There are many vitamin E oil for face benefits, as vitamin E is a highly moisturising, revitalising and healing nutrient. Vitamin E has many health benefits when taken internally in capsule form and applied topically externally. Vitamin E, scientifically known as tocopherol, is a fat-soluble antioxidant that can have a highly rejuvenating effect on the skin, whilst benefiting a person’s overall health. One of its main functions is neutralising cell damaging free radicals which can manifest in illness, including cardiovascular issues.

As well as being sold in capsule form, it is sold as a liquid for topical application on the skin. Other carrier oils are often blended with vitamin E because an oil made up of 100% vitamin E would have a high viscosity and therefore be extremely thick, heavy and ineffective. Here are some of the vitamin E oil for face benefits when applying it in its liquid form:

Vitamin E Oil for Face Benefits: Top List

Here is the list of the main benefits:

- Fights Inflammation

As an anti-inflammatory, vitamin E oil is often used for chronic skin conditions, such as acne and rosacea. Vitamin E oils rich antioxidant content helps to treat acne and acne scars, and calm down inflamed skin. When vitamin E oil reduces free radicals, it reduces damage to the skin that can potentially lead to acne. To treat acne, you can either consume vitamin E oil or apply it directly to the problem area of the acne.

- Reduces the Appearance of Scars

Vitamin E oil fights free radicals, and these slow down the healing of scars. So, using vitamin E oil can help scars heal at a quicker rate. For more information about scars, read vitamin E oil for scars.

- Maintains Hydration Levels

Vitamin E actually lives in the skins cell membranes, and can be found in the upper layer of your skin. As this layer is in contact with the sun, levels of vitamin E can become depleted. Celebrity aesthetician Renee Rouleau says that ‘vitamin E keeps lipids fresh in your skin’, which maintains the skin’s protective barrier, and retains moisture retention between the cells by sealing up cracks in the skins barrier to stop the escape of moisture. Significant research suggests that vitamin E helps the skin hold on to water, keeping it hydrated.

- Adds to your SPF power

UVB is a spectrum of sunlight that burns and ages the skin. When you add vitamin E to vitamin C, and apply to the skin, it may increase the amount of time it takes skin without SPF protection to burn. You can add vitamin E and C together to your usual SPF for an added boost of protection.

- Prevents Aging

As vitamin E oil improves collagen production and blocks free radicals, it can slow down the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. It is a given that free radicals in the body caused by factors such as the sun, pollution, poor nutrition and a lack of sleep, will speed up the aging of the skin. As Vitamin E works to neutralise the free radicals, it helps to maintain the skins strength and protects collagen and elastin from being damaged by the environmental stressors that cause the free radical damage.

- Lightens Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation

Melanin is a pigment found in the skin that gives it its colour, however, when melanin is produced in excess skin discolouration can occur, such as the skin disorders melasma and age spots. It has been shown in studies that vitamin E oil can reduce pigmentation on the skin and lighten dark patches where melanin built up.

- Soothes and Moisturises Chapped Lips

This beauty affliction can be very annoying, and at its worst, can make a person feel self-conscious about their dry, chapped lips. This is common in the winter, but people also experience this condition in the warmer seasons too, and this is because there is not enough melanin present in the lips. Melanin provides protection from the sun, so that is why it is important to use an SPF for the lips, and vitamin E oil can hydrate and moisturise dry, chapped lips when your lips really need it.

Natural Oil Sources of Vitamin E

The following all contain natural Vitamin E. You can look for bottles of Vitamin E oil with these Vitamin E rich plant oils, which are often used as the carrier oils for the Vitamin E.

- Wheat Germ

Wheat Germ oil is extracted from the kernel of wheat grains. It is abundant in Vitamin E, which is good news for our ‘vitamin E oil for face benefits’! But it also contains 23 different nutrients, including Vitamin A, another skincare hero ingredient for antiaging.

Protein, B-vitamins, Vitamin D, iron, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids are other components of this nourishing oil. These all work together to heal and deeply moisturise dry skin. The vitamin E is soothing, fights free radicals and stimulates collagen production. This ensures smooth skin with an even skin tone.

- Jojoba

The jojoba plant is a woody shrub, native to southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico and jojoba oil is extracted from its seeds. Jojoba oil contains all of the vitamins and minerals our skin and hair need to be healthy. Of course – it contains vitamin E, but other components include copper, selenium, zinc, chromium, iodine and B-complex.

It is suitable for all skin types, but you should still try it out for a few weeks on your individual skin. It is gentle for sensitive skin and for oily skin, it mimics the activity of the body’s natural oils. The result is that the skin stops overproducing oil and perhaps the forehead is less shiny!

- Raspberry Seed

Raspberry Seed oil contains high levels of vitamin E, which is why it is great for preventing oxidative damage and subsequently, premature aging. It is also rich in carotenoids which inhibit UV damage and stimulate cell regeneration and repair.

Red Raspberry Seed oil contains all three essential fatty acids of omega 3, 6 and 9. In fact, the oil is made up of 83% of essential fatty acids with the highest concentration being omega 6 (linoleic) at 52%-56%. This is an anti-inflammatory that retains moisture and heals the skin barrier, whilst promoting cell regeneration.

- Sweet Almond

You guessed it – Sweet Almond oil is produced from the almond nut. As well as Vitamin E, Sweet Almond oil contains Vitamin A, essential fatty acids, zinc, protein and potassium. The Vitamin E helps to keep skin cells healthy and fights oxidative stress to prevent damaged collagen. The fatty acids retain moisture and the Vitamin A can reduce acne. The oil is fast-absorbing and penetrated easily, which makes it great for cleaning out impurities of dirt and oil in the pores.

- Hazelnut

A machine called a press produces Hazelnut oil from the hazelnut. A distinctive quality of hazelnut oil is its tannins content. These are astringent antioxidants that balance out oily skin, deep cleanses, destroys bacteria. Big, obvious pores? Tannins also shrink pores! Hazelnuts are known for their vitamin E content, but they also contain B vitamins, manganese, copper, magnesium and iron.

Natural Vitamin E Vs Synthetic Vitamin E

Natural Vitamin E has double the amount of bioavailability compared to synthetic tocopherol, which sometimes only has 2% of the biological activity that natural alpha-tocopherol has.

Bioavailability is a pharmaceutical term referring to the rate at which a substance or drug enters into the body’s circulatory system for it to have an effect. So, buying synthetic forms of Vitamin E is simply not as effective as buying the natural Vitamin E that the body can absorb more of.

How to Buy a Good Quality Vitamin E Oil

There is no point in expecting vitamin E oil for face benefits if the quality of the oil is poor. When selecting a product it is good to know that there are no additives, and you can know this by reading the ingredients label and looking for the Soil Association Logo- the major organic certifying body in the UK. If the logo is not on the product, you can search the company in the Soil Associations directory

This will ensure that the oil you choose to buy, or any other product for that matter, will have been made ethically without controversial chemicals, parabens and phthalates, synthetic colours, dyes or fragrances, Genetically Modified (GM) ingredients and animal testing. Buying a product with the Soil Association Stamp ensures that the ingredients are sustainably sourced organic ingredients and from the natural colours and fragrances from plants and flowers.

How to Take Vitamin E: Safety

There is a safe limit of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol): 1000 mg per day. It is generally safe when applying vitamin E topically, but above the 1000 mg limit as a supplement, a process called hypervitaminosis E takes place, which is a state of vitamin E poisoning that involves a host of symptoms including bone pain, fatigue, weakness and headaches.

Taking high doses of alpha-tocopherol supplements can affect blood clotting, inhibit platelet aggregation and cause haemorrhage. It is vital to note that vitamin e oil should not be taken internally. You can take a vitamin E supplement in capsule form instead, but the oil itself should not be consumed.

Vitamin E as a supplement should be avoided by people who have bleeding disorders as it is anticoagulant. It is also possible for a person to be allergic to Vitamin E, where they develop contact dermatitis upon exposure to synthetic Vitamin E, in which case it should never be taken, and Vitamin E oil should be avoided at all costs. To know if you react to the oil in any way, you can patch test by rubbing a little into your hand and elbow and waiting to see if an allergic reaction takes place. Do this before putting on your face to make sure your face is not going to react.

Tips and Cautions for Vitamin E Oil for Face Benefits

- It is important to look out for a certain type of Vitamin E, d-a-tocopherol, which is the non-synthetic form and the one that is more easily absorbed and used by the skin.

- The oil should be in a non-esterified form, which simply means its natural form without any alcohol or other chemicals. Esterified ingredients are common in skincare products because they are more stable, however, this is useless when non-esterified ingredients have a greater impact on the health and look of the skin.

- Look for Vitamin E oil in an opaque container, which will protect your non-esterified form of oil from the sunlight, when the oil can become damaged and lose its effectiveness.

- Look for bottles on the label that say that the concentration of Vitamin E is 2 – 5%.

Have you thought about using vitamin E for face benefits? Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

Written by Jess Burman

Wellbeing writer

BA (Honours) in Writing