Why You Should Add Vitamin E Oil To Your Haircare Routine

If you've noticed an uptick in the presence of nourishing oils geared not only toward the skin but also towards the health and shine of your hair and scalp, you certainly aren't alone. If you do a fair amount of heat styling, incorporating vitamin E oil into your haircare routine could yield the silky smooth results you're after. As noted by Medical News Today, Vitamin E oil has antioxidant properties that could aid in maintaining hair growth as well as replenishing shine.

And if those aren't reason enough to add vitamin E into your regimen, the vitamin can also balance the oils of the scalp, according to Nick Stenson, Matrix artistic director and celebrity stylist, via mindbodygreen. A small 2010 trial published in Tropical Life Sciences Research even showed that vitamin E oil may improve hair growth for those experiencing hair loss, though further research is needed (per Medical News Today). Regardless, incorporating vitamin E oil into your existing haircare routine should be fairly simple, and with the reported benefits of added shine, strength, and balanced oil production, it's well worth a whirl.

If your hair has been feeling lackluster, vitamin E could very well be your new best friend. Hair damage from the curling iron, dry weather, or hair dye can all take a toll on your hair's health and overall appearance. So, implementing a system to replenish some of that lost shine and vibrancy is key. Vitamin E is a simple solution. "It may also help prevent hair breakage and split ends," board-certified dermatologist Shari Sperling told Byrdie. According to Heathline, the antioxidants in vitamin E lower the oxidative stress and free radicals that lead to a breakdown of hair follicles – which may contribute to the health of the scalp.

"Vitamin E has gained a lot of popularity because of its ability to transform frizzy-dry hair into a more lustrous and shiny mane," Matrix artistic director and celebrity stylist Nick Stenson told mindbodygreen. "It is suggested that vitamin E oil can reduce hair loss, improve scalp and hair health and circulation, balance oil production, and enhance shine while creating an external barrier to protect from damage." Medical News Today reports that when used in the hair, oils can restore shine lost to damage since they add a layer to the hair which in turn protects it from external sources — like heat or chemicals. In our books, that's a win for vitamin E.

Vitamin E oil can be used as a scalp treatment or as a hair mask. To use it as a leave-in scalp treatment, you'll want to add three to five drops of vitamin E oil to a carrier oil, like coconut oil, in order to prevent irritation, according to certified trichologist Gretchen Friese in Byrdie. Massage the oils into your scalp after shampooing and repeat every other day. Hair products like serums featuring the nourishing vitamin are also typically readily available and affordable — like this vitamin E oil from NOW Supplements available on Amazon for under $10. It's a small addition to your haircare routine, but the results should be well worth it.

You may be tempted by vitamin E supplements on the market promising to add a lusciousness to your locks, but some experts recommend to proceed with caution when it comes to these products. "Vitamin E supplements in particular are controversial," Isyaderm Clinic's Dr. Kiran Sethi told Vogue India. "My advice would be to make sure you increase your intake of Vitamin E through food, and forget about taking it as a supplement." For those of you looking to add vitamin E to your diet rather than adding the treatment as a topical measure to your haircare routine, heed Dr. Sethi's advice and add some eggs, carrots, nuts, cabbage, spinach, and other rich-in-vitamin-E ingredients to your grocery cart.