Lipid-soluble antioxidant

Tocopherol

INCI: Tocopherol

In brief

What it is: vitamin E in its free, already active form, from the family of fat-soluble antioxidants.
What it does: It protects the formula’s oils from going rancid and, on the skin, interrupts the chain reaction that oxidizes the barrier lipids.
Where to find it: in oil-based treatments, such as cleansing oils, massage oils, scrubs and body creams, and in sunscreens.

What is tocopherol

Tocopherol tocopherol is vitamin E in its free, already active form. It belongs to the family of fat-soluble antioxidants and differs from tocopheryl acetate, which is the same vitamin in an esterified form and needs skin enzymes to become active.

How it works in formulas and on the skin

The difference matters in a formula. Since it is already active, tocopherol works on two fronts at once: it protects the product's plant oils from going rancid and, on the skin, interrupts the same chain reaction affecting the lipids that make up the skin barrier. That's why it appears so often alongside plant oils, which would lose their properties much sooner without it.

Where to find it and how to use it

In LeLang formulas, it is found in oil-based treatments — cleansing oils, massage oils, scrubs, body creams — and sunscreens, where it complements the filters by counteracting the free radicals that exposure generates regardless. It is used in the finished product, with no frequency limits.

Why it pairs well with vitamin C

It works particularly well paired with vitamin C: one is fat-soluble and the other water-soluble, so they protect different compartments of the skin, and vitamin C regenerates tocopherol after it neutralizes a radical. That's why the two often appear in the same formula.

The glossary has more information on vitamin E and what it does for the skin.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between tocopherol and tocopheryl acetate?

Tocopherol is vitamin E in its free, already active form. Tocopheryl acetate is the same vitamin in esterified form and needs skin enzymes to become active.

Why is tocopherol found in cosmetic oils?

It protects vegetable oils from going rancid: without it, they would lose their properties much sooner.

Can you use tocopherol every day?

Yes, it can be used in the finished product with no frequency limits.

Why are tocopherol and vitamin C used together?

One is fat-soluble and the other is water-soluble, so they protect different compartments of the skin. In addition, vitamin C regenerates tocopherol after it has neutralized a free radical.

The selection of ingredients is curated by Elisa Avalle, founder of LeLang and a dermocosmetics specialist. Each formula is created and developed in LeLang laboratories.