Green Tea for Great Skin

About Green Tea
Green tea is a powerful antioxidant which has been used for many years in alternative medicines and natural remedies. Its medicinal properties are attributed to its polyphenols, which are believed to help prevent many health maladies, such as cancer, skin aging, cardiovascular disease, and weight-control. Green tea extract also boasts anti-inflammatory properties and provides free-radical protection. Studies have shown that green tea helps the body both when ingested internally and applied topically to the skin through creams, serums, and other treatments.

Skin Cancer Protection
Green tea helps ameliorate sun damage by blocking free radicals which guards against carcinogenesis and DNA damage. It also brings down any inflammation of the skin, rather than simply blocking ultra-violet rays alone. In this way, green tea enhances sun protection synergistically when used in combination with a sunscreen. The flavanols, polyphenols, and EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) in green tea naturally help heal damaged cells and soothes the skin. When applying green tea extract to the skin prior to a sunscreen, look for a product to layer over it which contains zinc oxide so it is non-reactive to the green tea. If skin is already sunburned, a cool green tea compress freshly brewed from the leaves, is both soothing and healing.

Anti-aging
Compared to vitamins A and C, the EGCG in green tea has up to 100 times more antioxidant potency and can be found in many health and wellness regimens. It can be ingested by drinking the traditional tea, adding a concentrated serum to other beverages, or taken through supplement capsules. When enough of the polyphenols in the tea reach the bloodstream, it’s believed the effects will be noticeable in the skin. However it must be drank often and in large quantities. A better way than just drinking the tea, is to apply it directly to the skin’s surface. Green tea is included in many of today’s anti-aging skin formulations because it slows the aging of cells, firms and tones, and calms and restores balance to stressed skin. Green tea is also found in body-care moisturizers, shower gels, facial toners, and treatment masks. Some wellness spas are even using green tea during facials to steam the face, which opens the pores and conveys the tea’s many benefits directly and deeply into the skin. However, when buying a commercial green tea product, it’s important to know that like many antioxidants, the polyphenols in green tea are oxidized and lose their activity when exposed to air. So it is not clear how much of their benefits are retained. The best way to ensure effective results is to brew the tea and make your own skincare preparations. Frozen fresh-brewed green tea can be stored as ice cubes, slightly thawed, and then used as a toner. Cloths soaked in chilled green tea are a wonderful remedy for inflammed skin, while warm compresses of fresh-brewed tea will open the pores and impart a healthy, natural radiance.

Rosacea and Acne Treatment
Some studies show green tea extract cream is an effective homeopathic treatment for the common skin-condition, rosacea. A study was presented at the annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting which showed women treated with green tea extract cream experienced a 70% improvement in rosacea, as opposed to women given a placebo. It was especially effective in reducing the redness and inflammation associated with the condition. Many rosacea patients are seeing their skin signifantly improve once adding green tea as a supplement to their prescription creams, gels, or oral antibiotics. Green tea may even help treat acne naturally, without the drying and irritating side-effects of benzoyl peroxide. Anyone with these skin conditions should discuss the benefits of using green tea with their dermatologist.