Vitamin E & the Skin

Vitamin E is a common term used to describe eight related substances found in foods such as spinach, almonds and olive oil. Only one of these substances, called alpha-tocopherol, plays any significant role in human health. Whether used internally or externally, alpha tocopherol can affect your skin in a number of ways.

Basics

When used in supplements or skin creams, alpha-tocopherol is frequently simply labeled as vitamin E. Like the other forms of the vitamin, it belongs to a class of substances called antioxidants. In your body, antioxidants fight the damaging effects of particles called free radicals, which can degrade your cellular DNA or even kill cells altogether. Alpha-tocopherol supplements that come from natural sources are formally known a d-alpha-tocopherol, while synthetic versions of these supplements go by the name dl-alpha-tocopherol.

UV Protection

The antioxidant effects of alpha-tocopherol are known to protect your skin from damage associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Most marketed skin creams contain this substance in a form called alpha-tocopherol acetate, according to Maret G. Traber, Ph.D., of Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute. When you apply creams with alpha-tocopherol acetate to the surface of your skin, roughly 5 percent of this substance penetrates downward and reaches deeper underlying skin layers. It is then converted to another substance called free tocopherol, which provides your skin with antioxidant benefits.

Photodermatitis

When combined with vitamin C, oral doses of alpha-tocopherol can potentially help ease the effects of a sun sensitivity disorder called photodermatitis. Individuals who develop photodermatitis actually have an allergic reaction to the ultraviolet content of everyday sunlight. Symptoms of the disorder include pain, swelling, itchy skin bumps, redness, headache, fever, chills, nausea and skin lesions that look similar to common eczema. Individuals with photodermatitis may also develop patches of unusually dark-colored skin or eventually experience abnormal scarring or thickening in their affected skin.

Additional Skin Uses

When used in skin cream, alpha-tocopherol may also help reduce several undesirable aspects of wrinkled skin, including wrinkle depth, the length of facial wrinkles and the roughness of your skin, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. However, many commonly available products may contain insufficient amounts of alpha-tocopherol or other antioxidants to produce any significant skin-related changes. In a laboratory setting, animal testing has shown that use of alpha-tocopherol can reduce the likelihood of skin cancer caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Considerations

If you take blood thinners such as aspirin or warfarin, use of oral vitamin E can significantly increase your risks for bleeding, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Vitamin E supplement use may also conflict with a number of common medications, including beta blockers, antidepressants, antipsychotics, calcium channel blockers, statins and bile acid sequestrants. Additional medications that may cause problems in combination with oral vitamin E include the breast cancer drug tamoxifen, the weight loss medication orlistat and a variety of drugs used in chemotherapy. To safeguard your health, consult your doctor before taking supplemental vitamin E, even if you don't take any of the listed medications.