Active Ingredients: Vitamin E

Up next to the ABCs of skincare. This time it’s Vitamin E, one of the most common skincare ingredients out there and here’s why it’s used by many.

Like Vitamin C, Vitamin E can be considered one of the most prevalent skincare ingredients there is out there, and for some brands it’s even used as one of the core ingredients in their products. But why is that? What is it about Vitamin E that benefits the skin and is able to conjure a mass following for such a long time?

Vitamin E is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in the body to fight off free radicals from attacking our skin cells and weakening its health. External to our body, Vitamin E can also be synthetically produced or found in natural sources like avocado and wheat germ oil. In terms of the synthetically produced Vitamin E, it is an umbrella term for a family of oil-soluble antioxidants consisting of 8 different types. The 2 most commonly found in skincare products are Tocopheryl Acetate and Tocopherol. So, the next time you’re on the the lookout for a Vitamin E product, be sure to keep your eyes out on these 2 ingredients. Why these 2 is because these are the 2 that meet the human requirements.

A small tip and fact about the scientific names of Vitamin E. You will come across products that contain d-alpha-tocopherol, d-alpha-tocopherol acetate, dl-alpha-tocopherol and dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate. What do they mean and indicate?

D: Indicates the Vitamin E is naturally derived, like vegetable oils.
DL: Indicates the Vitamin E is synthetically produced.

Now the question is “Is natural Vitamin E better than synthetic?”. Natural Vitamin E is found to be more potent that those synthetically produced, at least 2 times more potent but the reason why synthetic Vitamin E is more prevalent is because it cost less with natural Vitamin E costing up to 8 times more. Another downside to natural Vitamin E is that it has to go through multiple processes to make it suitable for topical use.

Benefits

Strengthens skin barrier

Vitamin E helps strengthen and protect the skin barrier by keeping the lipids in the skin vitalized. This contributes to less moisture loss and dehydration in the skin as it heals and patches up any cracks in the skin barrier.

Improves moisture levels

By preventing moisture loss in the skin, it allows the skin to better retain moisture for longer periods of time.

Antioxidant protection

Vitamin E is also an antioxidant that helps neutralize the damages from free radicals and environmental threats that can contribute to skin irritations, inflammation and premature aging.

Reinforces the skin’s reparative function

One of the biggest reasons why Vitamin E is beloved by many is its ability to boost the skin’s healing process by up to almost 50%. Its antioxidant properties further protect the skin from further damage and irritation. Plus, its moisture retention abilities, it keeps the skin healthy for better reparative function.
It can assist skin repairs for burns, minor wounds and works really well against sun damage as it is a photo-protectant.

What to note?

Although Vitamin E is prevalent in many topical applications and said to be gentle for all skin types, we recommend people with oilier, acne-prone and hypersensitive skin types to avoid Vitamin E as it can cause allergens, irritations and clog pores. However, sensitive reactions to Vitamin E topical applications are a case-by-case, very much like dietary allergens, no one knows that causes it. Which is why we always advise people to conduct a patch test.
We advise people to conduct a patch test 24-48 hours prior to full-face/body application.

Products we recommend and where to find them

The INKEY List Vitamin B, C and E Moisturizer

Formulated with Vitamin B3, C and E, this moisturizer is perfect for anyone and everyone. The vitamin B3 (niacinamide) helps to balance the skin’s sebum production, vitamin C helps brighten and reduce pigmentation, while the vitamin E soothes and calms the skin.

Dear, Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask

A cream face mask that can be worn as an overnight mask or a quick wash-off mask, whichever you like. This lightweight mask is packed with Vitamin E that helps to slow down skin aging, Vitamin C and Niacinamide that brightens the skin and revitalizes the skin. It also comes in a unique pudding-like texture that clings to the skin, creating an even surface that allows the skin to immediately absorb the goodness.

Commonlabs

Commonlabs describe their products as skin kinetics trainers that stimulate the healthy and balanced movement of your skin cells by focusing on pure vitamins which is why you’ll see that their product lines typically highlight 1 core vitamin ingredient, or a blend of both. Their Vitamin E line focuses on moisturizing and soothing the skin.

As you can see, there's a reason why Vitamin E continues to be well-received and loved by many. It's a great pairing ingredient, in the sense, that it has can be used together with countless ingredients, a common combination is Vitamin C as both provide potent antioxidant protection and helps to support the skin's health. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below.

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