CosmeticBet
Vitamins

Tocopherol

INCI: TOCOPHEROL · also Vitamin E

Vitamin E: the skin’s own fat-soluble antioxidant.

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C29H50O2430.70 g/mol
Alpha-tocopherol, the natural form of vitamin E
oxygencarbonhydrogen
3D shape from PubChem 14985

How common

All products17%
In face moisturisers47%
In sunscreens41%
In lip products40%

2,558 of 14,784 products with a full ingredient list in Open Beauty Facts; No. 12 of all the names found on their labels.

What it is

  • Vitamin E: a group of related compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols), and the main fat-soluble antioxidant in skin.

    2 sourcesHide
    Vitamin E is a generic term for a group of tocol and tocotrienol derivatives.[1] Study · 1999 · open source
    vitamin E is the major lipid soluble antioxidant in skin[1] Study · 1999 · open source

Why it is in products

  • As an antioxidant, which also protects the product itself from oxidising, and to condition the skin.

    2 sourcesHide
    The tocopherols are reported to function in cosmetics as antioxidants or skin-conditioning agents[2] US Cosmetic Ingredient Review expert panel · 2018 · open source
    antioxidant preservatives capable of suppressing oxidation phenomena and the formation of free radicals[3] Study · 2018 · open source

What it does

  • In lab and animal research, vitamin E protects skin from sunlight damage and steadies its barrier; controlled clinical studies are still lacking.

    Some evidenceskin2 sourcesHide
    Experimental evidence suggests that topical and oral vitamin E has antitumorigenic, photoprotective, and skin barrier stabilizing properties.[4] Review · 2007 · open source
    there is still a lack of controlled clinical studies providing a rationale for well defined dosages and clinical indications[4] Review · 2007 · open source

  • On scars the evidence disagrees: of six prospective studies, three found an improvement and three did not. A systematic review found too little evidence to justify its wide use.

    Weak evidenceskin3 sourcesHide
    Of these six included studies, three reported a significant improvement in the cosmetic appearance of scars when using vitamin E[5] Review · 2016 · open source
    The other three selected studies showed no significant improvement in scar appearance when using topical vitamin E as monotherapy.[5] Review · 2016 · open source
    We conclude that there is not yet sufficient evidence that monotherapy with topical vitamin E has a significant beneficial effect on scar appearance to justify its widespread use.[5] Review · 2016 · open source

Downsides and safety

  • Allergy is uncommon given how widely it is used: of 38,699 people patch-tested in North America, 0.9% reacted to it or its acetate, most often because of moisturisers.

    Good evidence3 sourcesHide
    Of the 38,699 patients patch tested to tocopherol and/or tocopherol acetate, 349 (0.9%) had positive reactions[6] Study · 2021 · open source
    Positive patch test reactions to tocopherols were relatively rare given their widespread use.[6] Study · 2021 · open source
    The most common source of tocopherol was personal care products, especially moisturizers.[6] Study · 2021 · open source

  • On fresh surgical wounds it did worse: in a small double-blind study, a third of the patients developed contact dermatitis, and most scars looked no better or worse.

    Some evidence2 sourcesHide
    Of the patients studied, 33% developed a contact dermatitis to the vitamin E.[1] Study · 1999 · open source
    In 90% of the cases in this study, topical vitamin E either had no effect on, or actually worsened, the cosmetic appearance of scars.[1] Study · 1999 · open source

  • The US expert panel concluded that tocopherols are safe as used in cosmetics.

    Well establishedSourceHide
    concluded these ingredients are safe as used in cosmetics[2] US Cosmetic Ingredient Review expert panel · 2018 · open source

Where it works

SurfaceOuter layer(stratum corneum)Living layer(epidermis)Dermis

In the skin’s outer layer. On the face, sebum carries the skin’s own vitamin E up to the outer layers, where it may protect the skin’s surface fats from oxidising.

Some evidence2 sourcesHide
sebaceous gland secretion is a relevant physiologic pathway for the delivery of vitamin E to upper layers of facial skin[7] Study · 1999 · open source
This mechanism may serve to protect skin surface lipids and the upper stratum corneum from harmful oxidation.[7] Study · 1999 · open source

Rules

European Union

  • No EU limit: it is not on the regulation’s lists of banned or restricted substances, preservatives or UV filters.

    How we checkedHide
    We searched Annexes II to VI of the EU regulation (consolidated text of 18 May 2026): named only as the stabiliser that another restricted substance’s raw material must contain (Annex III, acetylated vetiver oil).open the list

United States

  • Not on the FDA’s list of prohibited or restricted cosmetic ingredients. In the US, cosmetics and their ingredients (other than colour additives) don’t need FDA approval before sale.

    SourceHide
    Under U.S. law, cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, do not need FDA approval before they go on the market[8] US Food and Drug Administration · open source
    We searched the FDA’s list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients: no entry.open the list

Sources

  1. The effects of topical vitamin E on the cosmetic appearance of scars Baumann LS et al., Dermatologic surgery : official publication for American Society for Dermatologic Surgery [et al.], 1999Study
  2. Safety Assessment of Tocopherols and Tocotrienols as Used in Cosmetics International journal of toxicology, 2018US Cosmetic Ingredient Review expert panel
  3. Cosmetics Preservation: A Review on Present Strategies Molecules : A Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry, 2018Study
  4. Vitamin E in human skin: organ-specific physiology and considerations for its use in dermatology Thiele JJ et al., Molecular aspects of medicine, 2007Review
  5. The Role of Topical Vitamin E in Scar Management: A Systematic Review Tanaydin V et al., Aesthetic surgery journal, 2016Review
  6. Patch Testing With Tocopherol and Tocopherol Acetate: The North American Contact Dermatitis Group Experience, 2001 to 2016 Warshaw EM et al., Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug, 2021Study
  7. Sebaceous gland secretion is a major physiologic route of vitamin E delivery to skin Thiele JJ et al., The Journal of investigative dermatology, 1999Study
  8. Prohibited & Restricted Ingredients in Cosmetics | FDA US Food and Drug Administration

Checked against these sources on 4 November 2026. Spot a mistake? Tell us.