Ingredient glossary
Vitamin E
On your shelf ✓What Vitamin E does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Tocopherol
In short: Vitamin E delivers antioxidant and softening, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is moderate. One thing to know: clear it with your doctor if pregnant; introduce it gently.
- What it does
- Antioxidant, softening
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Watch out
- Clear it with your doctor if pregnant; introduce it gently
- Evidence
- Moderate
The molecule
The Glow take
A comfort ingredient, and none the worse for it.
Vitamin E is here for feel and moisture, softening the skin and slowing water loss. More comfort than correction.
— Maya
What it does
- antioxidant
- softening
moderate evidenceSupported by cosmetic chemistry literature for its assigned function, with fewer direct clinical outcome studies than hero actives.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- dry
- normal
Approach with care
- acne prone
- very sensitive
- Clogs poresModerate
- Irritation riskModerate
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveTake care
Take extra care if any of these apply to you: acne prone.
Where it fits in your routine
Plays well with
Vitamin E, answered
Is Vitamin E safe during pregnancy?
Clear it with your doctor first. Vitamin E is flagged as use-with-caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so check with your doctor or midwife before adding it.
Who should avoid Vitamin E?
Approach Vitamin E with care if any of these apply to you: acne prone and very sensitive. Its irritation risk is moderate, so introduce it slowly and patch test first. It carries a moderate risk of clogging pores, so acne-prone skin should go carefully.
What concentration of Vitamin E actually works?
Its concentration is rarely printed on the label, so use the ingredient list as your clue: near the top third it is likely doing real work, near the bottom it is more of a sprinkle.
During pregnancy
Treat Vitamin E as a maybe rather than a yes for now. It is flagged as one to use with caution while pregnant or breastfeeding, so it is worth clearing before you carry on.
When in doubt, check with your doctor or midwife. They outrank any website, including this one.
Compare Vitamin E with
Can you mix Vitamin E with
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