Vitamin E is one of the most common ingredients in the world of skincare products – and for good reason! Naturally found within our bodies already, Vitamin E is typically offered in cream or oil format for topical skin care due to its soothing and moisturising properties.
But what exactly is Vitamin E and what can it do for our skin? We share some of the benefits of Vitamin E and who should use it!
What is Vitamin E?
As the name suggests, Vitamin E is a vitamin! But to get a bit more scientific, “Vitamin E” refers to a whole family of oil-soluble antioxidants – about eight chemical forms in total. However, of these, the most commonly found form of Vitamin E in skincare is “tocopherol”. So if you see this chemical name on the ingredients list of your skincare, it’s just the fancy way of saying Vitamin E!
What does Vitamin E do for your skin?
Vitamin E has so many incredible benefits for skin:
Strengthens skin barrier
Vitamin E can strengthen your skin barrier, helping to keep your skin healthy, hydrated and bright, while lowering the amount of sensitivity your skin might experience.
Moisturising
An incredible ingredient for those with dry skin, Vitamin E is fantastic for softening dry and flaky patches. The skin barrier enhancing benefits of Vitamin E help your skin retain moisture more easily, keeping dry skin hydrated and healthy.
Antioxidant benefits
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which helps to repair damage from factors like pollution. Antioxidants can also help improve skin elasticity, calm irritation and smooth fine lines.
Sun protection
Vitamin E is able to absorb UVB light; a contributor to skin damage and premature signs of ageing. When combined with SPF, you’ll be even better protected from the sun and the damage it can cause your skin.
Promotes cell turnover
One of the best ingredients you can get in lip care products, Vitamin E helps to regenerate cells faster, bringing new cells to the surface for smoother and softer skin.
Improves hyperpigmentation and acne scarring
As Vitamin E is an antioxidant, it also has brightening and smoothing benefits, which can help to lighten dark patches caused by sun damage or acne scarring. The smoothing benefits also help to improve the texture of scarring and can prevent further breakouts by strengthening the skin barrier.
Who should use Vitamin E?
Vitamin E skincare is best suited to dry skin types. Creams and oils with this ingredient tend to be quite heavy, so those with oily or acne-prone skin may want to avoid them, as it can clog pores and cause breakouts. While Vitamin E can help acne scarring, those with active acne may want to avoid it for this reason.
Some people can also find Vitamin E a little irritating for their skin, with a small number of people experiencing an allergy to the ingredient that can cause itching or a rash. While this is very rare, you may want to do a patch test of a new Vitamin E product before you cover your entire body in the stuff!
With this in mind, some sensitive skin types may want to approach Vitamin E with caution. However, it can be a particularly brilliant ingredient for those with eczema, helping to relieve the condition.
Have you tried Vitamin E skin care yet? If your skin is always feeling dry or looking a bit flaky, then consider adding this ingredient into your routine!
