At this point, vitamin E is a ubiquitous ingredient in skincare — it's found in everything from lotions to serums. You might be most familiar with it as vitamin C's partner in crime — the two ingredients go hand in hand since vitamin E helps stabilize vitamin C, which is why so many vitamin C serums contain vitamin E as well.

While you can reap the benefits of this antioxidant by eating foods rich in vitamin E like leafy greens and soybeans, it's also a skin superstar when applied topically. Cheryl M. Burgess, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist at Center for Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery in Washington, D.C. gives the scoop on this ingredient in skincare.

What are the benefits of vitamin E for your skin?

Since vitamin E is both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory, this vitamin has many different benefits for skin:

  • Protecting from discoloration: If you are prone to dark spots or hyperpigmentation, mixing vitamin E into your skincare routine could be beneficial. "The anti-oxidative effects of vitamin E can be preventative to darkening of the skin due to sun exposure," Burgess says.
  • Anti-aging: As an antioxidant, vitamin E also mitigates damage caused by free radicals, which makes it a powerhouse anti-aging ingredient. Burgess explains that vitamin E helps fight "against the oxidative effects of environmental and intrinsic aging."
  • Combating acne: Vitamin E can also help calm acne-prone, reactive skin. "The anti-inflammatory properties may curtail an acne breakout," Burgess explains. This could also help minimize any discoloration that comes from acne.

How should you use vitamin E for skin?

There are two different ways that you can use vitamin E on skin — you can apply pure vitamin E oil to your face, or you can use a product that's formulated with the ingredient. Products containing vitamin E may be the best bet for anyone hoping to add the ingredient to their routine. Burgess says that most vitamin E products contain 1% or less of the antioxidant.

Who is vitamin E best for, and who should avoid it?

Burgess says products formulated with vitamin E work well for most skin types. "With its unique anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, people have seen anti-inflammatory responses in acne," says Burgess. Vitamin E can also be helpful for soothing superficial burns on the skin.

If you have oily skin, be sure to only use vitamin E if it's blended into other products — skip trying to use vitamin E oil on its own. When using pure vitamin E oil, Burgess says that "oily complexions will occasionally find white and blackheads developing in more prone areas such as on the eyelids, rim of the lips and the T-zone regions of the face." Pure oil is best left for anyone with drier skin whose pores aren't prone to clogging.

How do you choose a product containing vitamin E?

Look for vitamin E in moisturizers, serums and face oils. To know if a product contains vitamin E, look for tocopherol on the ingredient label, as this is the most common form of vitamin E used in beauty products.

It's great to find a vitamin C serum that contains vitamin E, so that you can your skin can soak up the benefits of both vitamin C and vitamin E. Combined, these powerful antioxidants work in tandem to reduce oxidative stress, lighten dark spots and brighten skin, while vitamin E helps keep vitamin C stable.

Vitamin E + Vitamin C Serum
C E Ferulic
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
$169 at Dermstore
Credit: Skinceuticals
Oil with Vitamin E
Skincare Oil
Bio-Oil Skincare Oil
Credit: Bio-Oil
Moisturizer with Vitamin E
Ultra Facial Moisturizer
Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Moisturizer
Credit: Kiehl's
Serum with Vitamin E
Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex
Credit: Estée Lauder
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Katie Berohn
ELLE Beauty Editor

Katie Berohn is the Beauty Assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her Master’s Degree at NYU’s Graduate Program of Magazine Journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life Magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan, a digital editorial internship at New York Magazine’s The Cut, a social good fellowship at Mashable, and has freelanced for HelloGiggles. When she’s not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her endless search for the perfect shade of red nail polish, Katie can be found in a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York’s newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.