Methods to make a high-performance vitamin E serum

Up to date: 30.09.25

Ever puzzled why vitamin E exhibits up in so many skincare and haircare formulations? At first look, it would appear to be simply one other frequent ingredient, however in actuality, vitamin E is among the strongest multitaskers in your formulator’s toolkit.

This antioxidant not solely helps pleased, resilient pores and skin but in addition helps shield your beauty merchandise by extending their shelf life and stability.

On this publish, we’ll unpack the fundamentals of vitamin E, discover its completely different kinds and pores and skin advantages, and share a high-performance vitamin E serum components you possibly can simply recreate at dwelling.

What’s vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a generic time period for a variety of various antioxidants which are broadly used within the pure and natural skincare and haircare sector. These antioxidants play an necessary position in pores and skin and hair well being and are extremely valued throughout the cosmetics business. Curious to study extra about antioxidants? Try the publish under:

The formulator’s information to antioxidants in cosmetics

Vitamin E is the predominant, physiologic antioxidant barrier within the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the dermis, the place it protects the lipid constructions and proteins from oxidation by scavenging free radicals and hindering the chain reactions that result in DNA harm and ageing.

It strengthens the pores and skin’s defences in opposition to the dangerous influence of sure environmental components and is subsequently a highly regarded ingredient, and options, for instance, in so-called anti-pollution cosmetics.

As an extra mechanism, vitamin E additionally regulates a protecting community of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants current in our pores and skin. As you possibly can think about, vitamin E can also be current in lots of anti-ageing merchandise, because the oxidative course of performs a big position in our pores and skin’s ageing.

One other nice good thing about vitamin E’s antioxidant properties is to enhance the shelf-life of beauty formulations and substances. This is among the foremost causes you will see that vitamin E on the substances checklist of most beauty merchandise you come throughout.

Understanding vitamin E

Earlier than we get began on our vitamin E serum, let’s first get to know vitamin E higher by going over some key info:

What’s an antioxidant?

Oxidation is a chemical response that may produce free radicals, resulting in chain reactions that will harm the cells of organisms. An antioxidant is a molecule that stops these reactions.

What are the types of vitamin E obtainable?

The vitamin E group of antioxidants consists of two completely different foremost sorts: tocopherols and tocotrienols, with a complete of eight analogues: α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocopherols and α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocotrienols. You could find a number of types of artificial derivatives.

Though tocotrienols have been proven to have better antioxidant exercise than tocopherols, they’re primarily used within the pharmaceutical business.

From all of the tocopherol analogues, alpha-tocopherol is essentially the most biologically energetic kind, whereas gamma-tocopherol has the best antioxidant exercise.

Vitamin E advantages for the pores and skin

Vitamin E happens naturally in vegetation and is a necessary nutrient to the human physique that must be acquired by ingestion. Nevertheless, research present that topical software of vitamin E is simpler than oral consumption to be able to enhance its focus on the pores and skin.

It additionally presents nice emollient properties and works as a defence in opposition to the pores and skin’s hazardous environmental brokers like ultraviolet and visual irradiation, pro-oxidant air pollution similar to ozone, and ionising irradiation.

These brokers are concerned in lots of inflammatory pores and skin problems, cutaneous autoimmune ailments, phototoxicity, photosensitivity, and pores and skin ageing.

Vitamin E advantages for the hair

Vitamin E’s antioxidant exercise performs an necessary supporting position in haircare. Utilized to the scalp and hair, it helps shield pure oils and the hair’s outer cuticle from oxidative stress brought on by exterior components like UV gentle and air pollution. This protecting impact helps a more healthy scalp and helps hair look shinier and really feel softer.

Just like different oils, vitamin E may easy the hair floor, lowering frizz and giving strands a sleeker look.

Whereas vitamin E doesn’t immediately restore hair construction, its antioxidant properties make it a invaluable addition to hair oils, serums, masks, and scalp therapies. When used this fashion, it helps preserve scalp consolation and leaves hair with a pure, wholesome glow.

Curious to discover ways to make your individual pure haircare? Then take a look at this useful publish:

Methods to make pure haircare merchandise: A step-by-step information

Formulating with vitamin E

Listed below are some common issues to bear in mind when formulating with vitamin E.

What forms of vitamin E are you able to formulate with?

As an ingredient, vitamin E may be present in its pure kind, often as a mix of the 4 tocopherol isomers or as an artificial product offered as a single isomer – the DL-alpha-tocopherol being essentially the most broadly obtainable.

The D prefix signifies that the product is derived from pure sources, whereas the DL prefix signifies that the vitamin is artificial. Our physique solely processes the pure type of vitamin E, and subsequently, the pores and skin would profit extra from the D kind.

We advise you to make use of the diluted type of vitamin E, which is often blended with sunflower oil. The vitamin E focus can fluctuate from one provider to a different. Bear in mind that the extra concentrated the liquid is, the extra viscous and sticky it will likely be, making it tougher to work with.

• What does IU imply, and is it necessary?

IU stands for Worldwide Models, and it’s related for inner consumption. Don’t fear about it when working in your formulations.

Basic formulation suggestions

Vitamin E molecules are lipophilic (oil-loving), which signifies that they wish to mix with different oils, butters and fat. You’ll be able to add vitamin E to your haircare and skincare formulations like anhydrous lotions, balms, butters, scrubs and lip balms, and within the oil section of emulsions. The everyday focus of utilization is 1%.

Vitamin E is delicate to excessive temperatures and light-weight. So it’s best to hold it in a cool and dry place and add it to your components within the cool-down section (under 40 °C). That is additionally an necessary reality to contemplate whereas designing your components and selecting its packaging.

Remember that oil refining can extremely scale back tocopherol focus in oils, particularly within the deodorisation course of, the place vitamin E turns into a invaluable by-product that’s fractionated after which offered. Subsequently, it’s best to attempt to supply and use substances of their most unadulterated kinds (unrefined) to make sure you maximise their useful pure properties in your skincare and haircare formulations.

Can vitamin E have a pro-oxidative impact?

Whereas vitamin E is well known for its antioxidant exercise, you ought to be conscious that it could actually additionally behave as a pro-oxidant underneath sure circumstances (which means it could actually induce oxidative stress within the physique, by producing reactive oxygen species or by inhibiting antioxidant programs).

This paradox happens as a result of as soon as a tocopherol molecule donates a hydrogen atom to neutralise a free radical, it turns into a radical itself.

If these unstable tocopherol radicals are usually not stabilised – as an illustration, by different antioxidants within the components – they might set off additional oxidation, accelerating rancidity and even inflicting discolouration. This impact is more than likely to happen:

• at excessive concentrations,
• in formulations contaminated with transition metals, and
• extra typically with alpha-tocopherol in contrast with different isoforms.

However this doesn’t imply it’s best to keep away from vitamin E. As an alternative, it highlights the significance of utilizing it on the proper focus (round 0.5–1% is often enough) and designing a steady, well-balanced formulation.

By pairing vitamin E with different antioxidants and making certain Good Manufacturing Observe (GMP), you possibly can maximise its advantages whereas avoiding its potential drawbacks.

Curious to study extra about antioxidants? Then take a look at the Antioxidant Mini Lab, which is a part of our unique membership website for formulators, the Lab at Components Botanica.

Our high-performance vitamin E serum

Contemplating that vitamin E ranges naturally lower with age, UV gentle and solar publicity, we’ve got chosen to create a high-performance vitamin E serum with anti-ageing exercise.

For this components, we mixed vitamin E with different rigorously chosen substances to make sure our product is targeted on enhancing the pores and skin’s barrier perform, enhancing epidermal rejuvenation and lowering pores and skin irritation.

Let’s have a look at completely different mechanisms that make vitamin E a tremendous anti-ageing ingredient. Vitamin E helps:

• Shield in opposition to UV-induced results on the pores and skin
• Forestall the formation of wrinkles by blocking free radical harm
• Scale back wrinkles by boosting collagen manufacturing
• Help new pores and skin cell development; and
• Velocity up cell regeneration and scale back pores and skin irritation.

Our components: Make a vitamin E serum

For this serum, we selected oils that comprise a excessive focus of vitamin E and provide energetic properties that tally with our purpose of tackling the important thing problems with ageing pores and skin we talked about above. We’re additionally including vitamin E as an energetic ingredient in its personal proper:

• Makes: 30g
• Degree: Newbie-friendly
• Formulation methodology: Chilly course of

Tools:

For this formulation, you’ll want:

• A jewelry scale (0.01g precision)
• 2 beakers
• Glass rods
• And appropriate packaging (pipette dropper glass bottle, or pump dispenser glass bottle)

Formulation methodology:

Right here’s methods to make this high-performance vitamin E serum. Be sure to adjust to GMP earlier than you begin formulating and all through the manufacturing course of.

• Step 1: Weigh and mix your botanical oils

In a clear and sanitised glass beaker, weigh and mix the wheatgerm, sunflower, and jojoba oils, taring between every addition (use the ‘tare’ button in your scale).

Add the Dermofeel® sensolv MB and squalane and stir with a glass rod till you get a homogenous mix.

• Step 2: Weigh and mix your CO₂ extract and vitamin E

In one other beaker, weigh and mix the Co₂ extract and vitamin E.

• Step 3: Combine each collectively

Rigorously pour the Co₂ extract and vitamin E mix into your botanical oil mix, utilizing a glass rod till it’s utterly blended.

Now you possibly can pour your product right into a bottle with a drop dispenser. Don’t neglect to label your formulation with the batch title and manufacturing date. And that’s it! You’ve made your very personal high-performance vitamin E serum.

Components:

Right here’s some background info on our substances:

• Wheat germ oil is among the richest pure sources of tocopherols (1300−2700 mg/kg). It additionally comprises important portions of bioactive compounds, together with phytosterols, policosanols, carotenoids, thiamine, and riboflavin.
• Squalane derives from squalene, which is a pure element of our pores and skin. Squalane is a extremely efficient emollient. You’ll be able to learn extra about it right here.
• Sunflower oil is a wealthy supply of vitamin E and has been proven to exert optimistic results in sustaining and repairing the pores and skin barrier. It regulates keratinocyte proliferation, irritation, and pores and skin barrier homeostasis.
• Dermofeel® sensolv MB is an emollient and was added right here to enhance the pores and skin really feel of this components.
• Night primrose seed  CO₂ extract is wealthy in important fatty acids and phytosterols. It presents anti-inflammatory exercise and is broadly utilized in anti-ageing skincare merchandise.
• Jojoba oil, in addition to having a excessive focus of vitamin E, additionally exerts anti-inflammatory exercise and builds pores and skin safety barrier perform, in addition to rising the pace of barrier restoration. Find out about jojoba oil right here.

Change into an authorized natural skincare formulator

Now it’s your flip to offer this vitamin E serum a go! If you happen to’d wish to discover extra methods of working with this powerhouse ingredient, take a look at our publish on methods to make a nighttime facial oil for mature pores and skin – or experiment by swapping in different vitamin E–wealthy oils to make the components your individual.

We’d love to listen to how your serum seems, so don’t neglect to share your outcomes with us within the feedback under.

If this has impressed you, take a look at our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation, which teaches you methods to create over 25+ pure skincare merchandise from scratch. However first, check out our pattern class for a style of our award-winning programs and what to anticipate as a Components Botanica pupil.

FAQ

Depart us a remark

Eliziane is a Pharmacist and Biochemist, manages our Pupil Expertise Crew and supplies technical recommendation for the substances analysis we undertake and supply. She loves bringing collectively the ideas of science, sustainability and organics. Learn extra concerning the Components Botanica crew.