What Does Green Tea Do For Your Skin?

You have probably heard of green tea as a delicious drink, but did you know it is also an ingredient in skincare products?

Green tea is a versatile plant that is eco-friendly and sustainable. Green tea has properties that may support your health inside and out.

Not to mention it gives products a beautiful green color that makes them striking. Keep reading to learn more about what green tea can do for your skin, as well as its safety, uses, and more.

Being an informed consumer can help to give you the confidence you deserve that the products you are using in and on your body are helping and not hurting you.

What Is Green Tea

Green tea comes from the plant Camellia sinensis, also known as the tea plant. The Camellia sinensis can be grown in many different locations around the world but is originally from China.

Different elements such as elevation, sun exposure, and climate will create a unique experience for each tea.

A tea plant is used to make all teas, including green, black, oolong, and white teas. Different parts of the plant are used and brewed to create the varieties of tea. Green tea is made from young leaves and buds.

The leaves and buds go through a drying process once picked, and they can then be steeped in water to make green tea. The tea itself is used in many skincare products, while some may use the powdered form of the tea called matcha.

What Are the Potential Skin Benefits

Green tea may be a tasty snack, but its role in skincare is no joke. The properties of green tea have many benefits that can expand further than being consumed. The most common skincare benefits are healthy aging, minimized feelings of oiliness, soothed skin, and antioxidant properties.
With a variety of potential benefits, green tea may hit more than just one mark. If you are struggling with any of these concerns, green tea may be the skincare ingredient you didn’t even know you might need.

Supports Healthy Aging

As you age, your skin is one of the first changes you notice when you look in the mirror. Your skin may look like it is sagging more than usual, you may have a couple of extra fine lines, or you may notice a change in coloration.

Looking for a product that can support healthy skin aging may seem like a challenge, but green tea may be one to consider. Aging is not avoidable, but making the transition a little smoother may be possible with the help of good skincare.

Green tea may help to support aging skin by reducing the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles, supporting a smoother skin texture, and may even reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation.

All of these skin changes compounded may significantly increase the appearance of aging on your skin. Green tea can be a great ingredient for anyone looking to improve or maintain some of their skin's characteristics.

Minimizes Oil Production

Everyone is different, especially when it comes to its moisture level. Some may have dry skin needing extra moisture, while others may have excessive oil production, making it difficult to feel comfortable and confident. Extra oil and dead skin cells can also block the pores, allowing bacteria to grow and cause acne.

A great skincare routine with regular cleanser and toner may help balance the oils on your skin’s surface. Products containing green tea can work to minimize the appearance of oil or sebum on the skin.

Training the skin to produce less oil in combination with soothing and cleansing properties works synergistically to fight acne and other skin concerns associated with oils.

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Soothing Properties

Have you ever heard of using cool green tea bags on the eyes to reduce puffiness? This at-home DIY trick uses the soothing properties of green tea to reduce the eye puffiness that can come with stress, sleep, fluid retention, and early mornings. The same benefit applies to most green tea skincare products.

Green tea can be perfect for those with sensitive, red, or irritated skin. Green tea may help soothe irritation, and you may notice a reduction in redness as well as a more even complexion. Having a soothing ingredient is always welcomed in skincare since no one likes to experience burning or stinging from products that are supposed to be supporting their well-being.

Topical Antioxidant

Green tea is one of the most powerful antioxidants. An antioxidant is simply a substance that helps to neutralize free radicals in or on the body. These free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can wreak havoc if they accumulate.

Free radicals can be present inside the body naturally, but they can also result from environmental hazards such as radiation from the sun, tobacco smoke, and even pollutants like poor air quality.

Green tea’s antioxidant properties may help neutralize the free radicals and minimize the appearance of damage on skin’s surface. Using green tea skincare in combination with sunscreen can be a great way to protect your skin to the fullest.

What Skincare Products Contain Green Tea

Green tea can be incorporated into almost any type of skincare that uses water. Since green tea is made by soaking the leaves in water, the tea can be used as a substitute for some of the water in the products. Some of the most common products with green tea are moisturizers, cleansers, face masks, and toners.

The benefits of green tea may be seen with any of these products, but if you are looking to get the maximum benefit and efficiency, you want to choose a product made to stay on your face, like a moisturizer or toner.

The Cool It green tea toner stick is an excellent way to incorporate a green tea skin product into your routine. The stick format helps to reduce waste by eliminating the need for cotton rounds or any other applicator. The swipe-on approach also can help to save you time by only requiring a one-step application. With such a simple way to incorporate green tea, it can help to make your routine more efficient, so you can get all the benefits you need with one simple step.

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Is Green Tea Safe for Skin

Green tea is safe for the skin. For most people, green tea has a soothing effect on the skin, and it is a mild ingredient designed for all skin types.

However, some people can have an allergy to green tea. If this is the case for you, you should not use or ingest products with green tea in them. A great way to determine if you are sensitive to any product or ingredient is by doing a small spot test on your arm. If you notice any reaction on the spot, you can likely determine that it would be safer to use a product with different ingredients.

How Much Green Tea Should You Use

The amount of green tea you should use on your skin is not generalized. It is a generally safe ingredient and should not cause harm or increased sensitivity to the skin with use.

For example, you should only use retinol according to a specific guideline. Using a daily green tea product should not be an issue, but always refer to the product use instructions or ask your health care provider for specific instructions.

As always, take the time to listen to what your body needs. If your skin seems like it could use a little more or take a day off, listen and use your intuition to personalize your skincare routine.

What Are Other Ways You Can Benefit From Green Tea

Green tea does not only exist in the world of skincare. Green tea has been popular since it was first made in 2737 BC in China. Since then, it has become a mainstay in Chinese culture and even became popular worldwide.

In addition to drinking green tea alone, it can also be included in lattes, matcha drinks, and even cooked or baked into various food items. Green tea has also expanded from an ingestible to the beauty and self-care industry.

Green tea always has the same properties, but it can impact your body differently depending on how you use it: topically or orally. If you are looking to experience benefits aside from those pertaining to your skin, you may want to try drinking green tea to see the benefits inside and out.

How Can Green Tea Drinks Be Beneficial

Green tea has been a popular beverage for centuries, and the most well-known benefits are antioxidant properties, hydration, boosting energy levels, and supporting your metabolism.

Free radicals show up in your body as various molecules ready to interact with your body tissues. If the free radicals lead to oxidative damage on the skin’s surface, major consequences can be.

Green tea in the body can act as an antioxidant and prevent free radicals from attacking. It also has caffeine in its leaves, making it an alternative to coffee for those who do not enjoy coffee.

Conclusion

 

Green tea skincare may be newer in the market, but green tea itself is a tried and true ingredient that has been utilized for centuries.

With an understanding of the science behind the benefits of green tea, you can add this ingredient to your everyday skincare routine for healthy glowing skin.

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Sources:
Camellia sinensis (Assam Tea, Tea Camellia, Tea Plant, Tea Tree Camellia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Environmental factors and unhealthy lifestyle influence oxidative stress in humans--an overview | PubMed
Green Tea | NCCIH