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You may have spotted vitamin E on the nutrition labels of food you eat or the ingredient list of your favorite moisturizer, but what is vitamin E good for? With the help of board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger, we’ll get into the details of why vitamin E is such a skin care all-star. Let’s dive into some frequently asked questions, including:
Vitamin E is an oil-soluble vitamin. It’s found naturally in a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables as well as nuts, seeds and whole grains.
In your body, vitamin E plays an important role in vision as well as your blood, brain and skin. It helps keep blood clots from forming and acts as an antioxidant, helping reduce damage to your cells from environmental stressors such as the sun and pollution. Medical researchers are also studying whether vitamin E can help diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and liver disease.
When it comes to your skin, vitamin E plays a unique role. After you eat food or take oral supplements containing vitamin E, it makes its way into your bloodstream and up to the surface of your skin through your sebaceous glands. “We tend to produce less sebum as we age, so the amount of vitamin E that naturally makes its way up to the skin’s surface decreases with age,” Dr. Schlessinger says. Vitamin E is also a popular active ingredient in skin care products. However, vitamin E makes its way into your skin, it has some notable benefits, including:
Vitamin E is an antioxidant. When your skin is exposed to UV rays, pollution and other environmental stressors, it stimulates the formation of free radicals in your body that wreak havoc on cells. This cellular damage shows up on your skin in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and loss of elasticity. Antioxidants such as vitamin E help neutralize damaging free radicals and help reduce the harmful impacts of UV rays and other stressors on your skin.
Vitamin E has anti-inflammatory properties. It can help reduce redness and swelling from a sunburn or soothe irritated skin.
Vitamin E helps maintain collagen production in the skin. By stimulating blood flow to the skin, it helps support collagen production for firmer-looking skin.
Vitamin E is good for dry skin. “Vitamin E is very beneficial for dry skin because it acts as a humectant to draw water into the skin and then also acts as an emollient by trapping that moisture in,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “It’s an effective one-two punch for dull, dry skin.”
There are many forms of vitamin E, but tocopherol is the form that you’ll find in skin care products, usually in a concentration of 0.5% to 1%. When it comes to vitamin E skin care, you’ll also often see it coupled with vitamin C. “There’s research out there that has shown that vitamin E and vitamin C are actually more effective at preventing photodamage together than on their own,” Dr. Schlessinger says. Ready to give vitamin E skin care a try? Here are seven products containing vitamin E that are worth giving a try.
Remember when we mentioned that vitamins C and E make a great pair? In this face serum, 1% vitamin E and 15% vitamin C join with ferulic acid for added stability and an octapeptide blend. This carefully curated blend of active ingredients helps target fine lines, hyperpigmentation and helps increase skin firmness by supporting collagen production. In a clinical study, users noted that this serum reduced the depth of wrinkles by 63% in as few as 28 days.
This face treatment is another stand-out option to boost the anti-aging benefits of your skin care routine. If you prefer a cream formula over a traditional liquid serum, you’ll love the silky texture of this silicone-based formula. Vitamins C and E work in tandem to help reduce signs of aging, such as dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles. A time-release formula ensures that your skin will reap the benefits all day long after your morning application.
Australian skin care brand Alpha-H created this product as a first-aid serum for dry, irritated skin. What’s unique about this face serum is that it contains Vital ET, a proprietary derivative of vitamin E that’s rapidly absorbed by your skin. Stressed-out skin will feel soothed by vitamin E’s anti-inflammatory properties while ceramides, evening primrose oil and macadamia oil all band together to restore your skin barrier function and guard against moisture loss.
Looking for a lightweight daily moisturizer for acne-prone skin? This day cream contains vitamin E to provide antioxidant protection, reduce redness and irritation from acne and hydrate your skin without blocking pores. Kelp extract and allantoin support vitamin E’s role as an anti-inflammatory by helping to calm irritation from breakouts. It also contains botanical extracts such as cinnamon, ginger and burnet to help tone skin and reduce the appearance of pores.
Wearing sunscreen every day helps reduce your risk of skin cancer and also protects your skin against signs of photoaging, such as fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration. This all-mineral sunscreen protects skin with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide and also contains vitamin E for additional protection against the free radicals that can result from UV exposure. “The best sunscreen is one you’ll wear consistently, and this formula has some fantastic features, such as a flattering tint in addition to broad-spectrum protection,” Dr. Schlessinger says.
You’ve seen how vitamins C and E make an effective pair in anti-aging serums for your face—why not give your hands the same treatment? This hand cream combines the antioxidant abilities of both vitamin C and E to help smooth crepey texture, even out skin tone and diminish age spots on your hands. We’re big fans of the silky, lightweight texture that won’t leave your hands feeling greasy.
Did you know leafy greens have a good source of vitamin E? This luxurious face mask harnesses the antioxidant-packed power of kale, spinach and broccoli along with vitamin C and citrus oils from grapefruit and lemon to boost your skin’s defense against free radicals. It also contains aloe and glycerin to help infuse your skin with moisture. Apply this cream-gel mask—which you can dilute with a bit of water for a lighter texture—to your face and wait for five minutes before gently removing with a damp washcloth.
Vitamin E skin care isn’t limited to topical products. A dermatologist and nutritionist at Barcelona-based brand ISDIN teamed up to develop this daily vitamin supplement to support skin health. It contains vitamins A, C, D and E along with antioxidant-packed green tea extract, lycopene and lutein to help neutralize free radicals and protect against photoaging. In a consumer survey, 93% of users said their skin looked firmer and more luminous after twelve weeks of use.
Craving softer, smoother skin? Check out the best oils to add to your skin care routine.
Aaron serves as Editor at LovelySkin. Since graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2016 with degrees in Creative Writing and English, he has immersed himself in the beauty industry. When he’s not writing about the latest beauty trends, he spends time cuddling his dogs, scouring antique stores, playing tennis and hiking.
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