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DRPENSTORE EDUCATION • UPDATED NOVEMBER 2023
Dr. Pen Guide 3 min read

Vitamin E for skin

Vitamin E for skin
Vitamins, minerals and herbs are touted as moisturizing powerhouses that make the skin smooth, supple and radiant. The October Vitamin is often listed among them, and some people take it as a Decongestant. But is vitamin E really beneficial for skin health?

What is vitamin E and how does it help your skin?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant and helps protect cells from damage in your body. It is found in our sebum (skin oil), which forms a natural barrier to maintain moisture in your skin. Therefore, more oily skin surfaces, such as the face, contain a greater amount of vitamin E, and since people with oily skin have more sebum, they also have more vitamin E in their skin.

Sebum naturally decreases with age, along with vitamin E levels. Vitamin E is also consumed by ultraviolet light (UV) sources, such as:
  • Sunlight.
  • Tanning beds.
  • Some fluorescent, halogen and incandescent bulbs.
  • How does vitamin E benefit the skin?
  • Research is ongoing on how vitamin E benefits the skin.

In moisturizers, vitamin E:

It prevents the skin from losing moisture.
Protects cells from damage.
Softens the skin.
The evidence is not yet conclusive, but vitamin E can also reduce sun damage by absorbing UVB rays and reducing your skin's inflammatory response, which includes:

  • Swollen.
  • Redness.
  • Thickening.
  • But don't replace your sunscreen with vitamin E oil. Two types of UV light damage the skin: ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). Vitamin E can absorb some UVB light, but not all of it.

How to use vitamin E for skin health

There are many ways to use vitamin E to protect your skin.

Apply pure vitamin E oil to the skin

"People with dry, flaky skin are more likely to see the benefit of using vitamin E, as it increases hydration, " say the experts.

However, if you have oily, acne-prone skin, you don't need extra vitamin E. You are getting enough in your sebum production.

Topical vitamin E oil penetrates the surface and protects the upper and middle layers of the skin.

"For people whose skin needs to be less dry and itchy, vitamin E seems to do a good job in this regard, " he says.

Use a product containing vitamin E
Dr. ”Using a moisturizer that contains vitamin E can produce a nice synergy to help the product work better at keeping skin cells intact, " says Kassouf. “It also prevents other substances from penetrating the skin and causing irritation.”

Look for products that contain vitamin E to include in your skin care routine. Labels typically list it as tocopherol or tocotrienol. moisturizers as little as 0.1% can improve vitamin E levels in the skin. Products that contain both vitamin C and E are even better. These antioxidants work better together.

Consume

”You need to get enough vitamin E in your diet, ideally through food, but supplements are also an option, " say the experts. "We are starting to see in research that internal antioxidants can help protect us from external threats, such as sun damage.”

Foods high in vitamin E include:

  • Sunflower seeds and oil.
  • Nut.
  • Corn oil.
  • Spinach.
  • Broccoli.
  • Kiwi.
  • Mango and when consumed in the right amount, vitamin E may also help your skin stand up to environmental stressors from the inside out.
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