Vitamin E from food such as a small handful of sunflower seeds or almonds each day is best. Studies on heart disease comparing pills and food confirm that. As for your skin, the body secretes oils which will contain any vitamin E you eat and vitamin E may be stored for a long time; so eating is best to repeatedly get it on your skin in the long term. Topically it might help in the short term.

Among other functions (like heart disease prevention) oil coats skin and hair and keeps it healthy. Vitamin E is the body's oil preservative. Omega 3's and omega 6's are thinner oils that the body can't make, plus there are others thicker (greasier) oils it can make. So without omega 3s and 6s you get greasy skin and hair, or dry skin or etc. Omega 3s are in fish, flax and chia seeds, or in the oil of these. 2 teaspoons of oil per day or 2 servings of fish per week is enough. Omega 6s are in nuts, seeds and vegetable oil. Omega 6s should be 1 to 4 times your omega 3s and less is better, as long as it's more than your omega 3s.

I found the vitamin E oil more effective...

It depends on what you want to take it for.