How Vitamin E Can Do Wonders For Your Skin

Vitamin E is known for boosting the immune system and lowering some kinds of heart disease. It also has antioxidant properties, and that, combined with the ability to fight free radicals, means it can do wonders for your skin.

Free radicals are known to damage cells in the body. In relation to our skin, they cause photoaging, which is the damage done by exposure to ultraviolet light. Vitamin E helps prevent and slow this kind of damage.

While Vitamin E exists in eight chemical compounds, alpha-tocopherol is the only form recognized for human use, and that is form you should look for when buying supplements. However, if you eat a healthy diet, you may not need a supplement.

Foods containing the vitamin include almonds, avocados, peanuts, broccoli, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, and almond and sunflower oil. Wheat germ is especially high in the nutrient, having more than 135 percent of the RDA per serving. The recommended amounts for adults is 22 international units (via Harvard Health Publishing). 

In addition to oral use, vitamin E can be used topically. It is a skin protectant, which makes it an ideal choice to help remedy dry, flaky skin. It can also be applied directly on the skin for its anti-aging properties. 

The oil may prevent sunburn, which is why you see it listed as an ingredient in sunscreens (via Insider). It could also offer relief to people diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (via Healthline).

Vitamin E oil is thin and runny, which may be the reason why some people might prefer to use creams or lotions with the vitamin added. Look for an over-the-counter product that contains a high concentration of alpha-tocopherol for the best results (via Healthline).

You can also use the oil as a face mask. Use it alone, or mix it with almond oil, fresh lemon juice, avocado, and honey and leave on your face for about 20 minutes for a skin-brightening treatment.