The Skin Benefits of Green Tea
Green is the new black.
When we think of superfoods, we often don’t realise green tea is one of the stars. Now green tea is also firmly establishing its position as a star skincare ingredient. Look through skincare aisles and you will see green tea high up on the component list especially around the K-Beauty section.
Green tea has all the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties to keep skin and hair healthy so before you start running for your kettle, here’s why you should seriously make green tea part of your daily skin routine:
Green tea can repair cells from sun damage
Most of us have felt the burn that comes with too much exposure to the sun. It’s painful, yes, and can also cause some serious long-term damage like premature aging and skin cancer. But what if I told you that sipping on green tea could help?
Research suggests that green tea’s potent polyphenols (also known as ‘catechins’) have chemopreventive and photoprotective qualities. This means drinking or applying green tea directly to your skin may help prevent UV light-induced skin disorders.
Now don’t get too excited because as amazing as green tea is for your skin, it is no substitute for sunscreen so keep slapping on that factor 50.
Green tea can help ward off the effects of pollution
Every single day all of us all come into contact with particle pollution. These particles are teeny-tiny solids and liquids secretly floating around the air we live, work and play in. As small as they are, these little particles can do a number on your skin.
The good news is that green tea contains one of the most potent polyphenols ever called epigallocatchin‐3‐gallate (let’s call it EGCG). EGCG works wonders by protecting the skin against all kinds of pollutants that cause premature aging, inflammation and a whole host of other skin invaders.
Green tea can help clear up your skin
Lucky for us, the amazing antioxidants found in green tea target all kinds of free radicals in our skin by attacking them on a cellular level reducing fine lines and dark spots. They work fast to help stop breakouts before they even start. (Bye bye acne)
These powerful antioxidants can also boost skin hydration by improving water retention and reducing transepidermal water loss so you can glow like you mean it.
Green tea can help slow the aging process
The rich amount of polyphenols in green tea delivers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to the skin, that can help to slow the aging process by maintaining the vitality of the skin and improving skin tone. (YES PLEASE) Green tea also decreases excess sebum production and reduces inflammation, to soothe and calm skin conditions like rosacea and psoriaris.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a cuppa and get your skin glow on.