Vitamin C Vs. Vitamin E: Which Does More for Your Skin? Experts Explain

But which is best for you? Here, experts weigh in.

One of the most obvious ways in which vitamin C is beneficial for skin is that it helps with the production of collagen. “[Collagen] is important for skin structure, wound healing and firmness,” says Marissa Beck, M.S., R.D.N., owner of REVV Health in Seattle, Washington. “It also helps protect against oxidative stress from UV light, and also pollution.”

Beyond those extremely necessary functions, there’s also evidence to suggest vitamin C may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and raised scars, as well as assist with tightening up sagging skin. A recent study even suggested vitamin C might help reactivate genes related to skin growth and repair.

Marisa Garshick, M.D., F.A.A.D., a NYC-based board-certified dermatologist, says vitamin C also “helps to brighten the skin and improve discolouration to even skin tone.”

Unlike vitamin C, vitamin E is actually already produced by your body; it’s part of the sebum that serves as a barrier to help skin stay moisturized. This is also why you’ll often find vitamin E as an ingredient in popular moisturizing products. Vitamin E oil, in particular, might be useful for treating dry, flaky skin or improving symptoms of eczema.

“Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, and because of this, it works primarily within the cell membranes of the skin by helping reduce UV-induced free radical damage and supporting the skin barrier,” Beck explains. “It might also help with inflammation as an antioxidant.”

As for which one of these key nutrients does more for your skin? Unsurprisingly, that’s difficult to quantify. There’s overlap in the benefits they each provide, but ultimately, the vitamins are different enough that they each play a unique role in skin health.

“Both vitamin C and vitamin E are excellent antioxidants that help reduce free radical damage, and they often work well together, so while vitamin C may be better for mature skin, using both together can be helpful,” Dr. Garshick explains. “When vitamin C is partnered with vitamin E or ferulic acid, it has an enhanced benefit, helping to improve both stability and efficacy.”

And the research backs this up. Studies that combined vitamins C and E into a solution and tested their efficacy against protecting against UV damage and reducing signs of aging have had positive results.

Since vitamin C works to combat discolouration and brighten, it may be preferred by those with mature skin.

When it comes to ensuring you’re getting enough of each vitamin to support skin health, you can look to both diet and topical application. “Our skin needs good nutrition for protection from the inside out so consuming foods that are high in C and E is a must!” Zerner says.

For vitamin C, she recommends oranges, bell peppers, tomatoes, kiwi, strawberries and broccoli. To increase your vitamin E intake, Zerner suggests looking to plant-based oils such as wheat germ oil, while Beck also suggests nuts, seeds, and avocados.

“With my clients, I focus first on dietary intake because even mild deficiencies can impair wound healing and immunity,” Beck says. “You can only get so many benefits from supplements; foods offer far more variety, better absorption, and there is stronger evidence for health benefits.”

Still, there are times when supplementing or topical application may make sense—such as vitamin E’s presence in moisturizers, as previously mentioned. Topical vitamin C products have also gotten popular over the years, appearing in serums that promise brightening and firming effects.

In fact, Dr. Garshick says she strongly recommends using serums when considering skin health. “Vitamin C is best to use in the morning as it helps to protect against free radical damage that can occur from daily environmental stressors, and it’s best to use daily for optimal benefit,” she says, suggesting pairing it with sunscreen for “ultimate protection.”

Your focus may shift between vitamin C and vitamin E at different points in your life, depending on what your skin needs at the time. But ultimately, these two vitamins will serve you best working in tandem, while keeping all the other important aspects of skin health in mind. Of course, eating a balanced diet is important for overall health, but adding vitamin C or vitamin E-infused products to your skincare routine has its own benefits.

“Skincare is complex, and these two vitamins are a few of the ingredients in the recipe for dewy, youthful skin,” says Zerner. “We also have to hydrate and get a good night of sleep and more!”