Natural, strengthening, hydrating, and protecting. These benefits sum up all the advantages that vitamin E oil has to offer. We’re blowing the lid off this natural ingredient and letting you know all the benefits of using vitamin E oil for your nails.
Don’t sleep on this powerful oil that can turn your client’s nails from drab to fab with just a little dab! Your clients will thank you for being able to give them pointers on how to take the best care of their nails in and out of your salon chair.
What Is Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is found in an array of foods, plants, and inside your own body. Vitamin E comes in supplements you can take or in a concentrated oil you can apply topically to your skin and nails. You’ll probably find this key ingredient in many of your face serums, creams, moisturizers, and more.
Vitamin E oil’s key quality? In a nutshell, its antioxidant benefits. It helps fight against free radical damage caused by environmental factors as well as deeply penetrating to hydrate both the nail plates and the skin surrounding them — the cuticles.
Vitamin E is oil soluble. This means it can be delivered to the skin as an oil. Incorporating it into your skincare regimen as a moisturizer or oil is one of the best ways to get the most out of this vitamin.
What Does It Do?
Applying vitamin E oil to your cuticles and nails can greatly benefit their health and appearance. In addition to hydrating and protecting the nails from free radicals, it helps to fight off bacteria and viruses invading the nail. Keep reading for all the ways vitamin E oil can benefit you.
Reverses Nail Damage
There are a ton of reasons why someone may be experiencing some nail damage. Over-buffing, filing too thin, using damaging nail products, the list goes on. Nail polish and acetone-based nail polish remover alone can be damaging to the nails. Vitamin E oil can combat these sometimes inescapable causes by repairing the nails and protecting them against future damage.
Not only is nail polish remover with acetone damaging to the nails, but it is also super drying to the skin surrounding them. This can be counteracted by the use of vitamin E oil after a manicure.
Protects the Nails
Since Vitamin E oil is an antioxidant protecting against free radicals, we like to think of it as armor. Applying vitamin E oil to your nails and the surrounding skin acts as a protective barrier.
Heals Dry Nails
Your nails have natural oils that help to keep them strong. Just like your skin, your nails need moisture to look good and stay strong. Vitamin E oil provides hydration to the nail bed and the surrounding skin to strengthen the nails and add moisture to dry cuticles.
Boosts Nutrients
Vitamin E is a nutrient that naturally nourishes the nails. It does so by adding nutrients to the blood. Nails are made of keratin, a protein that helps form the tissue that makes your nails, well, nails.
For healthy and strong nails, these cells need to receive a regular flow of healthy, vitamin-packed blood. Vitamin E oil helps provide the right amount of nutrient-dense blood to the nails.
Eliminates Yellowing
Some clients that get regular manicures or often switch between nail polish colors may experience slight yellowing or a yellow tint to their nails. This happens from keeping dark nail polish on too long.
Holding off on nail polish for a while can help fade the yellow tint, but vitamin E oil helps too! Be on the lookout for excessive yellowing of the nails paired with irregular thickness — it can be a sign of fungal infection.
Heals Wounds
Let’s say you clipped a little too close to your client’s cuticle and they are experiencing some redness. Vitamin E oil is believed to promote wound healing.
What Kind of Vitamin E Oil Should I Use?
There are many beauty products that contain vitamin E. You could reap the benefits from any product that contains a high potency of the nutrient. Cuticle creams, hand lotions, and moisturizers are just some of the products you could use. Be sure you do your research on the type of vitamin E oil you are using and opt for certified organic.
Vitamin E and Vitamin C
These two vitamins are even more effective when used together. Many serums contain both since vitamin C helps the vitamin E work better and vice versa.
Vitamin E and a Carrier Oil
Since Vitamin E is so highly concentrated, it’s a great idea to use it combined with another moisturizing “carrier” oil. Some of the best carrier oils to combine with vitamin E oil are:
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the preferred type of olive oil to use as a carrier oil. Derived from pressed olives, it’s packed with fatty acids, which make it great for moisturizing the skin.
- Coconut Oil: Made from the meat of coconuts, coconut oil contains skin-nourishing fatty acids. Always opt for “unrefined” coconut oil. Unrefined coconut oil comes from fresh coconut meat and is not processed with chemicals. Alternatively, stay away from “refined” coconut oil. Refined coconut oil comes from dried coconut meat that undergoes a bleaching and deodorizing process. Refined coconut oil isn’t all-natural and is not recommended as a carrier oil.
- Jojoba Oil: Derived from the seeds of the jojoba plant, jojoba oil closely mimics sebum. Sebum is the skin’s natural oil, making it perfect to get easily absorbed into the skin without clogging pores.
Make Your Own Cuticle Oil
You can make your own cuticle oil right at home. All you need is an empty squeeze-bottle container you’ll use to store it in, vitamin E oil, some essential oils, and carrier oil.
Supplies:
- Jojoba oil (as your carrier oil) or coconut oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, olive oil
- Vitamin E oil
- Essential oil of your choice (lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, sweet orange oil, etc.)
- Empty bottle
- Small funnel
Directions:
- Pour 1 tbsp of jojoba oil into your container of choice
- Add 5-6 drops of vitamin E oil
- Add 4 drops of your essential oil
- Shake well to combine
- Store in a cool cabinet away from direct sunlight
How Do I Use Vitamin E Oil?
There isn’t really any wrong way to use vitamin E oil. As long as you are consistent by applying it daily, you should see improvements in the health of your nails and cuticles.
Before Bed
If your client wants to help strengthen their nails at home, suggest they use vitamin E oil. By applying it to their nails and cuticles every night before bed, it will really get a chance to be absorbed undisturbed.
After a Manicure
Directly following a manicure is prime time to apply vitamin E oil. The nails and cuticles have likely just been through a lot and need some extra love.
When applying acrylic nails, it's best practice to use a nail dehydrator to allow the surface of the nail bed to dry out its natural oils so the acrylic sticks better. To counteract this after the manicure is complete, vitamin E oil can be your saving grace.
Consistency Is Key
People are washing their hands more than ever. Now is the time to take extra care of your nails and the surrounding skin. Applying vitamin E oil is something that needs to be done routinely in order to see the results.
How Often Can I Use It?
Vitamin E oil can be applied to the nails and surrounding skin twice a day. The best times to apply are morning and night; simply add it to your morning and bedtime routine with the rest of your skincare regimen.
In Conclusion
As a nail technician, be sure to suggest vitamin E oil to any of your clients who are looking to strengthen and repair their nails. Tell them all about this amazing natural ingredient they can use every day for strong, healthy nails and cuticles. Don’t forget to turn to V Beauty Pure to keep you in the loop on all the best options for the health of your client’s nails!
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