The Benefits of Wheat Germ Oil for Skin and Hair

Wheat germ is more than just a nutritious addition to your diet — the ingredient and its derivatives, like wheat germ oil, can also support skin and nail health.

Wheat germ is the part of a wheat grain that helps new sprouts grow, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Wheat germ oil is derived from the germ, and it's packed with nutrients like healthy fat and vitamin E, per My Food Data. In fact, just 1 tablespoon of the oil contains 135 percent of your daily value of vitamin E.

And it's because of these nutrients that using wheat germ oil for hair or skin has so many potential benefits. According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating foods rich in vitamin E — like wheat germ oil — or applying topical moisturizers that contain the vitamin may help you see these results.

So without further ado, here are the benefits of wheat germ oil for your skin and hair.

Here are the perks of using wheat germ oil for skin:

Wheat germ oil is rich in vitamin E. And this vitamin may help prevent your skin from losing moisture, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Indeed, a December 2019 study in the ​Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology​ found that facial skin hydration significantly improved in people who took an oral wheat extract oil supplement for three months compared to those who did not.

However, this research only surveyed 64 people, so larger studies are needed to better examine the potential hydrating effects of wheat germ oil.

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps protect your cells from damage, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That's why your skin oil naturally contains vitamin E — it acts as a barrier.

And adding vitamin E to moisturizers — in this case, in the form of wheat germ oil — may help further protect your skin from cell damage, per the Cleveland Clinic.

In fact, the ​Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology​ study found that people who took an oral wheat extract oil supplement had a decrease in wrinkles and increase in skin radiance compared to those who did not take the oil, all of which suggests that wheat extract may have anti-aging properties.

There's also some evidence to indicate that vitamin E can decrease sun damage from UVB rays: However, more research is needed to better establish this link, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Wheat germ oil is also good for skin texture. According to the ​Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology​ study, people who took the wheat extract oil saw an improvement in skin roughness compared to those who did not try the supplement.

Adding vitamin E to moisturizers may also help soften your skin, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Another potential wheat germ benefit for skin is that the vitamin E in the oil may accelerate burn and wound healing, according to Mount Sinai.

When it comes to wheat germ specifically, an April 2020 study in ​Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications​ found that a peptide in wheat germ had anti-inflammatory effects and also triggered collagen and blood vessel formation in injured rats, all of which were linked to faster wound healing.

However, there need to be studies testing this treatment in humans to see if it produces the same effects.

Wheat germ oil benefits don't just apply to your skin — it's also great for your hair. Here are some potential wheat germ hair benefits:

There's some evidence to suggest that wheat germ oil has benefits for hair growth.

For instance, a small, older December 2010 study of 38 people with hair loss in ​Tropical Life Sciences Research​ found that those who took vitamin E supplements experienced increased hair growth compared to those who did not take the supplement.

That said, vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help reduce oxidative stress, a type of cell damage that has been linked to hair loss, according to a January 2017 study in ​Dermatology Practical & Conceptual​.

This may involve eating wheat germ for hair growth or applying the oil topically, so talk to your doctor about what hair growth supplement method is best and whether you should try wheat germ oil for hair loss in the first place.

Like skin, using wheat germ oil for hair may help support hydration. That's because oil can protect your hair from damage, lubricate your strands and prevent breakage, according to January 2015 research in the ​International Journal of Trichology​.