Most of us are vaguely familiar with the healing properties of drinking green tea, like the fact that it can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, but we you may not be as familiar with what it can do for your skin.
Green tea skin care products are readily available all over the world and this article looks at the benefits of using them.
Green tea skin care products are reported to do the following for your epidermis:
- Delays Skin Cell Aging
- Soothes and Heals Stressed Skin
- Firms Skin and Balances Tone
- Helps Prevent and Repair Sun Damage
Green tea contains a compound called EGCG which is a powerful antioxidant which restores, protects and heals skin. The chemical is what you would call a cell rejuvenator because it has the power to restore collagen, which is the basic building block of skin. Anecdotal reports include claims that people skins have become firmer and resilient as well as a decrease in wrinkles and age lines.
Green tea as an anti oxidant
With regards to its protection of the skin EGCG is not only a cell rejuvenator but an anti-oxidant as well. Antioxidants help to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, toxic molecules, caused by things like sun exposure, pollution and smoke, and certain foods. Free radicals can inflame cells and damage skin, as well as cause irreparable cellular damage. They contribute to the development of lines, wrinkles, brown spots and a loss of elasticity in the skin.
Studies have shown that EGCG is twenty times more powerful at eliminating free-radicals than Vitamin C and 200 times more powerful than Vitamin E (which is most commonly found in skin care products). By anti-oxidizing the skin it not only repairs damaged skin but also prevents further damage; delaying the signs of ageing.
The last of the benefits of green tea for your skin is EGCG’s healing properties. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, soothing the skin keeping it calm and balanced. Tests have resulted in a more even skin tone, soothing from irritation and a reduction in redness.
If you thought it was only healthy to drink green tea then think again. The amazing properties of EGCG when applied externally do as much good as when they are ingested internally. Found all over the world and readily available green tea and derived skin care products should be an integral weapon in your arsenal of disease prevention, and if it makes you look a few years younger, well that’s ok too.