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Ingredients

Green tea: The most studied antioxidant

Posted by Lara Schimweg on
Grüner Tee

INCI:

Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract

Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water (Green Tea)

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder

Effect: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, prevents skin cancer

Tolerability: very good

Green tea is a product made from the tea plant Camellia Sinensis . It can be used as a food and as a cosmetic ingredient .


Green tea should be included in at least one skin care product in a care routine for sensitive skin, acne, rosacea/couperosis , neurodermatitis or other inflammations. No other ingredient can replace green tea because green tea is so versatile and has been very well researched.


Green tea differs from other types of tea, such as black or white tea, in the way it is processed. Matcha is a special form of green tea, a finely ground green tea powder that has an even stronger antioxidant effect due to special shading during cultivation.


Green tea can be used in many ways: as a tea infusion or matcha to drink, as matcha in food and as an active ingredient in cosmetics. This article is about the use of green tea as an ingredient in cosmetic products . The INCI name for tea is Camellia Sinensis . An addition in brackets can indicate which type of tea it is.

Green Tea: Effects

Green tea extract is the most studied antioxidant in skin care. Its effects have been proven in numerous scientific studies. Green tea extract is very well tolerated by the skin and is therefore an ideal active ingredient, especially for people with skin problems. Green tea is so special because it is naturally rich in polyphenols. To be more precise, green tea contains many catechins. There are four main types of catechins: the most common and active is EGCG (EpiGalloCatechin Gallate). Other important types are ECG (EpiCatechin Gallate), GCG (GalloCatechin Gallate) and EGC (EpiGallo Catechin).

Green tea as an antioxidant

The polyphenols in green tea are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants capture free radicals that cause skin stress, skin aging and inflammation. The less stress your skin has, the firmer and healthier it is. Studies have shown that green tea reduces UV-related skin irritation and redness (erythema). Green tea extract can also reduce the number of sunburn cells. This is why green tea is particularly good in your daily products.


Matcha contains even more EGCG and therefore has an even stronger antioxidant effect than green tea.

And when skin is stressed, sensitive skin can hardly get enough antioxidants. That's why Matach is the highest quality green tea your skin can get.


Green tea prevents skin cancer

Green tea has a preventive effect due to its strong antioxidant effect, meaning that sun rays cannot cause as much damage. However, a serum or cream with green tea is no substitute for sunscreen . However, it is a great supplement during the day to keep the skin young in the long term and protect it from damage.

Green tea can inhibit DNA damage and activates some enzymes that support DNA repair. This is why green tea is useful for preventing non-melanoma skin cancer. Green tea makes a lot of sense in skin care, especially if you have a high risk of skin cancer. You can tell whether your risk of skin cancer is high by the following characteristics:

  • fair skin
  • skin cancer in the family
  • blue or green eyes
  • frequent previous sunburns
  • certain types of moles (best to discuss with a dermatologist)

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Green tea has anti-inflammatory effects

Inflammation is a natural process in the skin and does not have to be bad. Inflammation shows that the immune system is reacting adequately to protect itself when it is attacked. However, if inflammation gets out of hand, it can fuel skin aging, skin diseases and other skin damage. The catechins naturally contained in green tea are not only amazing antioxidants, but also have an anti-inflammatory effect. For this reason, green tea is particularly beneficial for people with skin diseases such as acne, rosacea/couperosis, neurodermatitis, psoriasis or other skin problems that are associated with chronic skin inflammation.

Green tea has antimicrobial effects

Did you know? Green tea has an antimicrobial effect against some unpleasant bacteria. This property is particularly interesting for people whose skin is prone to acne. Atopic dermatitis also improves with skin care containing green tea.

Differentiation of tea varieties in the INCI list:

The INCI for all types of tea is “Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract ” or “ Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder” for tea extract or “Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water” for a tea infusion, regardless of whether it contains green, white or black tea. You can only tell which type of tea it is if the manufacturer states this in brackets in English, e.g. “Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract” for green tea extract or “Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water (Green Tea)” for a green tea infusion.

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Note: If there is green tea extract in your skin care product, it can always appear a little brownish. This is not a bad sign, but a good one. Because the natural green color of green tea always appears as a green-brown color in the product.

Camellia Sinensis: Cultivation and Harvesting of Green Tea

Green tea is produced using a special drying process directly after harvest. This ensures that the green tea contains its active ingredients.

The most delicate tea leaves are harvested in spring. At this time of year, the leaves have the highest content of high-quality vitamins, minerals and flavors. After harvesting, they are laid out on wilting mats to dry. In the process, they lose a lot of moisture.

tea plant
Tea plant Camellia Sinensis; Photo by Rashid on Unsplash

After drying (wilting), the tea leaves are briefly heated, roasted or steamed. This closes the leaf pores and the leaf cannot oxidize. This prevents the leaf from disintegrating and losing its active ingredients. In order to remove any remaining moisture from the tea leaves after cooling, the briefly heated leaves are rolled. Finally, the green tea leaves are dried in a hot air oven so that the leaves hardly contain any residual moisture at the end. The dry product can now be used in food and cosmetics as desired.

cultivation of matcha

matcha powder

Matcha is made from the same plant as green tea - Camellia Sinensis. However, it contains a significantly higher amount of EGCG . The greener the pure matcha powder is in its raw state, the better the quality. The higher the quality, the more expensive. The differences in quality of matcha are evident in the antioxidant effect and the amount of EGCG.

The tea plants are protected from bright sunlight three to four weeks before harvest time. From the beginning of May, the fields are covered with bamboo, straw mats or fabric nets so that the green tea plants can continue to grow in the shade. This promotes the formation of chlorophyll and ultimately gives Matcha its natural green color that is so attractive. In contrast to normally harvested green tea, the leaves grow a full two months longer if Matcha is to be made from them. The shade allows the green tea to produce more tannins. This also leads to the slightly bitter taste of Matcha compared to green tea. The amount of natural tannins makes Matcha so anti-inflammatory and strongly antioxidant.

The more stress the green tea is under due to shading during the growth phase, the more antioxidants it produces to protect itself.

Skin Care with Green Tea

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