Just Say Vitamin E

Over the holiday weekend, I was searching through various recipes online and I came across one for a foot scrub that sounded very interesting to me and I thought I would try it. However, when I was reading the list of ingredients I came across one I was not familiar with.... Tocopherol. So of course, I had to research this and it turns out that it is the INCI name for Vitamin E.

According to the Brittanica Concise Encyclopedia, Vitamin E or Tocopherol is a fat-soluble organic compound found principally in certain plant oils and leaves of green vegetables. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant in body tissues and may prolong life by slowing oxidative destruction of membranes. Certain rodents require it for normal reproduction. Besides uses in foods and in nutritional research and supplements, it is used to retard rancidity in fats, especially vegetable oils.

It turns out that Vitamin E can help to prevent rancidity in oils or cosmetics containing oils such as lotions, lip balms, and scrubs. It can also be used to extend the shelf life of oils. I have heard this about Rosemary but did not know Vitamin E could do the same.