Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Color and makeup Tocopherol (Vit. E) Liquid

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  • Tocopherol (Vit. E) Liquid

    Posted by tinj on May 29, 2019 at 3:28 am

    Hello. Would like to ask if it is normal the Vit.E liquid that I bought is clear white, slightly viscuous (syrupy) and smells a bit like alcohol?

    This is supposed to be for cosmetics to prevent it from turning rancid. The supplier said the expiry date is on 2021.

    dr-catherine-pratt replied 4 years, 6 months ago 8 Members · 28 Replies
  • 28 Replies
  • doreen

    Member
    May 29, 2019 at 1:22 pm

    Colour is usually amber to light brown, certainly not white. 

    (Source of picture)

  • crillz

    Member
    May 30, 2019 at 3:10 am

    Ours is clear white slight viscous as mentioned, syrupy.

  • markbroussard

    Member
    May 31, 2019 at 1:45 am

    If it is clear “white” … it should be translucent, then what you have is Tocopheryl Acetate

  • dtdang

    Member
    May 31, 2019 at 1:53 am

    @MarkBroussard, what are differences between vitamin E and
    tocopherol acetates?

  • markbroussard

    Member
    May 31, 2019 at 12:28 pm

    @Dtdang

    Tocopherol acetate is a snythetic ester made from natural tocopherol.  The ester is more stable against going rancid than the natural tocopherol.  The both perform essentially the same function.

  • dtdang

    Member
    May 31, 2019 at 12:46 pm

    @MarkBroussard thanks a lot.

  • pharma

    Member
    June 1, 2019 at 2:11 pm

    Tocopheryl acetate is not an antioxidant and will not protect the product but become active only after penetrating skin and doing it’s work there. Tocopherol on the other hand is primarily used to protect the product from getting rancid and is usually not used as an active ingredient (unless tocopheryl acetate can not be used because it’s synthetic).

  • doreen

    Member
    June 1, 2019 at 6:41 pm

    @Pharma
    Correct. I see a lot of homecrafters using vitamine E capsules (the acetate form) as antioxidant for their product, but it’s useless for that reason.

    Simply put:
    Tocopheryl acetate => as skin ‘active’
    Tocopherol => as antioxidant for product or raw ingredients (e.g. vegetable oils), no more than 0.2% or it stimulates oxidation rather than inhibits.

  • dtdang

    Member
    June 1, 2019 at 10:02 pm

    @Pharma & @Doreen:
    Tocopheryl acetate is used as active ingredient for anti-aging
    Tocopherol is used only for keeping ingredients from rancid?

    Can I use both of them together without negative impacts?

  • markbroussard

    Member
    June 1, 2019 at 11:52 pm

    It’s actually a bit more complicated than that.  Tocopherol is the biologically-active form of Vitamin E and is found primarily in the epidermis and sebum, but it is easily oxidized.  When applied topically, it does penetrate into the epidermis and increases total tocopherol content and provides significant skin benefits, primarily as a free-radical scavenger.

    Tocopherol Acetate is much more stable, but the conversion rate to free tocopherol when applied topically is at best 6%, so topically-applied tocopherol acetate isn’t really doing very much.  Tocopherol, when applied topically is documented to substantially increase the tocopherol content in the skin for up to 24 hours.

    Yes, you can use both in the same formulation.  The key is to add “co-antioxidants” to stabilize the tocopherol such as Ferulic Acid, Grape Seed Extract, Resveratrol, Green Tea catechins, Vitamin C, Ubiquinone.  It all depends on your product form as to which of the above co-antioxidants are appropriate to use.  You can also mix tocopherol, tocotrienols and tocopherol acetate.

  • pharma

    Member
    June 2, 2019 at 7:53 am

    …but the conversion rate to free tocopherol when applied topically is at best 6%, so topically-applied tocopherol acetate isn’t really doing very much…

    Ugh, that bad? Never paid any heed to that point. Thanks!

  • doreen

    Member
    June 2, 2019 at 8:38 am

    @Dtdang
    Tocopherol acetate doesn’t have antioxidant activity in the product or raw ingredient, so best to use ‘pure’ tocopherol for that reason (which is amber coloured). And as Mark rightfully mentions it’s not very stable, so indeed a good idea to pair it up with the substances that he mentions.
    Disadvantage of (alpha-)tocopherol is that you shouldn’t exceed 0.2% or it can become pro-oxidative (see graph below).

    Personally I never use tocopherol acetate. I don’t see a good reason for it.

    Edit: gamma and delta tocopherol don’t become ‘pro-oxidative’ in higher doses. Manufacturer Jan Dekker for example has products without alpha-tocopherol, so these can be used in higher %.
    Source (document):

    @Perry
    I still can’t upload files in replies, only in private messages.

  • markbroussard

    Member
    June 2, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    @Doreen:

    I think you are missing the interpretation in that graph in your statement that you should not use Tocopherol above 0.2%. 

    The graph is showing the rate of diene conversion at different temperatures … what that graph is actually showing is that as the temperature increases, the rate of diene formation increases given the same amount of tocopherol.

    It is not supporting that tocopherol becomes significantly pro-oxidative at concentrations above 0.2%.  What is is showing is that at concentrations above 100 ppm, you really are not getting any additional benefit from the addition of more alpha-tocopherol.

    The most relevant line in the graph is the 40C trend line which is closest to normal skin temperature (32.5C) and rises to 33.5C, on average, when sunbathing.  

    The 60C trend line equates to 140F … skin temperature only gets that high if you are on fire, so it has no real relevance.

  • doreen

    Member
    June 2, 2019 at 4:26 pm

    @MarkBroussard
    I now see that what I took for the 40C line is actually the 60C line and the lower temperatures indeed don’t increase the conjugated diene forming significantly. Thanks for pointing it out!
    (The used medium in this graph is pure sunflower oil by the way (without other additions). I have no idea how and if the graph would change when it would be e.g. an emulsion.)

    What concentration would you recommend for skin benefits?

  • markbroussard

    Member
    June 2, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    There is no “correct” amount to use … I generally use Tocopherol and Tocotrienols at 0.5%.

  • tinj

    Member
    June 3, 2019 at 2:32 pm

    Thank you so much for the insights. Btw, this is how it looks like when I draw it out using tuberculin syringe..yes, translucent.. far different from the amber colored tocopherol..

  • markbroussard

    Member
    June 3, 2019 at 2:39 pm

    Honestly, that does not even look like Tocopherol Acetate, which should be a translucent yellow color … this looks crystal clear.

  • tinj

    Member
    June 3, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    Oh, maybe it was diluted.. What you said got me thinking.. Even at daylight, there hardly was any yellowish tinge to it even if I had to choose a white background. Better discard the stuff..tnx so much @Mark, @Doreen :smiley:

  • pharma

    Member
    June 3, 2019 at 5:59 pm

    Pure tocopherol and tocopherol acetate have the consistency of liquid honey, very viscous. If it’s more like syrup or even water, then it’s a dilution of some kind.

  • dtdang

    Member
    June 3, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    @tinj, where do you buy it?
    its color is not correct. 

  • doreen

    Member
    June 4, 2019 at 6:31 pm

    @tinj
    You’re very welcome. :)

  • tinj

    Member
    June 8, 2019 at 11:45 am

    @Dtdang, bought it from an online store. Messaged the seller, said they buy it in bulk from overseas, then they do retail. But til now got no further reply as to the more specific details of their product such as brand, type of Vit E or if its pure or not

  • tinj

    Member
    June 8, 2019 at 11:47 am

    @Pharma tnx!

  • dtdang

    Member
    June 8, 2019 at 4:10 pm

    @tinj Store should provide you the certificates of products and safety data sheet
    if not, do not trust them.

  • Anonymous

    Guest
    September 5, 2019 at 9:45 pm

    Can anyone speak more about vitamin E acetate in vape devices? I am on an epi team and we’re keeping an eye on these recently reported lung illnesses linked to vaping devices.  
    I suspect vit E acetate is being used to preserve the e-liquid to prevent it from becoming rancid, but are there other reasons it would be added or other issues if it’s heated, handled, inhaled instead of consumed, etc…could it be in certain flavors and not in others…Thoughts?? 
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/09/05/contaminant-found-vaping-products-linked-deadly-lung-illnesses-state-federal-labs-show/

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