Vitamin E–What It Does for Your Skin

 

Of the many skin-care ingredients out there, vitamin E is definitely one of the most common. It’s found naturally in our bodies and in certain foods. Also, if you look closely, you’ll probably find it in many of the skin-care products already in your medicine cabinet.  Namely, serums, moisturizers, eye creams, and just about everything in between. You may have even tried taking vitamin E in supplement form.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Antioxidants might protect cells from the effects of free radicals, which are molecules made when the body breaks down food or is in contact with tobacco smoke or radiation. These molecules might lead to heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

Yes, it is a vitamin, but if you want to get technical, the term vitamin E actually refers to a group of compounds. “Vitamin E is the name given to [a] family of oil-soluble antioxidants,” explains cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson. So, if you see the term “tocopherol” on the ingredient list of your favorite serum or moisturizer, it’s vitamin E.

It’s in many foods

Foods rich in vitamin E include vegetable oils such as canola and olive oils, nuts, and seeds. Meats, dairy, leafy greens, and fortified cereals also have vitamin E. And the vitamin comes in capsules or drops to take by mouth.

How does vitamin E benefit skin?

Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Antioxidants might protect cells from the effects of free radicals, which are molecules made when the body breaks down food or is in contact with tobacco smoke or radiation. These molecules might lead to heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

“Topically, it can be very helpful [for] a range of skin disorders, as well as skin repair,” explains board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban. “It assists in various kinds of cellular restoration from sun damage to healing support for scars or burns.”

Vitamin E is a nutrient that’s important for vision, fighting off diseases and the health of the blood, brain, and skin.

Vitamin E is also a natural anti-inflammatory, so it can be soothing and help calm the skin. It’s also good for hydrating skin and serves as a moderately effective natural barrier to the sun.

Who benefits and who should avoid it

“Vitamin E is usually not advisable for supersensitive, very oily, or acne-prone skin,” Shamban says. Although it’s very uncommon, topical vitamin E can also act as an allergen to some, causing irritation, itching, or even a rash when it touches the skin.

Considering that it’s also a naturally occurring substance in the body, and it’s also been shown to relieve eczema for some people, sensitivity is really “a case-by-case basis that, at this point, cannot be generalized as an allergen,” Wilson explains.

When vitamin E is paired with vitamin C, Shamban says, they are even more effective as partners. Chiefly why many serums contain both.

Caveats

Most people get enough vitamin E from a balanced diet. So healthcare professionals don’t often suggest that people take vitamin E supplements. If you’ve been diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, some research suggests that vitamin E therapy might help slow the worsening of the disease.

The recommended daily amount of vitamin E for adults is 15 milligrams a day.   Too little vitamin E can cause nerve pain, called neuropathy, and damage to the retina, called retinopathy. Retinopathy can cause vision loss.

Vitamin E can affect many conditions. For instance, some research suggests that taking vitamin E by mouth may raise the risk of prostate cancer. Other research suggests that vitamin E use may raise the risk of death in people with a history of heart attack or stroke.

However, even with the cautions, experts think that vitamin E when taken by mouth or put on skin in typical amounts mainly is safe.