by kelly
/ March, 6 2019 01:30
Who doesn’t love a good superhero – they have great powers and can save lives. In skin care I like to think we have superhero ingredients. They may not save lives but they can make your skin look fantastic. The superhero ingredient I’m talking about today is tocopherol. You probably never heard of it but you may use it on your skin or eat it everyday. It’s a wonderful ingredient with many awesome benefits.
Tocopherol is Vitamin E
Let’s get right to it - tocopherol is a form of vitamin E typically derived from vegetable oils.
Why call it tocopherol and not vitamin E then? Well tocopherol is the official scientific name that is required to be used on ingredient labels. And now that you know what it means, you can show off to your friends.
Tocopherol’s Many Benefits
Ok so what makes this ingredient so powerful?
Vitamin E occurs naturally on [on or in?] your skin. It’s a natural antioxidant that acts as a shield to protect the skin from free radical damage. As Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute explains “vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is essential for the maintenance of healthy skin.”
Additionally tocopherol moisturizes the skin and research has shown that it protects against UV radiation (specifically UVB radiation) while also acting as an anti-inflammatory agent. Plus it even acts as a natural preservative.
Finally two studies showed that the application of vitamin E on animals (animal testing is not our favorite and we don’t do it at Block Island Organics) and humans resulted in fewer incidences of skin cancer. Although more studies probably have to be done to confirm direct correlation, it’s good to see such positive results around tocopherol.
Block Island Organics and Tocopherol
With all its antioxidant and photo-protective benefits – tocopherol had to be a main component in our sun care products.
It’s a featured ingredient in our Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 and Natural Face Moisturizer SPF 30.
More Ingredient Truths
Of course the superhero work doesn’t just rest on tocopherol. Our skin and sun care products are packed with other champion ingredients.
Check out our Ingredient Truths blog series or Our Ingredients page to learn about the ingredients protecting your skin.
