Vitamin E in Skin Care Products

Like Vitamin C, Vitamin E is an important antioxidant for skin and standard in skin care products.

Key Benefits:

• Neutralizes Free Radicals (Antioxidant)
• Protects Lipids from oxidation
• Soothes Skin (Emollient)

The Role of Vitamin E in Skin Care

Vitamin E’s primary job is to protect the lipid bilayers in the epidermis and skin cell membranes from attack by free radicals (and reactive oxygen species).

• A lipid is basically a fancy word for a fatty substance. Lipids include substances such as fatty acids, fats, and waxes.
• The skin cells in the stratum corneum of the epidermis are held together by lipid bilayers. When these lipids are attacked, the skin’s barrier function weakens, making skin more vulnerable to dehydration, irritation, and infection.
• Lipids are also found in cell membranes, and when these are attacked, the membranes lose their permeability. Nutrients and wastes are transported less efficiently as a result. In addition, glycation can occur in cell membrane lipids too.
• Lipid Peroxide is a free radical (Reactive Oxygen Species) that attacks lipids, an oxidation process called lipid peroxidation. Vitamin E protects lipids from this lipid peroxidation.

Vitamin E is also used as an emollient and preservative in skin care. When used as a preservative, Vitamin E appears near the end of the ingredient list.

Forms of Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an oil-soluble vitamin. There are 8 forms of Vitamin E in human skin: 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. Alpha tocopherol is the most widely studied. Cosmetics often use the esters of tocopherols, because alpha tocopherol is very unstable and poorly transported into the skin.

Vitamin E is the common name and doesn’t appear  as”Vitamin E” on an ingredient list (an ingredient convention). To recognize a Vitamin E ingredient, look for the word “Tocopheryl“ or “Tocopherol.”

Most Common Forms of Vitamin E:

• Tocopheryl Acetate
• Tocopheryl Glucoside
• Tocopheryl Linoleate
• Tocopheryl Linoleate/Oleate
• Tocopheryl Nicotinate
• Tocopheryl Succinate
• Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate
• Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
• Tocopherol Phosphate

Vitamin E and Vitamin C Work Together

Vitamin E and Vitamin C work together in synergy, and are critical parts of the body’s antioxidant recycling system.

Vitamin E neutralizes one free radical at a time. Once it is done neutralizing a free radical, it becomes inactive. Vitamin C regenerates Vitamin E’s capacity to neutralize a free radical, by converting it back to its active form. (Alpha Lipoic Acid also regenerates Vitamin E.)

Vitamin E Is Depleted By Sunlight

Keep Vitamin E products away from the sun. Vitamin E is easily oxidized by sunlight. Vitamin E is also depleted by pollution and certain chemicals.

Always store your skin care products away from sunlight – in a dark, cool, dry place.

Myth of Scar Healing

Vitamin E is commonly thought to help with scar healing. No study has proven Vitamin E to help with scar healing. Further, synthetic forms of Vitamin E (e.g. Tocopheryl Acetate) can actually cause irritation.

If you still want to use Vitamin E for healing skin (for example, breaking open and applying a Vitamin E supplement capsule), look for natural forms of it (tocopherols, tocotrienols). Tocopheryl Acetate is less effective.

Allergic Reactions

Allergic reactions to synthetic Vitamin E (the form most often found in skincare products) are quite common (both allergic contact dermatitis and irritant contact dermatitis).