Vitamin E and Your Skin, Friends Through Food

If you’re seeking natural strategies to support healthy skin, vitamins play a key role in preserving skin’s appearance and function. While nutrient-dense foods are the best source of vitamins, supplements and topical products containing vitamins can also offer benefits.

Beyond helping skin look healthier, vitamins are used to manage a range of skin issues such as acne, psoriasis, and the signs of aging from sun exposure.

This article takes a closer look at vitamin E and its effects on the skin.

What is vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble essential nutrient with anti-inflammatory actions. It supports immune function, cellular health, and the condition of the skin. As an antioxidant, it helps neutralize free radicals generated by food metabolism and environmental toxins.

Vitamin E may help reduce UV-induced skin damage.

It might also alleviate symptoms of atopic dermatitis and fatty liver disease, and slow decline in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

Vitamin E is even used to dilate blood vessels, lowering the chance of clot formation.

UV exposure and sunlight decrease vitamin E levels in skin, and levels also fall with age. Fortunately, vitamin E is present in many foods, available as supplements, and included in topical formulations.

What to know about vitamin E in foods

Vitamin E is present in a variety of foods, including:

• some fortified commercial products, like cereal, juice, and margarine
• seafood such as abalone and salmon
• green vegetables like broccoli and spinach
• nuts and seeds, for example sunflower seeds and hazelnuts
• vegetable oils, including sunflower, wheat germ, and safflower oils

Natural vitamin E in foods is commonly labeled as d-alpha-tocopherol. A synthetic version exists too, typically noted as dl-alpha-tocopherol. The natural form is generally more potent than the synthetic analogue.

Vitamin E absorption may be improved when taken with vitamin C.

Recommended vitamin E allowance

Daily vitamin E needs vary by age.

Adolescents, adults, and pregnant people should aim for about 15 milligrams (mg) per day. Breastfeeding individuals require roughly 19 milligrams. Infants and children need smaller amounts.

Most people with access to a balanced diet obtain adequate vitamin E from food sources.

Individuals with disorders that impair fat digestion or absorption—such as cystic fibrosis or Crohn’s disease—may require higher vitamin E intakes. For these individuals and others worried about their levels, supplements can be useful. Vitamin E is included in many multivitamin and mineral preparations.

Vitamin E products

Vitamin E supplements

For most people in the United States, extra vitamin E supplements aren’t necessary. Consuming vitamin E-rich foods typically provides enough to support skin health.

When ingested via diet or supplements, vitamin E reaches the skin through sebum, the oily secretion from sebaceous glands.

Those with oilier skin may have greater concentrations of vitamin E in both the dermis and epidermis.

Oily regions, such as the face and shoulders, can also hold higher vitamin E levels than drier areas.

Topical vitamin E

Vitamin E is sold as creams and oils for topical application. It’s incorporated into many cosmetic items, including anti-aging products, eye serums, sunscreens, and makeup.

Vitamin E penetrates the skin readily. Topical application via creams or serums can increase vitamin E stored in the sebaceous glands.

Formulas that combine vitamin E and vitamin C may be more stable when exposed to UV light. An animal study reported in indicated that topical vitamin E lessened both acute and chronic skin damage from UV exposure.

Although vitamin E oil is thick and not always easy to spread, it can be an excellent moisturizer for dry, flaky patches. Products that list vitamin E as an ingredient may be simpler to apply for general use. Very dry trouble spots, such as cuticles and elbows, might benefit from direct application of vitamin E oil.

Many vitamin E supplements are available as capsules that can be opened and applied topically to dry areas.

Vitamin E supplements safety

There’s no need to limit intake of vitamin E-containing foods; they are not harmful even in plentiful amounts.

However, taking high-dose supplements carries risks. Large quantities of vitamin E can impair blood’s ability to clot when needed, potentially causing serious bleeding. Hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain) is also a possible consequence.

A clinical trial reported in the found that vitamin E supplements significantly raised the risk of developing prostate cancer in otherwise healthy men.

Medication interactions

Vitamin E supplements may interact with some cholesterol-lowering drugs and could reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer.

They can also interfere with warfarin (Coumadin), a medication used to prevent blood clots.

Discuss vitamin E supplement use with your physician before starting them, particularly if you have underlying health issues.

Other vitamins and minerals for skin

Several other vitamins—such as D, C, K, and B vitamins—also support healthy skin. The best approach to ensure complete nourishment for your skin is a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins.

Vitamin D is mainly obtained through sun exposure. Protecting your skin from excessive sun is important, but most people can tolerate limited sun without harm. Consult a dermatologist to determine an appropriate amount of daily sun exposure for you.

Topical products with vitamins and minerals can also help nourish skin. For example, applied zinc may assist in treating acne and speeding wound healing. Niacin (vitamin B3) can help maintain skin moisture and suppleness when used topically.

Vitamin E, skin care, and you

Vitamin E is abundant in many wholesome foods. Most people in the U.S. don’t require additional vitamin E supplements to reap its benefits, and high-dose supplements can be unsafe.

As a potent antioxidant, vitamin E may help reduce UV-related skin damage. When applied topically, it may help nourish and protect skin from free-radical injury.