Let go of the long-held belief that vitamin E is a miracle ingredient for healing or scarring. If anything, the thick vitamin E in capsules or in heavy creams is occlusive and can be a problem. A report of research published in Dermatologic Surgery (April 1999, pages 311-315), in an article titled “The effects of topical vitamin E on the cosmetic appearance of scars” concluded that the “study shows that there is no benefit to the cosmetic outcome of scars by applying vitamin E after skin surgery and that the application of topical vitamin E may actually be detrimental to the cosmetic appearance of a scar. In 90% of the cases in this study, topical vitamin E either had no effect on, or actually worsened, the cosmetic appearance of scars.
Of the patients studied, 33% developed a contact dermatitis to the vitamin E. Therefore we conclude that use of topical vitamin E on surgical wounds should be discouraged.”
Rather than worrying about one specific antioxidant, give the skin a blend of effective, non-irritating antioxidants in a gel or liquid form.
(Sources: Journal of Drugs and Dermatology, July 2008, pages S2-S6; and Cancer Research, December 2007, pages 11906-11913.)