When I got the email informing me of a blog post to write on Vitamin E for #Evion (via #indiblogger), I was like Meh! I know it all as I have been hearing gyaan on this all my life from my parents, grandparents, aunts, BFF’s mom……etc,etc.

I mean I have been having 5 almonds soaked overnight and then peeled in the morning, ever since I can remember; all the while my mom or someone intoning that this is good for your memory, will help you to retain your studying for exams and great for the eyesight too. And I would be rolling my eyes in a “whatever” statement while popping them in my mouth! Sounds familiar? You have been through it too na? I knew it!!!

Vitamin E rich foods

But did you know that Almonds have honor of being placed on the top of the charts when it comes to the top 10 Vitamin E rich foods? Yes its true. Almonds hold the distinction of lowering heart disease risk, all thanks to the antioxidant properties of the Vitamin E present in it. Other top foods are listed as spinach, avocado, sweet potato, broccoli, swiss chard, sunflower seeds, olive oil, etc and at least 2-3 of these should be taken in our daily diet to reap the maximum health benefits.

For me the best part about almonds is the elixir they provide for my skin and hair treatments, courtesy the Vitamin E; Gyaan that is again handed down to me via an avid assortment of my all-knowing elderly female relatives. So please bear with me, as I talk only about this rich source of Vitamin E as none of the other sources were used in home-made beauty recipes 😉 (Please feel free to call me vain)

Mommy as mad scientist/beautician

I remember my mom roasting a few almonds on the tawa in pure ghee, then crushing it into a paste and mixing it in warm coconut oil to apply on my hair; all the while bemoaning my lack of care ( and feminine graces) as I had just crawled out of the sandpit behind the house where a new house was being constructed.

Oh come on mom, I have my priorities right. Have you seen the gorgeous shells I found in it?

Now when I look back on it, it’s all thanks to her home recipes and total care, that I get complimented on my hair even today for its shine and bounce. For you see, the vitamin E in the almonds nourish damaged hair against sun exposure or in my case an overload of sand 😉 by improving circulation and strengthening hair from the roots which would further prevent split ends.

In fact now I can also recollect the Vitamin E cream  (read concoctions) my mom would make at home for my chapped lips and something else to massage at night onto my eyebrows to make them lush and dark. She would use pure almond oil and glycerin for the chapped lips and just almond and castor oil mix for the eyebrows. There was also another one involving her ever favourite cream Charmis (anyone remember it) which I used to hate as it would be too cloying for my skin and made me perspire.

Just recollecting these memories reminded me that what was once painful for me as a child, is what I have carried forward diligently in my adult life now to reap the immense vitality that is provided by Vitamin E; be it for health or beauty. And its been made simpler by #Evion which btw is touted to be the best Vitamin E health supplement and the only one that I have ever used. So no longer do I have to scurry out for ten things or ten methods, I simply pop open a Evion supplement Capsule and voila I have Vitamin E oil.

Beauty Tips:

Besides incorporating vitamin E rich foods in my diet, I use the Vitamin E capsule in my beauty regime. Aha! now I know I have your attention. Sharing my vanity tips with you all here:

1. Mix one capsule of Vitamin E oil with a spoonful of coconut oil / baby oil  – this makes for an excellent make up remover especially for that stubborn eye make up residue from kajal and mascara which end up making you look like a raccoon in the morning. Simply massage this combo in gentle circular motions around and over your eyes for a minute or two. Allow to soak in by pressing a warm facecloth/soft tissue – trust me its very soothing. Or if you don’t have the patience/time, simply use cotton balls soaked in warm water to remove all of this oil from your face. Not one iota of the makeup will remain in or around the eyes – guaranteed. And yes this is great for removing makeup from the rest of the face too but in that case just soak the cotton ball in it and wipe the face gently.
2. Make a nourishing hair mask with 2-3 tbsp of (slightly warmed up) Olive oil, mix in oil from 1-2 vitamin E capsule (depending on the length/thickness of your hair, pls vary the quantity) and then coat your hair from roots to tips in gentle circular motions. Wear a shower cap and leave for an hour. Shampoo and rinse as per your normal regime. I find this mask nourishes my hair by removing split ends, friziness and after effects of beauty treatments like hot rollers and blow dryers which really dry out my hair.
3. In winters, I use pure badam rogan (almond oil) or apricot oil as the night cream. I just massage it in on my freshly washed face and put a hot towel to ensure absorption into the skin as well as removing the excess to prevent staining my pillow. I feel this retains a glow on my face besides providing the much-needed moisture and elasticity to my skin in winters.
4. In summers, Vitamin E oil makes for an excellent sun burn soother. Just dab some on a cotton ball and gently rub your face with it when you come back home after facing the sun’s wrath the whole day. Do use a face wash to remove the sweat and grime before doing this. Vitamin E oil will soothe the burn and nourish the skin to not prevent the redness/rash and also heal the skin from within.

I am sure you have a plethora of such advice in your arsenal too for your mom/aunts/grandmas must have been bursting with all of this and applying it on you while growing up. Do share your skin and hair secrets – yes my dear I have already admitted to being very vain and beauty conscious 😉

I sincerely hope people wont stop coming to my blog after this post as all it talks about is vanity in the guise of speaking about the glories of Vitamin E. Do share with me if you think this is not my forte and I should avoid writing such posts in future.

Note to the reader:

This post has been written in response to the #Evion – My Vitamin E mantra contest on #Indiblogger and all the opinions, views and recipes mentioned here are mine. In no ways is any of this to be construed as medical advise and used thereof.