The Benefits of Green Tea for Skin

Green tea is a skin superfood that can fortify your dermis from the inside out in a variety of ways. It’s a multifaceted herb that’s played an important role in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It can be consumed as a tea, extract, or powder, and contains bioactive compounds that improve everything from brain function to your body’s fat burning mechanisms. Its consumption is linked to lower risk of several types of cancer, and it can improve dental health thanks to its strong antibacterial properties.

As if that wasn’t already enough, green tea is also a seriously hard working topical when it’s added to plant-based skin care formulas. Thanks to the natural presence of a few chemical compounds that occur within its plant chemistry, green tea provides robust defense mechanisms against skin aging, discoloration, acne, and skin texture problems.

Present in green tea, EGCG is a polyphenol that can help fortify your dermis against the variety of environmental, chemical, and toxic agents that it’s exposed to on a day-to-day basis. Exposure to UV is a particularly urgent problem for most of us, with UV ray exposure leading to a compromised immune system, oxidative stress, premature aging, and tumor formation. EGCG, which is present in large concentrations in green tea, functions as a potent antioxidant. It’s a skin care gem because it can help ward off all of these exposure related issues, and can fortify your skin’s ability to renew at the cellular level.

You can give your skin a dose of EGCG through applying a topical with active organic green tea extract in the formula. It will work its antioxidant magic, banishing free radicals (which are essentially unpaired atoms that latch onto and damage delicate skin cells). Free radicals seriously speed up the aging process, so regular application of EGCG through a green tea based product is a smart way to battle skin aging on an everyday basis.

Plus ECGC promotes skin cell repair at the level of DNA, so it can be an effective remedy for cellular damage caused by sun exposure. It works hard to combat sun related aging and skin cancer risks. Because of this, we’ve included it in our Restorative Facial Oil formula alongside antioxidant packed rosehip oil and pomegranate oil, plus fatty acid packed Vitamin E.

Note that EGCG is a delicate compound that needs to be packaged properly. Look for glass packaging and air tight containers.

It boasts a high content of polyphenols called catechins – natural antioxidants known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They work at the chemical level to reduce irritation, swelling, and redness, and can be super helpful for those battling active acne and rosacea. In fact, several studies have found links between caffeine and relief of rosacea symptoms. This is because caffeine works as a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it prevents blood from rushing to the skin’s surface. This spells out relief from rosacea. It also effectively pumps the brakes on burst vessels and excessive redness on the nose and cheeks.

This anti-inflammatory action is compounded by the naturally antibacterial properties present in green tea extract, which make it a potent weapon against acne. Acneic inflammation in the skin is caused by a stimulus or trigger that invades your epidermal lipid barrier, triggering an inflamed response that takes up residence in one of your pores. Green tea works to neutralize this bacterial invader, preventing it from permeating your pores and causing an infection and redness. Green tea is so effective as an antibacterial agent that it can even be used to remove bacterial warts.

What’s more, green tea can be super helpful at the post-acne stage, when post blemish hyperpigmentation is often a serious problem. Green tea can improve your skin’s ability to regenerate at the cellular level, meaning more elasticity, density, and reduced areas of pigmentation due to scarring.

Green tea is full of Vitamin B2 and Vitamin E, both of which are absolutely essential for fortifying your dermis and keeping sensitive skin happy.

Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, is super important for the maintenance of healthy and glowing skin. It encourages the growth of new skin tissue and encourages skin cell turnover, meaning your healthiest and freshest skin is able to shine through. If you’re noticing dry skin and cracked lips, chances are you need to amp up your B2 intake.

Vitamin E is another star that your skin can’t live without. It’s a potent antioxidant that works tirelessly to combat free radicals produced by environmental toxins and UV damage. It’s also great for dry skin types experiencing dermatitis and eczema - it can reduce itching and stinging, and dial back redness for a smoother and calmer complexion overall.

Green tea also contains an impressively high level of caffeine, making it an excellent alternative to sub in for your morning cup of joe. Its caffeine content means that it’s a super effective ingredient when it comes to increasing circulation, reducing swelling, and waking up droopy skin around the eyes and mouth. Applied topically, green tea derived caffeine works to dilate blood vessels in your deep epidermal layers, improving overall blood flow for a flushed, healthy, and glowing appearance. The same properties make it a really excellent tonic to deal with dark undereye shadows and general discoloration or sallowness in your complexion. Plus green tea derived caffeine also contains a high level of B3 (niacin), which research has shown to be effective at battling skin cancer.

Get green tea into your life through as many channels as possible. Try incorporating a cup into your morning ritual, and adding an eye serum and facial oil into your PM routine. Regardless of your skin type, your skin cells will thank you.

Looking for more powerful natural ingredients to supercharge your beauty routine?

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