Today, green tea has become the favourite poster child of skincare brands. Face washes, shower gels, moisturisers—everything claims to have this ingredient and promises to work like magic for all your skin troubles. It might seem like overkill, but there is truth to this hype. Green tea benefits for face cannot be overstated. It is a powerful natural ingredient that is a blessing for acne-prone skin. Other kinds of inflammation, breakouts and impurities can also be eliminated by regularly using green tea for skin.
Let’s see what are some of the skin woes that green tea can help you deal with.
5 Important Benefits Of Green Tea For Skin & Face
The secret of why green tea is super beneficial for skin lies in its high concentration of antioxidants. They are compounds that act against oxidative radicals, which cause premature ageing and skin damage. These radicals are produced by the body itself and the antioxidants in green tea can neutralise them before they do significant damage.
Here are some benefits of green tea for skin that can help protect your skin while making it radiant.
1. Sebum Control
A lot of skin-related issues creep up due to excessive oil (or sebum) production. This oil clogs the pores, the skin is unable to breathe and in reaction, breaks out. Excessive oil production can be for several reasons, like:
- Over-cleansing
- Over-exfoliation
- Lack of moisturisation
Green tea can greatly help here. The tannins (which give it its bitter taste) present in it work to shrink pores and arrest sebum production. On regular use of green tea for face, the oiliness on your skin reduces and it gets a healthy glow.
2. Reduction In Inflammation
When used topically, green tea has a calming effect on inflammation caused by breakouts. So if you want to tame the redness and angry red acne on your face, green tea is a solid bet.
3. Reduction in Acne And Blackheads
Green tea not only calms but also heals the skin. Therefore, it works on treating active acne while preventing new ones from popping up. It also unclogs pores by controlling sebum production. This makes it effective against blackheads that are primarily caused by the blocking of pores. Using red wine for skin is another solution for getting rid of acne, blackheads and improving skin health.
4. Gentle Exfoliation
Regular exfoliation is necessary to activate cell rejuvenation and keep the skin supple. But it needs to be done with a gentle agent to avoid causing micro-tears or dehydration to the skin. For this, green tea is a good option. It is ever-so-gently abrasive and fine in texture. This means that it can scrub away the debris on your skin without being too harsh.
5. Slows Down Ageing
Using green tea for face can not only treat skin-related ailments, it can also help to rewind the clock on your skin. The antioxidants in it fight free radicals and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and age spots. So your skin becomes healthier and visibly youthful.
5 Simple Ways To Make The Best Of Green Tea For Skin
The maximum benefits of green tea for skin can be reaped by using it in the right way. You don’t have to opt for expensive products or professional treatments to do so. You can get the best of green tea for skincare by whipping up effective recipes in your kitchen.
1. Green Tea Face Wash
A great way to incorporate green tea into your daily skincare routine is with a gentle cleanser. You can follow this recipe to make your green tea face wash.
You Will Need:
- 2 green tea bags/1 tablespoon green tea powder
- Hot water (not hotter than 70-90 degree Celcius)
Method:
- Brew the green tea in the hot water by leaving the tea bags/powder in it for 5 minutes.
- Strain the liquid and let it cool.
- Pour it in a spray bottle and spritz all over your face.
- Let it dry on your face and then wash with cool water.
Use this cleanser twice every day and follow with a moisturiser. It helps unclog pores and control sebum production with regular use.
2. Green Tea Face Scrub
On the days that your skin feels rough or you notice dullness, a gentle green tea scrub can lend a healthy glow. It also rids your skin of dead cells, flakiness and pollutants.
You Will Need:
- 3 green tea bags/1½ tablespoon loose leaves
- 125 ml olive oil
- 250 gm granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Method:
- Take the loose leaves (cut open the tea bags if you are using those) and grind them up a bit to break down any large particles.
- Combine them with the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Apply this coarse mixture all over your face and neck, and gently massage in a circular motion.
- Give it a minute and then wash with cool water.
- Follow with moisturiser.
You can store the excess in an air-tight container and use over a week. It is advisable to be gentle while exfoliating, and not exfoliate more than twice a week.
3. Green Tea Face Pack
A luxurious face pack is a great step to add to your self-pampering session. It not only deep-cleanses the skin but also gently exfoliates. So your skin feels plump and renewed. If you are dealing with oiliness, dullness or breakouts, adding a green tea face pack can do wonders for your skin.
You Will Need:
- 2 tea bags/1 tablespoon green tea powder
- Dried orange peel powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
Method:
- Brew the tea and strain it. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Mix orange peel powder with honey in a bowl. You can make the orange powder at home by sun-drying fresh peels and then blitzing them to a fine powder.
- Next, add the cooled green tea water, little at a time, to get a paste-like consistency.
- Apply a thick layer all over the face, especially focusing on oily areas.
Leave it on for 10 minutes before washing with cool water. Don’t let the pack dry completely so that it cracks on your face. This can be too drying for the skin. Wash it while it’s still a little wet.
4. Green Tea Toner
Toner, in general, is a product that is used to close the pores after cleansing and exfoliating. It ensures that the pores do not become clogged leading to blackheads and prevents excessive oil production. The tannins present in green tea are ideal for this as they shrink pores and increase the effectiveness of a toner.
You Will Need:
- 2 green tea bags/1 tablespoon green tea powder
- Hot water
- 1 tablespoon rice
Method:
- Brew the green tea as indicated above and strain it in a bowl.
- Thoroughly wash a tablespoon of rice and add it to the liquid.
- Let the mixture sit for at least 4-6 hours (overnight is ideal). This will allow the rice to properly infuse into the green tea liquid.
- Strain the mixture in a spray bottle.
Along with the anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing benefits of green tea, rice water will provide a brightening effect to the face. Store this toner in the refrigerator for a cooling effect.
5. Green Tea Bags On Face
The anti-inflammatory properties work effectively against puffiness on the face or under the eyes. So if you had a long day at work or pulled an all-nighter during exams, green tea can help calm the dullness and puffiness of it all!
You Will Need:
- 2-3 tea bags
Method:
- Soak the tea bags in water (you don’t need to steep them).
- Place them in the freezer for 20 minutes. Don’t let them freeze.
- Take them out and place them under the eyes. You can also rub them across the puffy areas on your face.
- Remove them once the cooling effect is gone.
This also works well in calming down angry red acne for short-term relief.
Key Takeaways
- As with any DIY recipe involving a natural ingredient, remember that there are no one-night-wonders; be consistent with your skincare
- Figure out a skincare routine that works best for you and stick to it; give it at least 4 weeks to show results
- When using scrubs, cleansers or packs, be gentle on your skin; aggressively rubbing them on will not make them work better
- Green tea may not be suitable for every skin, so do a patch test on your inner arm to make sure
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Which is the best green tea for skin?
A. You don’t have to spend a fortune looking for an exotic green tea to use on your face. Just look for good, well-known brands available in India like,
- Lipton
- Tetley
- Tata Tea
You can buy it in tea bags, loose-leaf or powder and use it according to your recipe.
Q. What should I keep in mind while using green tea for skin?
A. Green tea is just like any other tea that needs to be steeped in hot water. Just keep in mind:
- Do not use piping hot water to steep the tea
- 3-5 minutes is enough time to steep green tea
- Make sure that you use unflavoured, pure green tea; any additives or flavorings may irritate the skin
- If using tea bags, make sure to remove the staple pin or get ones without it
- Remember to not use green tea as an essential oil directly on your face; the concentration of the active ingredient may be too high and be harmful to your skin