How To Incorporate Vitamin E In Your Skincare Routine

Vitamin E has often been touted for the many benefits it provides to the skin, especially in moisturizing dry patches. The fat-soluble vitamin is stored in the skin's sebum and helps the skin retain moisture. It is both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory and there are multiple advantages to using it topically.

"Topical vitamin E provides two benefits," board-certified dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo told Allure. "Vitamin E is also a very hydrating molecule since it works as both a humectant to absorb water into the skin and an emollient to trap water in the skin."

Dermatologist Ava Shamban agreed and said when used on the skin, it can work in a number of ways. "It can be very helpful for a range of skin disorders, as well as skin repair," explained Shamban. "It assists in various kinds of cellular restoration from sun damage to healing support for scars or burns." Furthermore, it's also relatively easy to incorporate it into your skincare routine.

Not only does vitamin E moisturize and repair, but it protects against free radicals, promotes collagen production, and enhances circulation, all of which keep skin looking vibrant and nourished.

When you layer vitamin C with other vitamins and nutrients, the results can magnify so dermatologists often recommend doing so. "The best way to use it is in combination with vitamin C, so I often recommend serums that contain both,"  dermatologist and American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery Fellow, Dr. Nkem Ugonabo, told Women's Health. Ideally, you should apply vitamin E to clean skin for the best results. "Wash your face, apply the serum, and then sunscreen goes on top," advised Ugonabo.

Keep in mind the body makes vitamin E from food so it also helps to make sure you're getting enough in your diet. Some choose to take supplements but you can also add nuts, seeds, whole grains, spinach, avocados, and olive oil to your meals.

With the benefits of vitamin E widely known, many skincare companies add it to their products, so it's not too hard to add it to your skincare routine. You'll want to look for a certain type, though.

Like other skincare ingredients that can irritate the skin if used too often, it's worth it to be alert when starting it. Vitamin E can typically be a part of a daily skin regimen but look out for any unusual reaction or allergy when first beginning to use it.

"The 'free-alcohol' form of vitamin E is tocopherol and although it is a wonderful antioxidant, it can be irritating to the skin and cause allergies in some," dermatologist Dr. Nicole Hayre told InStyle. She recommends looking for skin products that use tocopheryl acetate, explaining, "Tocopheryl acetate, an 'ester' of tocopherol, is a weaker antioxidant than tocopherol but very gentle and rarely causes skin reactions."