There is lots of talk on the internet about green tea and its amazing healing properties for skin. Green tea can be a powder, loose leaf or come in tea bags. The highest quality green teas are said to be matcha or green tea powder as it has the highest concentration of antioxidants, compared to dried varieties.
What does the research say?
A large proportion of the research about green tea is coming out of South Korea, where is it is a popular ingredient in skincare. The antioxidant compound epigallocatechin gallate [EGCG] is meant to improve acne and decrease inflammation.
Green tea is known to be a soothing and antioxidant agent and it can be found in some Dermalogica skincare products.
The Non-Scientific Experiment
I have combination/oily skin that is breakout prone, so I decided to test the green tea theory. Skin takes a few weeks to turn over and I have been trying to include more green tea in my diet over the past few weeks. There is not much of a control and is not particularly scientific; this is just me giving green tea a go. Remember, this is anecdotal evidence!
My current skin routine includes:
- double cleansing
- exfoliating
- treatment/masque 2 times per week
- an oil free moisturiser
- a physical sunscreen.
The recommended daily intake of green tea is 300mg of EGCG, which means I would need around 4 cups of green tea per day to meet the minimum requirements. It should be made with boiling water, and steep tea bags for as long as possible if you are not using the powder.
I ordered some green tea powder from Kyoto to compliment green tea bags. The green tea powder tastes quite lovely if you don’t make strong, however; drinking four cups per day has been difficult and I have only managed 2 cups per day (1 of each). My skin has been fairly clear, and when acne has popped up it has subsided very quickly and has not been particularly painful.
Summary
Whether or not green tea is a miracle cure for my skin condition is impossible to say. Drinking enough green tea to get 300mg of ECCG is going to be difficult if you are busy with work or do not have access to tea making facilities. Including some green tea in your daily diet is achievable though and there are skin care products with green tea in them that may be beneficial.
Looking for acne solutions? Why not phone us today for a free skin assessment using Dermalogica Facemapping or contact your local doctor who will arrange for you to see a dermatologist. Contact us today!
