Green tea’s antioxidants don’t just protect your skin from within. Green tea has many skin benefits when applied topically, too! Let’s take a closer look…

Note: This post is sponsored by iHerb though all thoughts and opinions are of course my own. I love partnering with this fantastic company – a longtime sponsor of Body Unburdened. Thank you for supporting the companies that make the work I do and this website possible!

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It’s no secret that green tea is loaded with healthy antioxidants. But did you know that they help keep your skin healthy and clear from within?

Polyphenols — the antioxidants in green tea — help reduce inflammation and protect cells from free radical damage, two of the biggest contributors to pre-mature aging and acne.

One of the most powerful polyphenols in green tea is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). Not only is EGCG a powerful antioxidant with anti-aging benefits, but it also blocks androgen receptors in the skin and helps sharpen insulin sensitivity. For these reasons, EGCG can be very helpful for reducing and managing hormonal acne.

And studies have found that drinking green tea protects the skin from damaging UV rays and so can even help prevent skin cancer. According to one study, drinking just two cups of green tea a day provides “protection against sunburn inflammation and potentially longer-term UVR-mediated damage.”

But green tea doesn’t just keep skin healthy from the inside out…

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Green tea is a powerful topical skincare ingredient, too.

The antioxidants in green tea protect skin from aging free radicals.

Just as drinking green tea fights free radicals and UV damage from within, applying green tea directly to the skin has the same effect.

Green tea’s also rich in vitamins B2 and E, both of which keep skin healthy and youthful looking — B2 is key for collagen production while vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that supports new skin cell growth.

Green tea also fights blemishes and keeps skin clear when applied topically.

Because all those antioxidants? They prevent the skin’s sebum or natural oils from oxidizing, a process that causes pores to clog and many believe to be a primary root cause of acne.

Plus, green tea has also specific antibacterial properties that help gently keep acne-causing bacteria under control (source).

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How can you add green tea to your skincare routine?

Many natural skincare companies have harnessed the power of green tea in their products!

It’s no surprise that we’re seeing green tea as an ingredient in more and more skincare products as its skin benefits are more widely known.

Some of my favorites:

• Madre Lab’s Camellia Care green tea face cream — SO extremely hydrating (works wonders for dry, flaky skin) and fragrance-free in addition to providing skin with a mega-dose of green tea
• Mad Hippie Hydrating Nutrient Mist — in addition to green tea, this hydrating facial mist contains a gentle form of vitamin C called sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which I love since it’s far less irritating than its cousin l-ascorbic acid
• Derma-E sun protection mineral powder — has the added sun-protecting benefits of green tea in addition to natural mineral sun-blocking ingredients
• Derma-E sensitive skin cleanser — cleans skin and removes makeup without stripping it of its protective oils, plus provides a wash of protective green tea!

And… you can also easily make your own DIY skincare products with green tea!

Masks, toners, serums, lotions… the possibilities are endless! All you really need to get started is some high-quality matcha green tea powder and liquid green tea extract (I prefer this alcohol-free option).

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3 All-Natural DIY Green Tea Skincare Recipes

DIY Matcha Honey Mud Mask

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp Aztec Secret bentonite clay
• 1/4 tsp matcha green tea powder
• 1/2 tsp aloe vera gel
• 1/2 tsp organic raw honey OR manuka honey

Makes 1 mask

Directions:

1. Mix bentonite clay, matcha, aloe vera gel, and honey together until a smooth and consistent paste.
2. Apply mask to clean, dry skin.
3. Let the mask sit for 1-15 minutes.
4. Wash off with warm water and follow with skincare routine as usual!

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DIY Hydrating Green Tea Rose Face Mist

Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz (15 mL) rose water
• 1 tsp aloe vera gel
• 12 drops green tea extract

Makes 1/2 oz (15 mL)

Directions:

1. Add the aloe vera gel, rose water, and green tea extract to a small (1/2 oz / 15 mL) glass spray bottle.
2. Place lid on bottle and shake to combine.
3. Spritz 3-4 times on clean, dry skin before following with serum, moisturizer

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DIY Antioxidant-Rich Green Tea Skin Serum

Ingredients:

• 1 oz (30 mL) aloe vera gel
• 24 drops green tea extract

Directions:

1. Add aloe gel and green tea extract to a small (1 oz / 30 mL) glass dropper bottle.
2. Place lid on bottle and shake to combine.
3. Apply 5-8 drops to clean, dry skin before following with moisturizer.

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Where can you grab all of these ingredients and save?

I picked up all of these goodies you see here from iHerb, one of my favorite online stores for healthy foods and natural products. Why do I love iHerb so much!? Well not only do they have a huge selection of products (over 30,000) they also have seriously amazing prices.

Not only do they have a great natural skincare selection, but they also offer a TON of high-quality green tea to protect skin from the inside out. Yogi’s green tea passion fruit matcha and green tea blueberry slim life taste AMAZING for those who prefer fruit flavors, while Traditional Medicinals has a number of fantastic herbal green tea combos with other skin benefits — green tea dandelion for detoxification / liver support (key for keeping hormones balanced and so hormonal acne away), green tea ginger for extra antioxidants and digestive health, and green tea peppermint for digestive health. Yogi’s green tea super antioxidant is also a staple in my pantry!

Plus iHerb is committed to providing quality assurance for their products (they actually ship directly from a climate controlled warehouse), guarantees the authenticity of all products (not sure if you know, but there’s actually quite a bit of supplement fraud out there these days!), and provides free or discounted shipping to over 150 countries around the world.

Just for Body Unburdened readers… 🙂 new and existing customers can get a discount (on top of iHerb’s already amazing prices!) on their order order with no minimum purchase by clicking here!

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Is green tea part of your healthy skin routine?

From the inside or out?

Let us know in the comments below!