Think of vitamin E as the friend in the group who keeps everyone connected. Before all this shelter-in-place started, their house is the go-to spot, their bag is the designated checkpoint for keys and IDs on nights out, and especially now, they start all the group FaceTimes. Like the friend who makes sure everyone is good, vitamin E is good for you because it keeps you protected and helps you heal when you need it.
“There are natural forms of vitamin E that are really effective and there are also synthetic forms,” says Laura Cline, Youth To The People’s Director of Education. The term vitamin E itself can show up in different ways on an ingredients list. What you want is vitamin E developed specifically for skincare; you’ll get different results from using a vitamin E cleanser than you will from ingesting a vitamin E capsule, so look for tocopherol or tocopheryl acetate.
Because vitamin E is an antioxidant, it helps create a strong barrier for your skin and neutralizes harmful free radicals from your environment. Free radicals scavenge for unprotected skin cells to latch on to in order to sustain themselves, and the process, known as oxidative damage, breaks down your skin’s natural barrier over time. But vitamin E helps your skin fight off all that damage and inflammation.
A vitamin that our bodies naturally create, vitamin E is known for its ability to moisturize, heal, and help repair skin from sun damage, scars, and burns. It’s often used in over-the-counter nourishing treatments like Youth To The People’s Superfood Peptide Eye Cream. Its hydrating and anti-inflammatory benefits make it an especially good option for people with sensitive skin who are looking for more moisture and less irritation.
As Cline says, “Vitamin E is really essential for skin health."
