BUTTER-C
Signature ingredients
Vitamin E oil OEM/ODM manufacturing
Vitamin E Oil · Signature Ingredients · OEM/ODM
“Vitamin E” is a generic term for a group of tocol and tocotrienol compounds (Baumann and Spencer, 1999); the main biologically active form is alpha-tocopherol, an oil-soluble antioxidant naturally present in the skin's stratum corneum. In human skin, alpha-tocopherol rises from the surface to the deeper stratum corneum, and a single UV dose too small to redden the skin lowered its level in the stratum corneum by 45% (Thiele et al., 1998). That is the science behind a vitamin E oil. What needs to be said plainly: reviews note that vitamin E has been used in dermatology for more than 50 years yet controlled clinical studies are still lacking (Thiele and Ekanayake-Mudiyanselage, 2007); the UV-protection data mostly belong to the vitamin C + E + ferulic acid combination, a different product type; and the belief that “vitamin E fades scars” was not supported by a small double-blind trial (15 people, applied to surgical wounds after skin cancer removal). Butter-C's vitamin E oil is therefore positioned at the level of softening the skin — a benefit of the oil base — and antioxidant protection of the oil formula itself, for face and body. Butter-C offers full-service OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formula development and testing to labeled finished product with its notification dossier.
Formula base
Tocopherol in a stable anhydrous oil base
A vitamin E oil is an anhydrous (water-free) blend: tocopherol dissolves in the carrier oils, with no emulsifier system needed; anhydrous formulas usually do not use preservatives (formulation practice), and a conclusion of low microbiological risk must be documented as an ISO 29621 assessment. On other facial oil pages tocopherol is only a supporting antioxidant for the oil phase; here vitamin E is the signature ingredient, while the softening feel comes from the carrier oils.
Tocopherol
INCI Tocopherol; alpha-tocopherol C29H50O2, molecular weight 430.7 (PubChem). Practically insoluble in water, freely soluble in oils, fats and alcohol (Merck Index, via PubChem). The INCI “Tocopherol” may be alpha-tocopherol or mixed tocopherols — the COA must state the isomer composition and content. Not in Butter-C's ERP: sourced per order, COA mandatory. Not listed in ASEAN Annexes II, III or VI, 06/2026 edition.
Vitamin E level
The verified sources only give 1% alpha-tocopherol within the vitamin C + E system of UV-protection studies — not a basis for a facial oil. The tocopherol level in this product is set from the supplier's technical documents, color, odor, viscosity and skin tolerance testing (formulation experience). Printing a vitamin E content on the label requires assaying the finished product across stability time points.
Carrier oils
For the face-and-body version: jojoba (a liquid wax ester, stable in Rancimat testing — Fagoaga et al., 2026) and squalane (a saturated hydrocarbon). For the body version: sunflower oil and MCT oil (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride). A base low in polyunsaturated fatty acids means less vitamin E is “used up” protecting the oil from rancidity (formulation inference).
Points to weigh when choosing
Fragrance-free is the recommended choice, especially for the facial version. No vitamin C or ferulic acid is added “for extra effect” in this anhydrous oil: the C + E + ferulic system is a water-based serum with its own pH and stability requirements, covered on the vitamin C serum page and the ferulic acid serum page. Tocotrienols belong to the vitamin E family but have their own data and do not substitute for tocopherol (vitamin E article).
Key technical points
The right vitamin E form, kept from oxidizing — four points that decide quality
Tocopherol is sensitive to light and oxygen — the antioxidant itself needs protecting throughout the product's life. The four items below are settled as soon as the raw material is chosen.
Tocopherol ≠ tocopheryl acetate ≠ tocotrienol
Tocopherol is the free form with a phenolic hydroxyl group, so it acts as an antioxidant directly but is sensitive to light and oxygen. Tocopheryl acetate is an ester — the phenol group is blocked — so it oxidizes less in the formula and must be hydrolyzed back to the free form to act as an antioxidant (inferred from structure, vitamin E article). They are two different INCI names: the label states the material on the COA.
Natural or synthetic
The natural RRR form (d-alpha-tocopherol, CAS 59-02-9) occurs in green vegetables, cereals and plant oils; the synthetic all-rac form (dl-alpha-tocopherol, CAS 10191-41-0) is made from trimethylhydroquinone and isophytol (PubChem). The sources checked do not compare the two forms' effects on skin — “natural vitamin E” is an origin statement only, used when the COA confirms it.
Light and oxygen
The supplier's safety data sheet lists light as a condition to avoid; in an EFSA evaluation, dl-alpha-tocopherol stored in aluminum bottles under argon at 15 and 25 °C lost at most 3% over 3 years (both via PubChem). Hence: dark or light-protective bottles, little headspace, a pump or dropper that limits air; tocopherol darkens as it oxidizes — color is monitored.
One or two forms of vitamin E
Tocopherol can be used alone, or tocopheryl acetate (more stable in the formula) can be combined with some tocopherol protecting the carrier oils — in line with the vitamin E article's advice to choose the form by purpose. When “vitamin E” appears on the front label, the ingredient list must show which form is used.
Three formulation directions
Three types of vitamin E oil
Vitamin E in a jojoba – squalane base (face and body)
Tocopherol in jojoba and squalane; light, low odor, suitable for the face and dry areas of the body. The common format: a few drops after moisturizer or on slightly damp skin.
Vitamin E body oil in a sunflower – MCT base
Tocopherol in sunflower oil and MCT oil; an affordable base for large, whole-body volumes. Sunflower oil is often high in linoleic acid — a suitable fatty acid profile is chosen on the COA; people allergic to sunflower seeds or the daisy family should ask a doctor (sunflower oil monograph).
Two forms of vitamin E
Tocopheryl acetate as the named vitamin E, with some tocopherol protecting a jojoba – squalane base; suited to brands wanting longer color and odor stability. The skin effect of the acetate form depends on conversion in the skin — no stronger claim than the tocopherol version.
Packaging is part of the formula
Dark glass or light-protective bottles, metered pump or dropper, little headspace. The body version uses a pump or a spill-resistant flip cap; oil dripping onto the bathroom floor makes it slippery — the label carries a slip warning. Dropper bulbs and gaskets must be soak-tested with the oil.
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D lab measures on every sample
Below is the set of parameters Butter-C monitors during formula development and scale-up to production. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample, then written into the product's in-house specification.
- Raw material identity
- COA for each lot of tocopherol: INCI, form (RRR or all-rac, alpha or mixed tocopherols), content, carrier oil if any; carrier oil COAs with acid and peroxide values.
- Vitamin E content
- Assayed in the finished product at the start and across stability time points — mandatory when the label states a content figure.
- Appearance
- Color, clarity and odor against the standard; gradual darkening signals that the tocopherol is oxidizing.
- Finished product peroxide value
- Measured at the start and across stability time points, especially for the body version with sunflower oil — the basis for setting shelf life and period after opening.
- Stability
- Accelerated aging at 40 °C, freeze–thaw cycling and light exposure in the actual packaging; watching color, odor, haze and separation.
- Packaging compatibility
- Soak tests with the actual bottle, pump, dropper and gaskets; watching for swelling, leakage and odor change.
- Microbiology
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; written microbiological risk assessment for the anhydrous system per ISO 29621.
- Skin evaluation
- Spreadability, dry-down time and shine; irritation testing on volunteers before the formula is finalized. Any figures on softness or hydration must be measured on the finished product itself.
Claims
Softens the skin, antioxidant protection for the oil formula
Skin data on tocopherol are mostly mechanistic and experimental. In 13 people, a single wash with an alpha-tocopherol-enriched rinse-off product (compared with a vitamin E-free product on the other arm) raised vitamin E in skin surface lipids for at least 24 hours and reduced UVA-induced squalene oxidation (Ekanayake-Mudiyanselage et al., 2005) — a biochemical measurement, not a label benefit. UV-protection data belong to a 15% vitamin C + 1% vitamin E solution (tested on pig skin — Lin et al., 2003) and to the system with added ferulic acid — they do not transfer to a single-ingredient vitamin E oil. On scars: in a double-blind trial with each scar randomly split in half, 15 people after skin cancer surgery applied an ointment with vitamin E versus the plain ointment for 4 weeks; scar appearance did not improve, 90% of cases were unchanged or worse, and 33% developed contact dermatitis (Baumann and Spencer, 1999). Annex 03-MP of Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT does not accept claims to remove scars or to prevent or reverse aging.
Softens the skin, leaves it smooth
A benefit of the carrier oils and of the whole formula. Instead of: anti-aging, rejuvenates skin, boosts collagen.
Vitamin E helps protect the oil formula from oxidation
A technical statement on tocopherol's role in the product itself (CosIng: antioxidant). It does not replace microbial preservation. Instead of: “fights free radicals, protects skin from UV” based on C + E + ferulic data.
Contains vitamin E (Tocopherol) — form as per the COA
An ingredient and story claim; “natural vitamin E” only when the COA states the RRR form or a natural source. Instead of: “fades scars, stretch marks or dark marks”, “helps skin after surgery”.
Body and facial oil — sunscreen still needed during the day
Tocopherol is not on the UV filter list (ASEAN Annex VII); antioxidants do not replace sunscreen (vitamin E article). Instead of: sunscreen, sunscreen replacement.
Label notes
“Patch test on a small area before use; do not apply to open wounds or surgical incisions; stop use if the skin becomes red or itchy; body version: take care, slippery.” Contact allergy is uncommon but occurs: of 38,699 patients patch tested in North America (2001–2016) with undiluted tocopherol and/or tocopheryl acetate, 349 (0.9%) reacted, most with current clinical relevance, and the most common source was personal care products, especially moisturizers (Warshaw et al., 2021 — figures in patch-tested patients, not the general population). Instead of: hypoallergenic, safe for every skin type.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding
No data specific to topical vitamin E were found in the sources checked — not promoted for this group; advice is to ask a doctor. Oral vitamin E is a food supplement, outside the scope of this page. Instead of: safe for pregnancy, prevents stretch marks.
Manufacturing specifications
Our capabilities
- Texture
- Clear liquid oil, pale yellow to yellow depending on the tocopherol level and carrier oils; jojoba – squalane base for the face, plant oil – MCT base for the body.
- Pack formats
- Dark glass or light-protective bottle with dropper or metered pump; the body version can use a spill-resistant flip cap. Volume agreed when choosing packaging.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order — depends on the formula direction and pack format chosen.
- Testing
- Performed at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, with a certificate of analysis delivered with every batch.
- Documentation
- Product Information File (PIF) and cosmetic product notification dossier prepared by Butter-C, with the tocopherol COA stating form and content, plus carrier oil COAs.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formula development; the patch-test, no-open-wounds and slip (body version) notes are laid out from the first label draft.
Suggested product concept
Vitamin E oil in a jojoba – squalane base for face and body
A product concept to help you picture the result, not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is developed around your brand's positioning and price range.
Tocopherol with a complete COA
Form and content per the COA; level set by sensory, tolerance and stability testing.
Jojoba oil and squalane
A softening, light, oxidation-stable base; ratio set by skin feel.
Fragrance-free
No fragrance or essential oils — one product usable on both face and body.
50 ml dark glass pump bottle
Light-protective, limits air; the label directs a few drops on slightly damp skin, with patch-test, no-open-wounds and daytime-sunscreen notes.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same product type can serve very different customer groups. Tell us your requirements in the areas below and our pharmacists will develop the matching formula.
Vitamin E form
Tocopherol, tocopheryl acetate or both; natural (RRR) or synthetic (all-rac) — per the COA.
Area of use
One product for face and body, or separate facial (jojoba – squalane base) and body (plant oil – MCT base, large volume) versions.
Carrier oils
Jojoba, squalane, sunflower, MCT oil or dry-touch esters — these decide feel, stability and price.
Scent
Fragrance-free (recommended) or a very light fragrance for the body version, with fragrance allergens declared under the rules of the target market.
Packaging
Dropper, pump or flip cap; dark glass or opaque light-protective bottle.
Ingredient positioning
Fragrance-free, silicone-free, vegan (requires documentation of the tocopherol's carrier oil) — please state these at the outset so the right raw materials can be chosen.
Further reading
Related knowledge
Vitamin E (tocopherol) in cosmetics
Vitamin E forms, mechanism in the stratum corneum, scar data, allergy and storage (in Vietnamese).
Vitamin C serum manufacturing
Where vitamin E is combined with vitamin C and ferulic acid — a different system from an oil.
Squalane facial oil manufacturing
A stable, light carrier used in the facial version of a vitamin E oil.
After-shower body oil manufacturing
Body oil: choosing oxidation-stable oils, easy-to-use packaging and slip warnings.
Contact dermatitis from cosmetics
Why patch testing matters, even for a familiar ingredient like vitamin E (in Vietnamese).
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details (in Vietnamese) →
Get started
Tell us about the product you plan to launch
Send us your product direction and expected volume. Our team will get back to you during business hours (Vietnam time, GMT+7).
Head office: Huu Le village, Dai Thanh commune, Hanoi · Factory: Thanh Oai Industrial Cluster, Binh Minh commune, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hotline +84 967 176 511 · [email protected] · Privacy policy ← Full catalog