Green Tea for Beauty: 3 Ways to a Youthful Face via the Power of Natural Antioxidants

Green tea, a well-loved beverage throughout history, has proven its worth not only as a refreshing drink but also as a skincare essential. Packed with powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, green tea offers a myriad of benefits for achieving a beautiful face. 

Green and black tea are the two most consumed tea varieties on the planet. For one, China and Japan prefer green tea over black tea, while India, the US, and the UK choose black tea far more often than green.

While these two tea varieties undoubtedly come from Camella Sinensis leaves, both have different characteristics that suit consumers' tastes. Generally, if you want more caffeine, black tea is your choice cuppa, but if you put a premium on health, the antioxidants in green tea are tough to beat. 

In this article, we will explore the incredible properties of green tea and how incorporating it into your skincare routine can lead to a more radiant and youthful complexion — almost instantly. What’s more, we’ve included some gorgeous celebrities, such as Kendall Jenner, who’ve made a habit of green tea. Read on. 

The Power of Antioxidants 

The secret behind green tea's effectiveness in skincare lies in its high levels of antioxidants. These natural defenders protect our skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, and unstable molecules that can cause premature aging, inflammation, and even skin cancer. 

Green tea boasts a rich supply of a particular group of antioxidants called catechins, with the most potent variant being epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This powerful substance has been shown to neutralize free radicals, reduce inflammation, and even slow down the aging process.

Table 1: True Tea Antioxidant Capacity Comparison (200 mL distilled deionized water at 100°C for 2 min)

The COVID-19 pandemic brought people’s consciousness on health to a higher level. This is another reason why the adoption of green tea and true teas, in general, rose during and after the health scare slowly died down. 

3 Ways Green Tea Can Help Your Skin

As we grow old, it’s natural for our skin to lose its vigor. In effect, they sag and create wrinkles. It’s a process that affects everyone, even the best of us. 

And yet that doesn’t mean we are helpless in countering the workings of time. What will surprise you is nature has provided us with a way to keep our skin as supple and as youthful as ever. Top of the list is availing yourself of green tea and its powerful antioxidants. 

1. A Natural Anti-inflammatory

Green tea's anti-inflammatory properties go hand in hand with its antioxidant content. The EGCG present in green tea not only fights free radicals but also reduces inflammation, making it an excellent remedy for:

• redness
• puffiness
• and irritation 

Moreover, green tea contains tannins, which possess astringent properties that help tighten and tone the skin, reducing the appearance of large pores and promoting a more refined complexion.

2. Acne and Oil Control

For those struggling with acne-prone or oily skin, green tea can be a game changer. Research has shown that the polyphenols in green tea have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it effective in targeting acne-causing bacteria and reducing inflammation associated with breakouts. 

So powerful are green tea’s antimicrobial properties that research has shown it can be used to ward off known dangerous bacteria and viruses. It’s hard to believe, but some of these pathogens are shown in the table below.

Table 2: Pathogens that Green Tea Can Ward Off (National Institue of Health)

If that has not shown the powerful nature of green tea antioxidants, know the drink has been actively studied to fight the COVID-19 virus. And the results will surprise you. 

Green tea polyphenols, most especially EGCG, have been shown in research that they can effectively block the spread of SARS-CoV-2, more commonly known as the COVID-19 virus.

Additionally, there are numerous ways a cuppa can be your best ally in keeping your face as youthful as possible. Green tea helps regulate sebum production, essential for controlling excess oil and maintaining a balanced complexion.

3. UV Protection and Skin Repair

The benefits of green tea in skincare extend to UV protection and skin repair. Studies have demonstrated that green tea extract can help protect against UV-induced DNA damage and suppress inflammation caused by sun exposure. Furthermore, the antioxidants in green tea stimulate skin cell repair and regeneration, promoting a more youthful appearance.

Integrating Green Tea into Your Skincare Routine 

There are various ways to incorporate the benefits of green tea into your skincare regimen, both topically and through consumption. Here are some suggestions:

1. Green Tea Toner: Brew a cup of green tea, let it cool, and transfer it to a spray bottle. Use it as a refreshing facial mist or apply it to a cotton pad and gently sweep it across your face after cleansing.
2. Green Tea Face Mask: Mix a teaspoon of green tea powder with a tablespoon of honey and apply it to your face, leaving it on for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water. This mask will help soothe and revitalize your skin.
3. Green Tea Eye Treatment: Soak two green tea bags in cold water and place them over your closed eyes for 10 minutes. This treatment will help reduce puffiness and dark circles, leaving your eyes looking refreshed.
4. Drink Green Tea: Consuming green tea on a regular basis will provide your body with a healthy dose of antioxidants, supporting overall skin health from the inside out.

That sums up the way you can make the most of green tea. Well, beauty coming from the inside can definitely make you a stunner. It’s no accident making a habit out of drinking green tea can be a surefire way to a supple, more youthful face and skin. 

Green Tea Celebrities Galore 

A good example here is Kendall Jenner. The world’s highest-paid model (2017), worth millions of dollars, doesn’t stop consuming a cuppa of green tea daily. Reportedly, this sister of Kim Kardashian consumes as much as 12 cups of detox tea daily to keep her figure just about right. At the center of this beverage is green tea.  

But the 27-year-old stunner is not alone. Jennifer Lopez, who sports near-perfect, ageless skin, has also caught the green tea habit for years now. 

Not only does the Latina singer stay away from alcohol and maintains an active lifestyle, but J-Lo sips on green tea regularly, knowing it helps her skin glow. She confides doing so is definitely better for one’s skin than drinking conventional sugary drinks. 

Unsurprisingly, the same PT, David Kirsch, trains both global icons. Small wonder, both carry sculpted bodies and gorgeous faces that are to die for. 

Figure 2: World-famous Personalities Who Caught the Green Tea Habit

The list simply doesn’t stop there. Below are some of the world’s most prominent personalities to enjoy a cuppa of green tea every single day of their lives: 

Lady Gaga - The chart-topping singer loves green tea so much she brings fine china with her just about everywhere she goes. She confides tea tastes better in fine china and that the habit helped her quit smoking. 

President Barack Obama - America’s former commander-in-chief, has ditched coffee altogether and embraced the flavonoids from a cuppa of green tea. In fact, if there was a mug beside the POTUS in his interviews, it’s likely one from Camella Sinensis's leaves. 

Madonna - If there was a secret to the age-defying beauty of the greatest woman in music, drinking green tea is top of the list. Definitely. 

Elon Musk - It seems green tea is another well-kept secret of the tech billionaires. It’s reported the Tesla CEO works 100 hours a week. With a cuppa always at his side, Elon has made it doable. And he’s not alone. Sergey Brin, the Google co-founder, also makes it a point to drink green tea twice a day. 

Steve Jobs - The list of tech giants who have embraced green tea for their lifestyle is going longer by the day. Apple’s late founder used green tea as a caffeine fix and stress reducer. He loved it so much, one reporter wrote amazing things about him and his love for green tea.

“As we talked, he drank steaming hot water from a pint beer glass. [Steve Jobs] explained that when he ran out of tea one day, it dawned on him that he liked plain old hot water, too. “It’s soothing in the very same way,” he said.”

Taylor Swift - Well, if there’s one drink that makes the skin of the world-renowned singer glow, then green tea is it. It’s no accident the singer-songwriter sits atop the list of the most beautiful faces in music. Oh yes, she’s found love in L-theanine, one of the best ways to deal with anxiety from green tea.

You can also enjoy L-theanine and all the benefits of green tea through your regular bubble tea consumption. That way, you enjoy the beauty-enhancing nature of the drink and the merits of a calm mind.

Wrapping Things Up

In conclusion, green tea is a versatile and potent ingredient in the pursuit of a beautiful face. Harnessing the power of its antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and oil-control capabilities, green tea is the ultimate natural remedy for a radiant and youthful complexion. 

So why not try it and let your skin reap the benefits of this amazing elixir? Quite simply, the more you drink a cuppa green tea, the more youthful your face becomes. So drink up!

FAQs about Green Tea

What is the best time to drink green tea?

Green tea is best consumed in the morning with your breakfast or in the afternoon one to two hours after your meal. Consuming a cup in the evening is not advisable as the caffeine in the drink could throw your sleep routine into chaos. 

What is the difference between green tea and black tea?

Both green tea and black tea come from the same Camella Sinensis evergreen shrub but are processed differently. Green tea is the least oxidized, while black tea is the most oxidized. As a result, green tea has more antioxidant content while black tea has more caffeine content. 

Does America consume more black tea than green tea?

The majority of tea drinkers in America drink black tea, thanks to the caffeine boost, with 84% of tea drinkers choosing black in a 2019 survey. 

But the number of people getting a cuppa of green tea is increasing recently due to the emphasis on health. Green tea has more antioxidants and more and more people are attracted to health drinks during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In short, the growth rate of green tea adoption is increasingly bigger than that of black tea.

Green tea or black tea? Which is consumed more globally?

In Asia, green tea holds sway as Japan and China are green tea countries. All over the world, however, black tea is supreme as it corners over 75% of global tea consumption. Shelf life has a lot to do with this, as black tea lasts longer than green tea. 

Which tastes better: black tea or green tea?

Thanks to its longer oxidation, black tea has a much stronger taste compared to green tea. It usually comes out as bitter. If you want to taste a more natural flavor, then green tea is the way to go. However, if you want to get an immediate energy boost, black tea’s caffeine is spot-on.