Formulating With Vitamin E

Vitamin E is one of the most famous and well used vitamins in cosmetics. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin, and will often be listed on ingredients lists as tocopherol which is the most biologically available form of Vitamin E.

Vitamin E is a great antioxidant and free radical scavenger, and can help protect the skin from environmental damage and stress. It improves the skin’s moisture barrier, helping keep it moisturised and healthy.

Vitamin E is excellent for scar and stretch marks; you’ll find it as a prominent ingredient in products like Bio Oil.

It is also used as an antioxidant to protect products from oxidation (note, not as a preservative). So while Vitamin E is naturally found in many carrier oils, if you want to extend the shelf life and prevent oxidation, you can actually add a small amount of Vitamin E to the bottle!

 

Usage

Vitamin E oil is typically used at 0.5% as an antioxidant in formulations but can be used at higher amounts for its skincare benefits. But don’t go too high or it will make your product sticky. I recommend not going above 2%.

Solubility

Vitamin E is oil soluble, and is easily incorporated into oil based products, as well as emulsions.

It can be solubilised into water based products with Olivem 300.

pH

As Vitamin E is an oil, it doesn’t have specific pH considerations. Simply adjust the pH to skin levels of around 5, or to the specifications of other actives, if using.

Combines Well With These Ingredients

Vitamin E combines well with pretty much everything!

If it is a water based product/ingredient, you will need to use a solubiliser or emulsifier. 

It will dissolve seamlessly into oils and oil-based products, and is excellent in moisturisers and other emulsion-based products.

You can use it with all kinds of actives where applicable.

It works particularly well with ferulic acid, to stabilise Vitamin C (see this formula for more).

I actually can’t think of anything it doesn’t work with.

Kinds Of Products That Use Vitamin E

You will most commonly find Vitamin E in leave-on serums and moisturisers, although it can be found in almost any other kind of product.

I personally don’t tend to use Vitamin E in wash-off products such as body wash or shampoo, but you certainly can if you want to. 

Formulations With Vitamin E

This nourishing body oil contains a beautiful combination of various plant oils for maximum moisturisation, healing and protective properties. The formula is based off of the Bio Oil Natural product.

Vitamin E-rich Body Oil 

28%  sunflower oil

25%  safflower oil

25%  jojoba oil

5%  pomegranate

5%  wheatgerm

5%  rosehip

5%  calendula

1%  Vitamin E

0.5%  bisabolol

0.5% blend of  rosemary,  lavender,  chamomile,  patchouli

 

Blend all the oils together in a beaker, then stir in the essential oils and bisabolol. Pour into a serum bottle and massage into clean warm skin after a shower.

 

 

If you are looking for moisturisers containing Vitamin E, then please click here.

Pretty much all of my emulsion formulations include Vitamin E!