difference in effectiveness comes a significant difference in cost.
The other thing to consider when deciding on a synthetic or natural form of vitamin E is that natural vitamin E, as a natural ingredient, has to go through several steps to cleanse the ingredient and remove pesticides and other herbal products. This is one of the reasons it is more expensive to use a vitamin E from natural sources.
The oil-based nature of vitamin E makes it a great ingredient for providing skin with moisturizing oil that allows its benefits to be absorbed through the skin. However, in order for the body to absorb and use vitamin E from some synthetic sources, it must process the ingredient. This can lead to some loss of effectiveness. For this reason, synthetic vitamin E is often used in formulations in slightly higher concentrations than naturally derived vitamin E.
Are Tocopherols Safe?
The US Food and Drug Administration includes tocopherol in its list of nutrients considered Generally recognized as safe (GRASS).
The safety of tocopherol and its derivatives has been recognized by the Panel of Experts for the Review of Cosmetic Ingredients, a group responsible for evaluating the safety of skin care and cosmetic ingredients.
The panel of experts evaluated the available scientific data and concluded that tocopherol and its derivatives are safe in cosmetics and personal care products.
What about hydroquinone and synthetic tocopherols?
There is some controversy surrounding the manufacture of synthetic tocopherols due to the use of an ingredient called trimethylhydroquinone in this process.
Many believe that products made through this process contain traces of hydroquinone. Hydroquinone belongs to a class of chemicals called aromatic organic compounds. It is one of the most common skin bleaches in the United States. However, there are claims that hydroquinone can cause cancer.
This claim comes from a study examining the effects of hydroquinone on mice. In a misleading manner, this study reported that the mice developed liver and kidney tumors after exposure to hydroquinone.
The real results of this study, as detailed in an article from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatologythat hydroquinone actually protected the mice by increasing the number of benign liver tumors and decreasing the number of malignant liver tumors. According to Dr. David J. Goldberg, a clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai School of MedicineOver 100 scientific articles confirm that hydroquinone is a safe topic for humans. No independent studies prove otherwise. ‘
In conclusion, the trace amounts of hydroquinone that may be found in products containing synthetic tocopherols are not a safety concern. Overall, tocopherols are safe for use in cosmetics and skin care products.
