How to Care for Your Hair with Vitamin E Oil

Vitamin E is a naturally occurring vitamin with antioxidant properties. It is secreted onto the surface of the skin and plays a key role in promoting healthy skin and hair. Typically, it is part of sebum, a natural oil secreted by the skin's glands. Vitamin E can provide numerous benefits to the skin, such as removing harmful substances from the skin and scalp, absorbing UV rays from the sun to prevent sunburn, stimulating healthy hair growth, slowing hair loss, and reducing the appearance of gray hair. You can use Vitamin E oil as a replacement for regular conditioner, as part of a deep conditioning treatment, or simply apply it to split ends.

Choose Natural Vitamin E Oil. Our body absorbs and utilizes natural Vitamin E more easily. Synthetic Vitamin E, known as tocopherol acetate, may interact with some cosmetics, so it is best to select natural Vitamin E oil available at health food stores, large retail stores, or online. Some edible oils also contain Vitamin E, such as wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, and almond oil.

• Look for the following ingredients on the product label: d-alpha tocopherol, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate, or d-alpha tocopheryl succinate.

Test the oil on your skin before use. Some individuals may be sensitive to Vitamin E, so it’s best to test a small amount of the oil on your skin before applying it to your hair. Sensitivity to Vitamin E can also develop over time, so pay attention to any reactions on your scalp after a few days of use.

• To test the Vitamin E oil, drop 1-2 drops onto the inner side of your wrist and massage it into the skin. Wait 24 hours and check for any reaction. If redness, dryness, itching, or swelling occurs, discontinue use of the oil. If the skin looks normal, you can safely use the oil.

Consider taking Vitamin E supplements to promote hair growth. Vitamin E has been proven to be effective in stimulating hair growth when taken orally. Try taking 2 capsules of 50 mg Vitamin E oil daily after meals. For example, take one capsule after breakfast and another after dinner.

• As with all supplements, consult your doctor before taking Vitamin E oil.
• You should also include natural sources of Vitamin E in your diet. Try eating nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and vegetable oils, especially wheat germ oil and sunflower oil.
• When consuming foods rich in natural Vitamin E, you will absorb more Vitamin E than from supplements.

Consider adding Vitamin C to your routine. When combined, Vitamin E and C are more effective at protecting skin and hair from UV damage. If you apply Vitamin E topically, it’s recommended to also use Vitamin C topically. Similarly, if you're taking Vitamin E orally, consider adding Vitamin C supplements. The combination of these two vitamins will work better than using either one alone.

Use a small amount. The oil spreads quite easily, so you don’t need a lot. Start with a small amount, about the size of a coin, and add more if needed. You can use more or less oil depending on your hair’s length and thickness.

Use Vitamin E oil as a conditioner. You can replace your regular conditioner with Vitamin E oil for softer, more manageable hair. Wash your hair with shampoo and rinse thoroughly, then squeeze out excess water from your hair. Next, pour a coin-sized amount of Vitamin E oil into your palm. The oil will typically be thick and greasy.

• You can also mix a few drops of Vitamin E oil into your regular conditioner or purchase a conditioner that contains Vitamin E.

Massage the oil into your scalp using your fingertips. You can apply the oil directly to your scalp and use your fingertips to massage it into your roots. Massage in circular motions to allow the Vitamin E to absorb into the scalp.

• Vitamin E can be absorbed through the skin, and this method is even more effective for delivering the vitamin into the cells.

Wrap a warm, damp towel around your head. For a deeper hair treatment, you can wrap a warm, damp towel around your head and leave it on for about an hour. The heat will enhance the absorption of Vitamin E into your hair and scalp.

• To create a warm, damp towel, fill the sink or a basin with hot water, dip the towel into the water, wring out excess water, and wrap the towel around your head.

Rinse the Vitamin E oil out. Remove the towel from your head (if you used one), then rinse the Vitamin E oil out with warm water. Dry your hair and style it as usual.

Treat split ends with Vitamin E oil. You can also use Vitamin E oil to fix split ends. Pour a coin-sized amount of Vitamin E oil into your palm. Rub your hands together and apply the oil to the ends of your hair by gently rubbing the oil between your palms. Leave the oil in your hair and style as usual.

• This method can be done on either wet or dry hair.