Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is an active ingredient for cosmetics and an antioxidant for cosmetics, perfume and fragrance products.

Use

Tocopherol (Vitamin E) can optionally be used as an active ingredient, up to 5%, in cosmetics. Think for example of serums and other products that you use occasionally and in a small dosage and in a single spot on the skin. When used as an antioxidant, you use (much) less: 0.1% is typical, a little more does little harm. It mixes with vegetable oil, essential oil, many fragrances and other fats, so add it to the fat phase of a cream or lotion. It cannot be used properly in products mainly consisting of water.

De Hekserij does not sell products that are intended for use in food or for other internal use.

Properties

Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is a viscous, brown liquid. It occurs in nature and previously we also sold a natural variant. This is made by extracting and concentrating the vitamin from different types of vegetable oil. The disadvantage is that this tocopherol is not as stable as the synthetic variant. That is why we switched to synthetic, which works longer and better.

Background

Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is widely used in cosmetics. Not so much for health reasons (you can absorb very few vitamins through the skin), it is better to eat your vitamins. Moreover, shortage of vitamin E almost never occurs. Why is it put in cosmetics anyway? As an antioxidant. An antioxidant can limit the harmful influence of oxygen, ozone and related oxidizing agents.

Vitamin E in skin products can limit and even repair damage caused by, for example, sunlight in certain circumstances. Based on the limited research that has been done, we know that the concentration should not be too low (2-5%) and that not every form of tocopherol is active.

Similarly, tocopherol can protect products from oxidation. Vegetable oil and many fragrances are sensitive to oxidation. In that case a much lower concentration is already sufficient, typically 0.1%, sometimes even less.

Packaging

The 10 and 50 ml packaging is made of brown glass with a black cap. The 250 g packaging is made of aluminum with a stopper and a white cap.

Hazards

Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is classified as a hazardous substance, with the following characteristics:

WARNING H317 - May cause an allergic skin reaction.

Codes

Article number: 10540
Dutch name: Tocoferol (Vitamine E)
EC number: 233-466-0
CAS number EU: 10191-41-0
INCI: TOCOPHEROL