Vitamin E Oils for 2021
Vitamin E is a group of fat-soluble compounds, eight forms of which are naturally occurring.
Alpha-tocopherol is the most common form in your body, where it functions as an antioxidant and supports immune function, cellular signaling, and other bodily processes (1, 2).
It’s concentrated in fatty foods and can be taken as a dietary supplement.
Vitamin E is also a popular ingredient in skin and hair products. While it’s said to treat scars, boost hair health, and minimize the appearance of stretch marks, there’s limited evidence to support these uses (3).
Nonetheless, many people swear by topical vitamin E, and anecdotal evidence suggests that it may help treat some skin and hair issues. Plus, products commonly use ingredients that may work synergistically with this vitamin to boost skin and hair health.
The items featured on this page were chosen based on the following criteria:
- strict standards for quality and purity from the manufacturer
- no unnecessary ingredients, such as artificial fragrances, colors, or unsafe additives like sulfates
- cruelty-free, naturally derived, and organic when possible
- trusted by healthcare professionals
Here are 11 of the best vitamin E oil products for 2021.
Best for scar treatment
Many people swear by vitamin E oil for reducing the appearance of scars. Although vitamin E oil is a popular scar treatment, study results are mixed.
For example, a review of six studies found that only half of the studies reported a beneficial effect of vitamin E on the appearance of scars, concluding that insufficient evidence is available to support the widespread use of topical vitamin E alone for scar treatment (4).
What’s more, vitamin E may be more beneficial for treating scars when used in combination with ingredients like silicone or hydrocortisone (4).
Even so, many people claim that vitamin E helps reduce the appearance of scars. Here are some vitamin E products that may help with scar treatment.
Jason Extra Strength Vitamin E Skin Oil
Price: $$Jason Extra Strength Vitamin E Skin Oil is marketed for treating scars. It contains pure tocopheryl acetate, the most stable form of vitamin E (3).This vitamin E oil is cruelty-free and doesn’t contain harmful additives like sulfates, parabens, or phthalates.
DERMA-E Vitamin E Skin Oil 14,000 IU
Price: $DERMA-E Vitamin E Skin Oil contains tocopheryl acetate in a carrier of safflower oil, which has hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties thanks to its concentration of fatty acids like linoleic acid (5).This product is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and free of fragrances, parabens, sulfates, gluten, and genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).
Facetheory Retin C Vitamin Scar Treatment Oil
Price: $This product combines vitamin E with ingredients like vitamin C in the form of ascorbyl isostearate.Some studies suggest that vitamin C may diminish the appearance of surgical scars when applied topically (6,7).FaceTheory Retin- C Vitamin Scar Treatment Oil is vegan, cruelty-free, and free of sulfates, polyethylene glycols, and other potentially harmful additives.
Best vitamin E oil for the face
Many products combine vitamin E with other powerful ingredients to create a face oil that’s meant to moisturize and protect your skin from damage.
Formulations containing vitamins E and C may help protect against sun damage and reduce the appearance of wrinkles (8).
One Love Organics Botanical E Youth Preservation Serum
Price: $$$One Love Organics Botanical E Youth Preservation Serum is a lightweight serum appropriate for all skin types. It combines vitamin-E- rich ingredients like watermelon seed oil with vitamins E and C to create an antioxidant-rich treatment (9).This product is free of synthetic fragrances, dermatologist tested, and cruelty-free. Plus, it’s certified natural and organic by Ecocert, a European organics certification group.
Carlson E-Gem Oil Drops
Price: $Carlson E-Gem Oil Drops are a perfect choice for skin care. This product combines tocopheryl acetate with sunflower oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes skin health (10).Plus, it’s free of parabens and phthalates — harmful plastic compounds — and isn’t tested on animals. The drops can be massaged into your skin on their own or added to your favorite skin care products.
Best body oil with vitamin E
Vitamin E may help protect and soothe your skin when used in body oil. The following products combine vitamin E with other skin-boosting ingredients.
Erbaviva Baby Oil
Price: $Erbaviva Baby Oil is a hydrating skin treatment that combines vitamin E with moisturizing oils like jojoba, sweet almond, and safflower oils. It also contains chamomile and rosemary extracts, which have antimicrobial and anti- inflammatory properties (11,12,13)This oil is scented with natural essential oils like lavender and mandarin. Although it’s made for babies, it makes a great choice for preserving skin health at any age. This product is certified organic and cruelty-free.
Versed Keep It Supple Body Oil
Price: $This body oil contains hydrating ingredients like safflower, sweet almond, and macadamia oils, all of which are naturally rich in vitamin E. It also packs added vitamin E, as well as calendula extract and ylang ylang essential oil for a naturally pleasing floral aroma (14,15).Versed Keep It Supple Oil is free of parabens and sulfates. Plus, it’s vegan and certified cruelty-free.
Best vitamin E oil for stretch marks
During and after pregnancy, you may be interested in using vitamin E oil to prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks — although little evidence supports this application.
Here are a few products made especially for stretch mark prevention and treatment.
Erbaviva Stretch Mark Oil
Price: $Erbaviva Stretch Mark Oil is a soothing treatment that may help reduce the appearance of stretch marks. The oil contains a variety of ingredients, including rosehip oil and vitamin E.A study in pregnant women demonstrated that topical treatment with a cream containing vitamin E and rosehip oil reduced stretch mark severity and prevented the appearance of new stretch marks over 17 months, compared with a placebo group (16).This product is certified organic and cruelty-free.
Honest Glow On Body Oil
Price: $Honest Glow On Body Oil contains moisturizing oils like jojoba, coconut, and olive oils, plus vitamin E to support skin health throughout pregnancy.More research is needed, but some evidence suggests that massaging pregnant bellies with oils may help prevent or reduce the severity of stretch marks (17).This product is certified organic and cruelty-free.
Best Vitamin E Hair Oil
Hair oils that contain vitamin E may help moisturize and protect damaged hair and soothe dry scalps. Plus, many people use vitamin-E-rich hair oils to make their hair extra shiny.
Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum
Price: $$Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum combines vitamin E with moisturizing ingredients, including argan, avocado, and olive oils.This hair serum is vegan, cruelty-free, and free of parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances.
Best vitamin E oil for consumption
Although limited evidence supports the benefits of topical vitamin E, some findings suggest that oral vitamin E supplements aid specific populations.
For example, human studies note that vitamin E supplements may help treat conditions associated with diabetes and heart disease risk factors, such as high LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels (18).
However, deficiency in vitamin E is rare, and many foods are rich in this nutrient. Plus, some studies suggest that supplementing long term with this vitamin may lead to adverse health outcomes, such as an increased risk of certain cancers (19, 20).
If you’re thinking about taking vitamin E supplements, speak with your healthcare provider first to ensure appropriate dosage and safety.
Considerations and how to choose
While many people use vitamin E oil in their skin care and hair routines, there’s currently a lack of evidence to support its effectiveness for boosting skin and hair health, reducing scar appearance, and treating stretch marks.
However, anecdotal evidence suggests that it may be effective for these and other uses.
Although vitamin E oil is relatively safe, using topical vitamin E oil may result in adverse side effects, including rashes and itching, in some people (4).
Keep in mind that oral vitamin E supplements are often unnecessary and can interact with common medications like blood thinners. For this reason, it’s important to speak to your healthcare provider before taking supplements (2).
When shopping for a vitamin E oil, try to purchase products from reputable brands that contain safe ingredients. This will help ensure that you’re not exposing yourself to potentially harmful additives.
Make sure to choose high quality topical vitamin E oil products that list all ingredients and are free of potentially harmful additives. Remember that oral vitamin E supplements are usually unnecessary.
The bottom line
Numerous vitamin E oils are said to boost your skin and hair health.
Although scientific evidence is lacking for these uses, vitamin E oil is a staple in many people’s beauty routines.
If you’re interested in this product, try one of the high quality items on this list.
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