Using a vitamin E mixture extracted from palm oil, the tissue distribution of dietary tocotrienols and tocopherols was examined in rats and mice. Wistar rats (4-wk-old) were fed a diet containing 48.8 mg/kg alpha-tocopherol, 45.8 mg/kg alpha-tocotrienol and 71.4 mg/kg gamma-tocotrienol for 8 wk. Nude mice (BALB/c Slc-nu, 8-wk-old) and hairless mice (SKH1, 8-wk-old) were fed the same diet for 4 wk. alpha-Tocopherol was abundantly retained in the skin, liver, kidney and plasma of rats and mice. alpha-Tocotrienol and gamma-tocotrienol were detected slightly in the liver, kidney and plasma, while substantial amounts of these tocotrienols were detected in the skin of both rats and mice. The present study suggests that the skin is a unique tissue in respect to its ability to discriminate between various vitamin E analogs.