Science Fair Project

Vitamin E Miracle or Myth? Put the Petal to

the Mettle!
Riley Ostler
Lopez Elementary
Statement of the Problem

Can Vitamin E extend the

preservation of skin?
Project Overview
Does Vitamin E really work? Well you can
find out in my science project. Although
you can use Vitamin E on skin, you can
also test this experiment on rose petals.
My purpose is to find out if vitamin e will
effect the color, texture, appearance,
and size of the rose petals. Observing
the petals for preservation. Does vitamin
e make a difference? Will the petals stay
fresh and young rather than the
untreated rose petals? The reason why I
chose this topic was to see if Vitamin E
could really make a difference in the
appearance of skin or in this case a rose
petal.
Vitamin E Research
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble
antioxidant that stops the production of
reactive oxygen species that are formed
when fat undergoes oxidation.
Vitamin E can aid or possibly
prevent Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s
disease, Breast Cancer, and Skin Cancer.
The daily intake that kids 9 to 13 years
should take 11 mg of Vitamin E each day.
Vitamin E is used for many health
benefits. It is an antioxidant that has anti-
aging benefits as well. Vitamin E’s
antioxidant activity is vital in aiding
protection to the skin cells. Vitamin E
protects the skin from ultra violet light,
pollution, drugs, and other elements that
produce cell damaging free radicals.
Vitamin E Research
Vitamin E is a dietary source and
supplement. You can find Vitamin E in
cereals, seeds. Seed oils, nuts , almonds,
hazelnuts, spinach, turnips, beets, collards,
and in many tomato products, pumpkin,
and sweet potatoes.
A more controversial benefit of
Vitamin E is the treatment of scars. Acne
scars, surgical scars, and various forms of
damage due to burns. Recent research has
questioned this benefit. Studies claim that
Vitamin E may make the scar look worse.
This is a definable opposition that the
millions of individuals that claim Vitamin E
creams help soften the appearance of
scars. Many dermatologists recommend the
use of Vitamin E in aiding prevention of
scars.
Vitamin E Research Definitions
Oxidant noun: A chemical agent that oxidizes.

Antioxidant noun: A substance that opposes oxidant of prevents or makes difficult reactions
make easier by oxidant.

Oxidize verb: To combine with oxygen.

Alzheimer’s disease noun: A disease of the central nervous system characterized by the wasting
away of brain tissue with gradual loss of memory and mental abilities-called also Alzheimer’s.

Parkinson’s disease noun: A nervous disease of later life that tends to get steadily worse and is
marked by trembling and weakness of resting muscles
and by a characteristic way of walking.

Controversial adjective: Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of controversy; polemical; a

controversial book.

Dermatologists noun: A physician who specializes in dermatology and especially in the treatment
of the diseases of the skin.
Vitamin E Research Definitions

Radical adjective: A person who favors rapid and sweeping changes

especially in law and methods of government.

Polyunsaturated adjective: Of, an oil or fatty acid: having many double or

triple bonds in a molecule.

Supplement verb: To add to (supplement their incomes by doing odd jobs)

Soluble adjective: Capable of being dissolved in a liquid (sugar is a soluble

in water)

Vital adjective: Concerned with or necessary to the continuation of life

(vital organs)
Variables

• Controlled variables: Rose petals, zip lock bags.

• Independent variable: Air, water, rose petal
• Dependent variable: The size, appearance,
texture, and color is how I’m going to measure
the rose petal. I will measure the size of the
rose petal by using a school ruler. I am going to
measure by inches, and measure length and
width.
Hypothesis

My hypothesis is that a rose petals appearance

will remain young and fresh when coated in
Vitamin E daily.
Materials

• The materials I used are:

• nine large flower petals
• nine zip lock bags (same size)
• a black marker
• a 8 oz glass of water
• several vitamin e capsules (one whole for each of the
petals labeled vitamin e
• white stickers (nine of them for each bag)
Procedure

1. Place three rose petals in three separate plastic bags labeling them
“Air”.

2. Dip the three rose petals in a cup of water and put them into three
plastic bags labeling them “Water”.

3. Lightly coat three rose petals with Vitamin-E and put them into
three plastic bags labeling them “Vitamin E”.

4. Observe and measure the rose petals every day for at least seven days,
recording changes in color, size, texture, and appearance.
 Air

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Red Red Black Red Red and Dark red Red
around black black more
Color
edges around black
edges

Soft Smooth Wrinkled Rough Wrinkled Wrinkled Crunchy

and dead
Texture
rough

Smooth Edges Edges Wrinkled Edges Dead Wrinkled

Starting curling curling curled wrinkled up small
Appearance
to curl edges dead

2 by 2 2 by 2 2 by 2 2 by 2 1 ½ by 1 ½ by 1 ½ by 1
½ 2 1½ ½
Size
 Water

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Color Red Red Red/ Red/ Red/ Red/ Red/

black black black black black
around edges
edges
Texture Soft Smooth Smooth Smooth/ Smooth Smooth/ Smooth
starting / wrinkled / rough
to look wrinkle
wrinkled d
Appearance Smooth Edges Edges Wrinkled Curling Curling Curling
starting curling / curling
to curl edges
Size 3 by 3 3 by 3 3 by 3 3 by 3 3 by 3 3 by 3 3 by 3
 Vitamin E

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Red Red Red Red Red Red Red

Color edges
changing
Silky/soft Silky/soft Silky/ Silky/soft Smooth Soft Soft
Texture soft

Smooth/ Silky/moist Moist Moist Curling Smooth Smooth

Appearance moist curling edges
at curling
edges
2 by 2 2 by 2 2 by 2 2 by 2 2 by 2 2 by 2 2 by 2
Size
Conclusion

The results of my experiment proved to be that rose petals coated in

Vitamin E did stay young and fresh longer than untreated petals. The
untreated rose petals seemed to age most quickly. The rose petal treated
in water lasted longer as well, but not as long as the rose petals treated in
Vitamin E. The petals treated with water didn’t shrink, but it wasn’t as
vibrant red as when I started, and the edges started to curl and change in
color. Vitamin E did prove it can extend the preservation of a rose petal.
Based on my observation Vitamin E used every day in beauty creams can
help reduce fine lines and help preserve the skin keeping people looking
young.
Works Cited
1. “Antioxidant,” Merriam-Webster's Intermediate Dictionary.
1998, page 32

2. National Institute of Health. “Vitamin E Fact Sheet

(5/4/2009)
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE.asp.

3. “Vitamin,” “World Book Encyclopedia”

V. 20, 2005, pp.432