Green Tea

Would you like to know the secret of many Chinese to having radiant, healthy skin? Besides the factors of genetics, a healthy lifestyle is your biggest asset to keeping your body and skin healthy – and make sure to include green tea.

Green tea is an ancient herbal beverage that the Chinese have been habitually drinking since 4,000 years ago. The average Chinese drinks around 5-7 cups of tea a day. Tea has a stimulating property attributed to caffeine. It also contains many substances known to help prevent heart disease, cancer, gum disease, helps in weight loss, and keep the skin healthy.

Green tea, black tea, and white tea (oolong) belong to the same plant. The different methods of harvesting and processing, which tea leaves are subjected to, result in the three types. However, green tea is the least processed among the three retaining more of the active properties of the plant.

What substances are in green tea that contributes to its medicinal properties?

Through many studies, scientists discovered that flavonoid phytochemicals called polyphenols (found in tea) help the body in fighting against free radicals by strengthening the antioxidant capabilities of cells. Polyphenols in tea are subtypes called catechins, and green tea is found to contain more catechins than other teas, or 25% compared to only 4% in black tea.

The only drawback is that previous studies had been conducted only on tissue cultures and animal subjects in laboratories, and are not indicators or proof of green tea's benefits in humans. Studies on humans are only based on statistical correlations linking tea consumption and the incidence of many types of diseases, but it is a good starting point for further clinical trials involving human subjects.

Green Tea Skin Care Benefits

Recent researches showed encouraging results in terms of skin care and green tea. Researchers suggest that green tea, as beverage or topical solution, has anti-aging properties. Even supermodels are convinced, making green tea the latest rage in fashion – as a drink, that is. You can also use green tea leaves as a gentle exfoliant and see what good it does on your skin.

Aside from the liver, your skin takes the brunt of the modern lifestyle – exposure to pollution, UV rays, smoking, synthetic lotions and creams, and a diet high in preservatives. All these increase the levels of free radicals in the blood and results to premature aging of the skin. Helping your body rid of free radicals will improve your skin's health dramatically.

Many of the anti-aging lotions and creams, today, use vitamins A, C, and E in their preparations but the recent discoveries on green tea skin care benefits has led many pharmaceutical companies to add green tea into their products. This doesn't warrant rushing to the nearest pharmacy and purchasing these products. You can start a green tea cleansing skin care regimen at home using free green tea leaves.

As soothing spritzer, steep 100g of green tea into 500mL of distilled water at room temperature for a minimum of one hour. Then, make sure to strain the liquor and place in a sterilized spritzer bottle, and it's ready to use. Applying a cotton pad soaked in the tea solution can be particularly soothing to tired eyes and dull skin. Green also has anti-bacterial properties making it suitable as a cleanser to minor cuts, insect bites, and rashes. You can even apply it to lessen facial blemishes.

When you consider it, the well-documented anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of green tea may slow down signs of aging, so it is likely to be effective in reducing wrinkles and sagging of skin. To protect your skin against UV rays, you can use green tea under a regular sunscreen, since it displays synergistic effects. Freezing brewed green tea may also be used as a toner, but careful not to apply the ice immediately. Wait until it thaws for a few minutes.

It may take decades for clinical studies to produce scientific results to support the benefits of green tea. For now, let this ancient Chinese tradition be your inspiration.