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We tend to underestimate the importance of things when they’re too available. And when shopping for skincare, we go for the so-called rare commodities or some new exciting ingredient that sounds expensive and exotic. But if there’s one skincare ingredient that’s undeniably effective in doing what it’s said to do, it’s green tea. Green tea is an amazing antioxidant and deserves to be in your skincare routine. It does much more than just “depuff your eyes after a hangover”. The best green tea skincare products help with several skin concerns like aging, hyperpigmentation, irritation, acne, and more.
Besides, green tea is one of the safest skincare ingredients you can use on any type of skin. Usually, talking about an ingredient in the context of skincare is completely different than talking about it in the context of diet.
For example, vitamin C as a dietary supplement is gold for sure. But when vitamin C serums are concerned, you need to be extra cautious as it can be irritating and can react with other ingredients.
That’s not the case with green tea. All those benefits that come with drinking green tea also come with using green tea on your skin. That’s what makes green tea so gentle, safe, and uncomplicated.
Here you’ll find what green tea is, how to use it in your skincare, and the best green-tea-infused skincare products. Scroll down!
What is Green Tea?
Green tea is derived from the leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis (1). The compounds found in green tea are what make it so special and beneficial for your skin. Green tea mainly consists of 90% polyphenols. Polyphenols, a sea of compounds, are antioxidants by default (2).
They protect the skin from photodamage. The most important polyphenols found in green tea are catechins. And the most abundant catechin found in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate, aka EGCG (3).
The remaining 10% is mostly caffeine and amino acids. The fact that green tea is so rich in polyphenols makes it a unique source of antioxidants in skincare products.
The Benefits of Green Tea For Skin
It reduces signs of aging.
Free radicals caused by UV exposure or other factors speed aging and cause wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and inflammation. Because of its polyphenolic compounds, green tea is a powerful antioxidant (4).
It’s a free radical scavenger, meaning that it protects the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals. As an antioxidant, green tea protects several components of healthy skin including collagen, elastin, and lipids. As a result, green tea is majorly anti-aging.
It reduces redness.
Green tea is anti-inflammatory. It inhibits the activity of certain enzymes that lead to inflammation and redness. As a result, green tea reduces redness and soothes the skin. This makes it an amazing skincare ingredient for people with sensitive skin or rosacea.
It helps with acne.
Green tea polyphenols limit excess oil production. They’re also anti-bacterial (5). When you add the anti-inflammatory benefits into the mix, green tea reduces excess oil, prevents inflammation, and kills bacteria that may lead to acne.
It reduces puffiness.
The caffeine content found in green tea (6), combined with polyphenols, works as an astringent on the skin. As a result, green tea reduces puffiness on the skin. This is also how green tea improves the look of dark circles around the eyes.
How to Use Green Tea in Your Routine
Green tea is not a very expensive ingredient on its own. It can be found in almost all skincare products. But when you’re dealing with a multi-tasker, it’s best to look for targeted products.
As green tea helps with anything from acne to aging, look for green tea products that are more targeted toward your skin concerns. For example, if you want to use green tea for acne, look for products that also contain other anti-bacterial ingredients.
If you want to use it on sensitive skin that’s prone to redness, look for calming green tea products that also contain other soothers. And similarly, if you want to use green tea for its anti-aging benefits, look for serums and creams that have additional antioxidants.
The Best Green Tea Skincare Products
There are green tea-infused serums, creams, masks, and even cleansers for all skin concerns. Below are the best green tea skincare products.
1. Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence
OK. This is an absolute treat for the skin. This highly potent green tea essence is going to replace your daily anti-aging serum. The Korean essence is pure green tea to infuse the skin with antioxidants. The essence helps undo the skin damage from oxidative stress and promotes a healthier and softer complexion. If you want a super potent and minimal product, this is the best green tea serum/essence out there.
Key Ingredients: Green tea
Key Benefits: Minimizes signs of aging, brightens
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 2.37 oz/70 ml
2. Herbal Dynamics Beauty Revitage Antioxidant Transforming Night Cream
This is an amazing night cream powered by green tea in addition to vitamins E and A. The organic formulation contains hydrating squalane as well as soothing chamomile and cucumber. Plus, it has vitamin B3, aka niacinamide, to improve the skin barrier and enhance moisture retention. Nourishing watermelon and apple extracts make the night cream an antioxidant-packed treatment for night-long skincare. The cream moisturizes and erases free radical damage on the skin.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, squalane, niacinamide
Key Benefits: Moisturizes, supports skin barrier, calms skin
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free
3. Replenix Redness Reducing Triple AOX Cream
This is a superlight daily moisturizing cream that’s suitable for all skin types. It’s free of irritants but full of antioxidants. The cream hydrates with squalane and hyaluronic acid. And to double the effects of green tea, it has resveratrol. It’s another potent antioxidant that also brightens the skin. The lotion keeps the skin soft and plump and protects it against daily skin stressors like UV and pollution. If you’re not into anti-aging creams that contain irritating actives, this can be your new anti-wrinkle cream.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, resveratrol, caffeine
Key Benefits: Helps reverse free radical damage, softens signs of aging
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free
4. Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser
This one is perfect if you prefer a gentle cleanser for irritated skin or a potent anti-aging cleanser. Besides green tea, it’s packed with several other antioxidants from leafy greens. It’s a great facewash to prep your skin with nourishing antioxidants before moving on to your serums and creams. The gel cleanser won’t leave your skin red or tight. With its antioxidant-rich formula, you don’t need to go for harsh and exfoliating anti-aging cleansers.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, vitamin C, vitamin E
Key Benefits: Purifies skin without drying, calms
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 8 oz/237 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free
5. Herbivore Jasmine Green Tea Oil Control Toner
This is a toning mist to hydrate oily skin while helping with blemishes. It’s formulated with green tea as well as anti-inflammatory willow bark extract. Willow bark is a natural source of salicylic acid that treats and prevents acne and congestion. The green tea mist also contains anti-bacterial witch hazel. Plus, it has aloe to calm and hydrate oily skin. If you’re prone to acne and dealing with excess oil, this one will calm your skin and help you manage breakouts.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, willow bark extract
Key Benefits: Hydrates, calms inflammation
Suitable For: Oily, combination, acne-prone
Size: 4 oz/120 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, vegan
6. True Botanicals Renew Nutrient Mist
This is a super nourishing face mist that’s as potent as a face serum. The green tea face mist also packs white and black tea extracts. It’s a full-blown polyphenol fest to infuse the skin with antioxidants with every spritz. It’ll revive lackluster skin, protect your healthy collagen and elastin, and improve your skin’s overall health. The refreshing face mist also sets your makeup. The natural formula is one of the best green tea skincare products to collect those phenolic benefits.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, black tea, kombucha
Key Benefits: Replenishes skin, prevents free radical damage
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free
7. Patchology Moodpatch Perk Up Eye Gels
We all love a good morning tea bagging session -in the form of tea bags on puffy eyes of course. These are gel eye masks to depuff your eyes and reduce dark circles. Plus, the eye area could also use the antioxidant benefits of green tea to soften fine lines and lift the eye area. Use the under-eye patches to wake up tired-looking eyes.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, mulberry extract, licorice root extract
Key Benefits: Hydrates under-eyes, reduces puffiness
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1 pair
8. Neogen Dermalogy Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Green Tea
These peel pads give you gentle physical exfoliation on one side and green tea serum on the other side. You slide two fingers into the peel pads and gently buff away any flakiness on the skin. And when you flip the pad, you apply green tea serum all over your skin just like you’d apply toner with a pad. In addition to green tea, the pads are also soaked in soothing aloe, antioxidant Centella Asiatica, and hydrating hyaluronic acid. The green tea peel pads offer exfoliation in its gentlest form.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, Centella Asiatica
Key Benefits: Gently exfoliates, smooths and softens skin texture
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 30 pads
9. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
This is an amazing eye treatment to target dark circles and puffiness around the eyes. Plus, it’s the most affordable green tea serum out there! We’ve mentioned how green tea contains polyphenols like EGCG. This eye serum combines that with caffeine to better target those dark shadows under the eyes. Together, they reduce puffiness, reduce the visibility of dark circles, and give you a brighter appearance around the eyes. You can use the green tea serum all over your face too.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, caffeine, hyaluronic acid
Key Benefits: Reduces puffy eyes, minimizes dark circles
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, oil-free, vegan, cruelty-free
10. iS Clinical Hydra-Intensive Cooling Masque
Combining all that is polyphenolic, this one is a super nourishing anti-aging face mask. It also doubles as a leave-on treatment. It packs several free radical scavengers to target fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation on the skin. Green tea, resveratrol, and Centella Asiatica reverse the damaging effects of oxidative stress. As a result, the mask improves your skin tone and texture. Additional goodies include hyaluronic acid and aloe, making the mask an amazingly rich green tea skincare product.
Key Ingredients: Green tea, resveratrol, Centella Asiatica
Key Benefits: Cools and calms skin, hydrates, increases radiance
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 4 oz
So this is how green tea works in skincare and the best green tea serums and creams to get started on the trend. You can use green tea skincare products no matter your skin type and as often as twice daily. They’re that gentle! Plus, you can comfortably pair them with other ingredients such as vitamin C and retinol.
References:
- Prasanth, M. I., Sivamaruthi, B. S., Chaiyasut, C., & Tencomnao, T. (2019). A Review of the Role of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) in Antiphotoaging, Stress Resistance, Neuroprotection, and Autophagy. Nutrients, 11(2), 474. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11020474
- Pereira, D. M., Valentão, P., Pereira, J. A., & Andrade, P. B. (2009). Phenolics: From Chemistry to Biology. Molecules, 14(6), 2202–2211. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules14062202
- OyetakinWhite, P., Tribout, H., & Baron, E. (2012). Protective mechanisms of green tea polyphenols in skin. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2012, 560682. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/560682
- Poljšak, Borut & Dahmane, Raja & Godic, Aleksandar. (2013). Skin and antioxidants. Journal of cosmetic and laser therapy : official publication of the European Society for Laser Dermatology. 15. 10.3109/14764172.2012.758380.
- Kim, S., Park, T. H., Kim, W. I., Park, S., Kim, J. H., & Cho, M. K. (2021). The effects of green tea on acne vulgaris: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 35(1), 374–383. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6809
- Koch, W., Zagórska, J., Marzec, Z., & Kukula-Koch, W. (2019). Applications of Tea (Camellia sinensis) and its Active Constituents in Cosmetics. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(23), 4277. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24234277
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