Skincare Saturday: Green Tea
Illustrations by Joan Xiao @joan.xiaoo
Matcha and green tea are the same thing, right? WRONG! They come in different forms, have different tastes, but they both come from the same plant. Many people drink these for the benefits they provide, but they much more than just improve your health. Green tea has been found in many different skincare products, providing a variety of nutrients and improving your skin in ways you may not know. So I’ll be breaking down what green tea is and how it can benefit your skin.
Green tea (and matcha) both come from the same plant: Camellia Sinensis. Skincare products often list the Latin name as an ingredient rather than its common name. In a nutshell, it’s rich in antioxidants and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that all help improve and protect your skin. The antioxidants, specifically catechins and polyphenols, help neutralize free radicals that are found in the environment and produced from our own bodies. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea help prevent the growth of acne and reduce redness on your face. As you can see, green tea is not only good for our bodies but also for your skin. Here are some benefits that green tea provides your skin:
Innisfree Green Tea Serum
1. Reduce inflammation
The antioxidants in green tea can greatly reduce inflammation, thus reducing the amount of redness on your skin. The anti-inflammatory properties of green tea have helped fight off a variety of skin disorders such as rosacea, psoriasis, acne, and many more.
Innisfree My Real Squeeze Mask
2. Slow down aging
Neogen Real Fresh Green Tea Foam Cleanser
As I said earlier, antioxidants help fight off free radicals, keeping our skin in its youthful and healthy state. Free radicals cause wrinkles and age spots that appear on the surface of our skin, so antioxidants help protect our skin cells by fighting off these free radicals.
3. Reduce oiliness on our skin
Green tea contains tannins, a type of polyphenol, that is astringent so it tightens and shrinks our pores, reducing sebum (our bodies’ natural skin oil) production. This leaves a less oily complexion on our skin.
4. Provides sun protection
Once again, green tea is full of antioxidants! UV rays from the sun are one of the main creators of free radicals, which can damage our skin cells and create unwanted skin issues. The antioxidants in green tea help fight off the free radicals, protecting our skin from damage, but not completely blocking UV rays. Remember to always wear sunscreen when going out and about!
5. Help reduce acne and blackheads
Green tea’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties help kill off unwanted bacteria that create pimples on your skin. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a catechin that can help reduce the production of sebum and oil which often causes acne to appear.
Innisfree Green Tea Balancing EX
