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Home Articles Role of Vitamin E in Acne Treatment

Role of Vitamin E in Acne Treatment

As the director of an acne clinic, I see more and more patients who are interested in using an all-natural or organic approach to improving their skin. Many women do not like the idea of treating their acne by taking hormone or antibiotic pills, or slathering harsh chemicals on their face. For these women, I often recommend a regimen of natural interventions that includes an increase in Vitamin E intake. 

 There is evidence that patients who have acne also have lower blood levels of vitamin E and other anti-oxidants. This suggests that supplementing dietary intake of Vitamin E could improve acne. In fact, one medical study examined the effect of Vitamin E supplementation for 12 weeks, and patients experienced reduced acne and improved complexion.

Like other anti-oxidants, Vitamin E soaks up free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that cause a chain reaction in the body that leads to inflammation. Inflammation plays a role in many disease processes, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and skin diseases such as acne. By supplementing our intake of anti-oxidants like Vitamin E, we can fight inflammation and improve health.

 Dietary sources of Vitamin E include oils, meat, eggs and leafy vegetables. Nutritional supplements are available for those who wish to increase their Vitamin E intake.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin E is 400 IU, but most healthy adults can safely ingest up to 1100 IU daily.  Be sure to check with your health care provider before increasing your Vitamin E intake above the RDA.

Don’t be fooled by misleading labels! Look for supplements that contain the natural form of Vitamin E. Bottles containing the natural form will have one of the following on the ingredient list: d-alpha-tocopherol, d-a-tocopherol,  RRR-a-tocopherol, or RRR-alpha-tocopherol. Avoid supplements that contain the synthetic or artificial forms, often labeled with the word ‘succinate,‘ ‘acetate’ or ‘tocopherols’ in the ingredient list.  Oftentimes bottles will proclaim “natural” on the front of the bottle, but the ingredient list will contain the artificial compounds.

 Increasing your Vitamin E intake may improve your skin, but there are many natural products you should consider too. Other anti-oxidants that may improve your acne include selenium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, fish oil and resveratol. Supplements containing Vitamin D or linoleic acid may also be helpful. Experts in Eastern Medicine often suggest green tea, burdock root, dandelion root tincture and red clover tea.

 Should you open a capsule of Vitamin E and rub it on your skin? Unfortunately, this technique is unlikely to improve your skin. The free radicals that lead to inflammation and acne lie too deep in the skin to be reachable by topical application of vitamins.

 My patients are often able to avoid expensive, harsh prescription products through the use of all-natural interventions like Vitamin E.

 You can promote clear, beautiful skin by creating a healthy environment inside your body, rich with antioxidants and other nutrients to nourish your skin from the inside out!