Why Green Tea Should Be Your Go-To Ingredient for Hydrating Skin

Green Tea has lately become very popular due to the multi-fold benefits that it possesses and people all over the world rejoice having it every now and then or even on a daily basis as a “Health Tonic.” Undoubtedly, Green Tea is the elixir of our lives and a superstar ingredient that we must definitely include in our routine. It has been the most popular beverage and was discovered by the Japanese monks on their visit to China. But the health and skin care benefits that it naturally imbibes is the reason that’s making people go gaga to incorporate Green Tea in their daily life. 

Apart from helping in digestion, speeding up the metabolism process, and resolving gut issues, Green Tea is also an excellent ingredient to use for skin care and promotes overall well-being. Green Tea is an unfermented tea leaf wherein the anti-oxidants remain intact. These miraculous Green Tea leaves help to fight radical damage in cells. This in turn, helps our body heal and repair itself from external damages and illnesses, thus it also helps in boosting the immune system. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of Green Tea for skincare and in general wellness.

Green Tea Benefits for Skin and Overall Wellness:

There are several reasons why our body loves and craves Green Tea but today let’s get to know more of Green Tea benefits for skin and health, in general.

How to use Green Tea for face:

• Nourishes & Hydrates the Skin: The hydrating and nourishing benefits of the Green Tea comes from its ability to prevent free radicals. It also consists of antioxidants, proteins, amino acids which helps balance the skin’s pH levels and retain moisture to hydrate the skin all day long.

• Reduces Redness & Irritation: Green Tea consists of anti-inflammatory properties due to the high content of polyphenols called catechins present therein. The catechins in Green Tea reduce irritation, redness, and swelling on the skin. For this reason, Green Tea is often added to skincare products that address the skin issues including major skin problems like eczema, and psoriasis.

• Prevents Acne & Blemishes: With its potent anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, Green Tea targets acne-causing bacteria. The polyphenols present are loaded with antioxidants which prevents production of sebum that clogs pore and results in breakouts and blemishes. Green Tea prevents and fights acne and blemishes and effectively soothes the skin.

• Prevents Premature Aging: Enriched with polyphenols called catechins, green tea neutralizes free radicals, which breaks down the collagen and elastin that results in aging. As a potent antioxidant, Green Tea fights against collagen breakdown and uneven tone, and it increases the skin's ability to defend against early signs of ageing, wrinkles, and dark spots. 

• Boosts Elasticity of Skin: By boosting the collagen production, Green Tea enhances the skin’s elasticity and helps maintain a firm and toned skin. Regular use of Green Tea benefits for skin in maintaining the skin’s supple and toned look.

• Reduces Open Pores: Loaded with the goodness of astringent properties and collagen, Green Tea makes the skin look firm and toned which automatically shrinks the pores and reduces the appearance of enlarged pores, and also controls the excessive oil production.

• Brightens the Skin Complexion:  Due to the presence of vitamin B12 in Green Tea, it aids in maintaining the youthful structure of the skin. It also helps reduce blemishes, scars, and fades dark spots by reducing the pigmentation and even out the skin to give a radiant and youthful glow naturally.

• Protection Against Sun Damage: With antioxidants present in Green Tea, it helps in reducing the risk of sunburns, tanning, hyperpigmentation and offers protection against the harmful UV rays. Green Tea also works to protect the skin from sun damages and burns.

• Treats Puffy Eyes & Dark Circles: Green Tea is loaded with caffeine and tannins, two potent essential nutrients that help shrink the blood vessels and reduce puffiness of the eyes. This eventually helps in reducing the dark circles and gives a more youthful glow.

Health Benefits of Green Tea: Green Tea is being consumed excessively not just for skin benefits but also for uplifting the overall well being of oneself. Let’s explore the health benefits that Green Tea offers:

• Supports Gut Health: It is the thumb rule that if your gut is alright, then so is your skin and health. Green Tea is an excellent source to improve digestion. It is known to increase fat oxidation and improve metabolic rate to stimulate the digestive process.

• Aids in Weight Loss: The catechins in Green Tea, especially EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) helps to burn the excessive calories in your body. Also, the speeding of the metabolism helps in weight management.

• Supports Heart Health: The antioxidants help in reducing the LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increasing in the HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Thus, the balanced cholesterol levels significantly help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and supports heart health.

• Supports Brain Functioning: Green Tea consists of amino acid L-theanine which works effectively in improving the brain functioning that includes enhancement of concentration power, focus, and relaxation for better functioning.

• Reduce risk of Cancer: The polyphenols in Green Tea help significantly to reduce the risk of various types of cancer, including breast, prostate, skin, and colorectal cancer. Also, the antioxidants present in Green Tea help to restrict the growth of cancer-causing cells and may even improve the efficacy of certain cancer treatments.

10 Ways to Incorporate Green Tea into Your Daily Life

As mentioned above, the multiple benefits of Green Tea, you should certainly adopt it in your routine by not just consuming it as a tea but in versatile ways listed below:

1. Make it as a Tea: The most common way to incorporate Green Tea is to mix it with warm water and a dash of honey (optional). If you drink it in the morning it will start showing positive results within a few days of consuming it.

2. Add to Smoothies: Add Green Tea to your regular banana or oats smoothie to enhance the flavor and benefits of a regular smoothie. It can be a great power-packed option to have before heading out for a workout.

3. Adopt Green Tea in your Skincare Routine: Incorporate Green Tea based or infused moisturizers, serums, or toners to be used daily in your skincare regimen. Green tea extract is easily absorbed into the skin and can provide hydration and antioxidant protection throughout the day.

4. Green Tea Mask: Make a Green Tea DIY mask by mixing Green Tea leaves or brewed tea with ingredients like honey or yogurt. Apply it to your face for 10-15 minutes and rinse with cold water to get a radiant glow.

5. Green Tea Supplements: Use supplements with Green Tea extracts to ensure you are getting your daily dose of antioxidants.

6. Green Tea Ice Cubes: Fill ice trays with water infused with brewed Green Tea and rub it all over the face to instantly get rid of puffy eyes and swollen face.

7. Green Tea Bath Soak: Add a few Green Tea bags to your bath water to experience a relaxing and soothing bath in order to reduce inflammation, rashes, redness of the skin.

8. Green Tea for Hair Rinse: After shampooing, rinse your hair with Green Tea infused cold water. It helps reduce scalp itchiness, stimulate hair growth, reduce hair fall and dandruff.

9. Cook Meals using Green Tea: Incorporate Green Tea in your meals. Use Green Tea or matcha powder to bake cakes, cookies for health benefits and add unique flavor to the dish or desserts.

10. Green Tea Infused Water: Hydrate yourself throughout the day with Green Tea infused water. First brew a pot of Green Tea, let it cool, and infuse it with slices of cucumber, lemon, or mint leaves for a refreshing, detoxifying drink and sip it throughout the day and stay hydrated.

Shankara’s Balance Moisturizer with Green Tea Extracts:

Balance Moisturizer is a feather-light formulation that easily absorbs in the skin to balance, nourish and refresh the Kapha (Oily) skin. Infused with natural and potent ingredients like Green Tea & Bitter Orange, the moisturizer gives long-lasting hydration without making your skin look greasy. It also balances sebum production and stimulates blood circulation. Balance Moisturizer promotes cell regeneration and oxygenation of skin making it look youthful and radiant. The Green Tea extracts present here in the Balance Moisturizer helps effectively to tone and soothe the skin.