When I was much younger and still exploring all the ins and outs of skincare, beauty routines, and self-care practices, I tripped across a popular brand of lotion sold at the market. 

“With Vitamin E for Healthy Skin.” The label on the bottle promised. 

It was then that I began to learn about the power of vitamins for our bodies. Of course, as a child, I took the Flintstone vitamins most parents in the 80s gave their kids, but I did not know what a multivitamin was or why I took it. 

I learned about vitamin C in school. But otherwise, I was clueless. Reading that label about vitamin E in that lotion was the first time I put together that vitamins served specific functions in the human body. 

It would be years before I began to study vitamins and how to get them naturally. But I have been a fan of vitamin E for my skin forever. As for whether vitamin E helps with scars, that took some serious research. 

Table of Contents:

• Does Vitamin E Help with Scars?
• 5 Ways to Get More Vitamin E to Help with Scars
• Vitamins Are a Real Thing
• Products for Healing Scars and other Conditions

Does Vitamin E Help with Scars?

The answer to whether vitamin E helps with scars, it seems, is yes and no. 

The evidence that topical treatments of vitamin E – vitamin E oils, creams, lotions, or other topical applications – is inconclusive. 

Some studies of surgery patients showed no change at all in those who used vitamin E external treatments compared with those who did not. 

Yet another study of children who had scar tissue showed those who used vitamin E had less scar tissue and did show better healing than those who did not. 

I suspect, honestly, that it has something to do with the immune system and how “young” it is, particularly because vitamin E has shown profound healing potential when ingested. 

Eating foods rich in vitamin E can not only heal your external scars, but it can also perform any internal healing your body may need, even healing you may not be aware your body needs. 

As a naturopath, I am quick to support any evidence that suggests you get your vitamins through food. So, if you want to heal your scars, get more vitamin E into your diet.

5 Ways to Get More Vitamin E to Help with Scars

Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale are rife with vitamin E. They are also really easy to sneak into everyday foods like sautés and soups without even realizing you’ve added something. Chop them up fine and throw them into pretty much any food combination. 

Nuts

Another great source of vitamin E is nuts, which are good for you for so many reasons! You get protein, magnesium, even omega 3 for a mood lift. Grab a handful of nuts a day to heal scars and as a daily contribution to your total wellness.

Seeds

Seeds are one of those easy-to-forget-about dietary wonders. If you are not thinking about it, you can easily leave seeds out of your diet, and you shouldn’t! 

Seeds are packed with vitamins and minerals that are good for your health, one of which happens to be vitamin E. 

Add some pumpkin seeds to your salad, some chia seeds to your smoothie, or snack on sunflower seeds while visiting with a friend outside. 

Fortified Cereals

This one is a tough one for me. I have not eaten cereal since I entered adulthood. I enjoy granola occasionally, but that is not a fortified cereal. 

If you are a cereal lover, though, it can be a good source of vitamin E. I eat oatmeal, which contains a small amount, but I make up for it with my love of nuts and seeds.

Topically

Then, of course, there is the topical treatment. Sure, maybe my vitamin E lotion did nothing at all for my skin as a young woman. 

Then again, maybe it did something. I guess I will never know. 

But here’s the thing: it cannot hurt. If you find a lotion, cream, or scrub that you like, made by a company you are happy to support, it cannot hurt you if the product has vitamin E in it. 

And who knows? Maybe it will help. 

Vitamins Are a Real Thing

My children are in love with the movie Coco, about a Mexican boy who visits the land of the dead while he is still living. 

At one point, when he first arrives, he tells the spirit of his aunt that he thought the land of the dead was “just something grownups made up, like vitamins.” 

His aunt rolls her eyes and responds, “Miguel, vitamins are a real thing.” Miguel, looking around at the land of the dead, says, “well, now I’m thinking maybe they are.” 

My kids and I laugh at this line every time, and we quote it often when we take our vitamins. The point I am making is that you cannot lose by eating vitamin-rich foods, taking your supplements when you cannot get the right foods, and then trusting your body to heal itself. 

The purpose of vitamins is to keep your body in top shape, including performing essential functions like repairing scar tissue and cell damage.

Find ways to integrate your vitamins into your life, and you will not be sorry you did. Vitamins are a real thing.

Products for Healing Scars and other Conditions

I have included below a few products that include ingredients that have been shown to help keep skin healthy, balance complexions, and heal scars as alternatives to taking your chances with vitamin E topical treatments. 

Vitamin C Serum

Truly magical on the skin, vitamin C has been shown to heal wounds and even our skin tone. 

Coconut Perfecting Cream

Nourishing, hydrating, and protective, you cannot go wrong with coconut face cream. 

Click the links above, check out the descriptions and ingredients, and take the time to navigate away as well to see what else Wow Skin Science might have for you.