Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that also may be labeled as alpha-tocopheryl acetate in many skin creams, lotions, serums or other skin applications. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, meaning it helps to neutralize free radicals in the skin that can cause inflammation, which can ultimately lead to skin wrinkling and age spots.
Soothing Burns
You can apply a cream, serum or lotion containing vitamin E to skin after a burn has been treated with a cold pack. Vitamin E capsules can even be broken and dripped directly onto the skin to increase the healing rate associated with a burn. Applying vitamin E twice a day has been shown to speed healing and reduce inflammation, which results in less scarring of the skin, according to DoctorYourself.com.
Protection Against UV Radiation
While vitamin E lotion is no substitute for sunscreen, it can help skin cells to take on a repelling effect when hit with the suns' rays. According to WHFoods.com, vitamin E can serve as a "lightning rod" for the skin, meaning when the ultraviolet rays hit the skin, the vitamin E molecules cause the ultraviolet light to bounce off the skin instead of being absorbed. Because ultraviolet light is associated with causing skin damage, such as wrinkling and age spots, applying vitamin E to the skin may help to prevent this damage.
Reversing the Signs of Aging
As an antioxidant, vitamin E fights oxidation in the body, which in turn reduces the amount of free radicals released that can cause skin damage. When oxygen is broken down by the body, a side effect is releasing free radicals, which can attack other skin cells and cause wrinkling, sagging and development of fine lines. Because vitamin E is not oxidized in the body, it is better able to penetrate the skin and skin cells to prevent free radicals from causing harm to the body, according to a Linus Pauling Institute Research Report from Oregon State University.
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