Heads Up: This Is The Best Way To Use Vitamin E For Glowing Skin

It's an age-old trick for addressing dark spots and even chapped lips: Break open a vitamin E capsule and use the contents as a leave-on skin serum. Pure vitamin E oil is quite thick and gel-like, so it makes sense that people would want to use the hyper-concentrated oil on their skin in hopes of achieving a glowing complexion. In fact, the hack has taken over TikTok as the latest beauty "trend" to hit our algorithms.

In some of the more popular videos reviewing this technique, fans claim that using the capsulated version of vitamin E will offer a higher concentration of the nutrient, compared to other face oils and moisturizers that already contain vitamin E (and typically come buffered with other added ingredients). 

The truth is, "studies show very few benefits," Shah explains. In fact, it may actually do more harm than good when used in this form: Again, the oil is incredibly thick and goopy, which can be pore-clogging for some. (That's why it's common in oily, waxy formulas, like lip balms.) It's very uncommon, but topical vitamin E can also irritate sensitive skin, which is why experts always recommend patch-testing vitamin E oil before applying it directly to your face. 

In case you need a reminder: Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble vitamin. In terms of skin health, vitamin E is essential for normal collagen cross-linking. Vitamin E also helps stabilize the skin barrier1, which functions to protect the body from irritants, allergens, and excess water loss.*