Have you ever wondered how certain ingredients like jojoba oil and vitamin E work their magic in nail care products? After a question from a reader, we decided to explain what’s behind these ingredients. I decided to take a closer look at the science and its ability to penetrate the nail plate. Let’s unravel the mystery behind jojoba oil, vitamin E (tocopherols), and their role in promoting healthy nails.
Understanding Terminology: Tocopherols and Vitamin E in Nail Care
First, I would like to explain some terminology. Vitamin E is the food supplement name for a substance called “tocopherol.” In other words, tocopherol is the correct cosmetic name that should appear on the label, and the term vitamin should only be used for food and ingested dietary supplements. Of course, I use correct cosmetic ingredient names, and so should manufacturers and sellers.
Molecular size and nail penetration: tocopherol and jojoba oil
Tocopherols are very large molecules, and molecules of this size typically have difficulty penetrating the nail plate, and the same is true for jojoba oil. Certain molecules in jojoba oil have very long, smooth shapes rather than large, bulky shapes, and this makes a big difference. I agree that it is difficult for vitamin E molecules to penetrate on their own.
Most may stay on or near the surface of the nail plate, which is not a bad thing. Why is this so? This is where the protective action of tocopherols is most needed, as exposure to sunlight and oxygen can lead to undesirable and potentially destructive chemical changes that lead to discoloration and brittleness of the nail plate and/or nail coating. It is near the surface where the reaction occurs.
Tocopherols are most needed at or near the surface and are of little use deep within the nail plate or in the strengthened areas.
Utilizing tocopherols: The science behind nail penetration and protection
I have done tests using blends of tocopherols and various natural oils such as jojoba oil and avocado oil and found that the tocopherols actually penetrate the nail plate slowly over time and are concentrated near the surface. It was shown that
These natural oils act as carrier solvents for tocopherols. This is not surprising since many vegetable oils naturally contain tocopherols. For example, wheat germ oil is the most concentrated natural source of known tocopherols. So I’m sure some tocopherols are absorbed, but not in large quantities. However, tocopherols are very effective at very low concentrations, so large amounts of tocopherols are not necessary.
This explains why nail oils containing tocopherols should be used regularly to ensure that protective amounts of tocopherols are always present. Of course, tocopherols can also be blended into monomer liquids and/or UV gels to provide a similar protective effect throughout the coating. However, the true protective effects of tocopherols occur when they are concentrated on surfaces. Therefore, using high-quality nail oil containing tocopherol is an effective approach to protect the integrity of both natural and artificial nails.
Elucidation of the role of tocopherol in artificial nail products
protection and absorption
When tocopherols are added to artificial nail products, their function is to protect the coating, not the nail plate. I am not aware of any evidence that any useful or appreciable amounts of “vitamins” can migrate from the artificial nail coating and be absorbed into the nail plate to provide benefits. Therefore, we recommend that you ignore those claims until convincing evidence is provided.
