When we talk about the different vitamins that you need for healthy, glowing skin, A and C tend to receive most of the attention. There’s lots of evidence documenting their powerful effects. Perhaps less prominent, but no less important, it seems vitamin E also plays an important role in skin health.
Exactly how vitamin E works and how to make the best use of it is an ongoing investigation. What we do know is that it can be found in sebum, the skin oil that gets bad press because of its contribution to acne. The oilier your skin is, the higher the vitamin E levels it will possess. Skin oil tends to decline as we age, and vitamin E does, too.
Vitamin E’s most important role in the body is as an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals and protect your cells from damage. More relevant for skin health in particular, it may protect you from some of the damage caused by UV rays and sun exposure (https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-E). Now, this doesn’t mean you don’t need sunscreen. The protection offered by vitamin E is narrow, it doesn’t apply to all kinds of UV, and it won’t stop you from developing skin cancer. It may, however, reduce redness and swelling.
You may also find vitamin E in moisturizers, and evidence backs up the idea that it can reduce the amount of moisture the skin loses, making it softer. Again, though, we’re not sure of the specific mechanisms of how it works, and the effects can be subtle. It’s best for people who struggle with dry skin, as those with oily skin already have plenty of vitamin E in their sebum.
The most important source of vitamin E isn’t in skincare products but in your diet. You can find it in many oils, including wheatgerm oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil. It’s also present in various forms of seeds and nuts, particularly sunflower seeds and almonds. Vegetables high in vitamin E include spinach and broccoli, and there are supplements available for those with vitamin E deficiency.
There’s a lot of “maybe” and “probably” in the research around vitamin E and skin health, but we do know it impacts your skin, on top of its broader health role. Taking care of your skin means ensuring you have enough vitamin E, both in your diet and your products.
