You look at yourself in the mirror and see a face ravaged with acne, you seem to always lose the battle even though you’ve tried almost every product that lays claim to getting rid of your acne. Time and again you get duped into buying something that is either too expensive or doesn’t even work. But all of those products pale in comparison to the natural and curative powers of green tea for clearing up the skin. Let’s check out these amazing homemade recipes and products to fix your acne problem!
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What is Green Tea?
There are a dizzying number of teas out there, going from black tea all the way to white tea, and somewhere between that range is green tea. Green tea originated in China and is particularly different because of it undergoing a different oxidation and withering process. This process is what makes green tea unique in the sense that it has retained much of its polyphenols and coveted nutrients. Because of this, green tea has gained its reputation all over the world for being one of the healthiest choices of teas out there, and has spawned products ranging from drinkable tea leaves to toners you can apply to your skin.
Health Benefits of Green Tea
The many health benefits of green tea can be primarily attributed to its abundance of Polyphenols. These are antioxidants which prevent free radicals from damaging the body, over time, these free radicals cause cancers in the body. An analogy to this would be in the form of rust found in the water of some faucets. In this case, rust is a direct result of free radical damage. Antioxidants prevent that rust from happening; think of antioxidants as the rust preventing agent within the body. Studies show that those who drink green tea on a regular basis have lower rates of cancer. But did you know that a certain type of polyphenol found in green tea called Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is primarily responsible for getting rid of that stubborn acne in your face. How EGCG works is that it inhibits and kills certain types of bacteria and is also known to lower inflammation and oil/sebum production in the pores of your skin.
Best Green Tea Products For Acne
What better way than to get all the nutritional benefits of green tea than by drinking it! Here are some brands of green tea currently available for you to enjoy:
Twinings Green Tea & Lemon
Try this Lemon infused green tea from Twinings for that added zest and benefit of Vitamin C to combat your acne.
Ito En Matcha Green Tea
Who better to make traditional Japanese tea than the Japanese themselves right? For that authentic Japanese green tea, try this Matcha Green Tea from Ito En for a lightly roasted flavor.
Lipton Pure Green Tea
Simple and straightforward, Lipton’s Green Tea has just the right balance for your daily fix of Green Tea goodness.
Yogi Tea Super Antioxidant Green Tea
Packed high in antioxidants, this Green tea variation from Yogi Tea should be one to consider if you are dealing with acne at the moment.
Harney & Sons Japanese Sencha
This Japanese green tea made by Harney & Sons should be the perfect blend for those wanting a uniquely Japanese experience to their tea.
Tips for Used Green Tea Bags
Don’t throw those teabags just yet! Did you know that those used teabags still have a lot of use? You’re tired and stressed and just had two cups of green tea. Now you’re starting to see that stress at work taking a toll on your wellbeing and are now having dark circles and puffy eyes. In order to remedy that, take the two teabags of green tea you just had and allow it to sufficiently cool. Place one teabag on each eye and leave it on for twenty to thirty minutes. It is recommended that you do this with your head tilted backwards or you laying in bed. Massage the teabags on your eyelids as you gently apply pressure to the area. You’ll surely notice a reduction of puffiness in your eyes.
Skincare Green Tea Products for Acne.
There are a host of products out there made with green tea that are dedicated to helping you keep your acne at bay.
Innisfree Green Tea Serum
Made from double-squeezed green tea leaves and green tea seed from Jeju Island, this serum from Innisfree is designed to deeply hydrate, moisturize and penetrate your pores from the gunk that eventually leads to acne. Designed for sensitive skin and enriched with 16 amino acids, this highly potent serum is rich in antioxidants and antibacterial properties and should be a great ally in combating acne.
St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub
This facial scrub from St. Ives was developed to unclog your pores of unwanted blackheads. Made with green tea extracts, the anti-inflammatory properties should calm and subdue the redness formed by acne-causing blackheads on your face. Address the root of acne by getting rid of your blackheads early on by using this deep-cleansing facial scrub.
Deoproce Green Tea Nourishing Cream
Deoproce Natural Skin is a highly effective nourishing cream containing green tea moisturizing elements to reach deep into your skin and to keep it hydrated and supple for much longer. It is suitable for all skin types and is recommended for those suffering from cracked and dry irritated skin. Cracked and dry skin leads to open pores which make it more vulnerable for dirt to get in and develop into acne. Prevent acne from ever growing by keeping those cracks in check and keeping your skin moisturized all throughout the day.
GNC Green Tea Complex Capsules
If you are constantly on the go and don’t seem to have the time for a skin ritual, try taking a healthy daily supplement of green tea capsules instead. Made with green tea leaves extract, this product from GNC comes packaged with 100 capsules each containing 500 milligrams. It supports a healthy metabolism for effective weight loss and more importantly, boasts of EGCG which should work well to eliminate acne by reducing sebum production in your pores.
Garnier 3-in-1 Balancing Moisturizer Mask with Green Tea
You normally apply a face mask as part of your nightly routine or generally before heading off to bed. This 3-in-1 moisturizing face mask from Garnier can be used twice a day. Made with green tea extracts, it acts as a moisturizer during the day and as a night mask to purify your facial pores and to halt oil production thereby reducing acne from appearing on your face.
Homemade Green Tea Facial Treatments for Acne
If you want take matters into your own hands however, here are some facial treatments you can make at home using green tea to help clear out acne:
Green Tea Facial Mask
After drinking your tea, don’t discard the tea bag. The used tea bag is essential for making your homemade green tea face mask. Start by tearing open the used tea bag and placing the spent leaves in a separate container, add around a tablespoon of baking soda and one tablespoon of honey. Mix the tea leaves, honey, and baking soda until it turns into a paste, if it is too thick, you may add just a bit of water. Apply the paste on your face and leave it on for around fifteen to twenty minutes. Make sure you have thoroughly cleaned your face first before applying on the mask to ensure maximum pore penetration.
Green Tea Steam Bath
Acne starts with clogged pores that is why facial treatments would start with a steam bath to open up one’s pores and allow all of the dirt that would cause breakouts to be removed. By the end of each treatment the pores are closed by using cold therapy, luckily, unclogging the pores can be easily done at home. Start by boiling water in a medium pot then transfer the water carefully into a large bowl. Cut open a green tea bag or use one to two tablespoons worth of loose green tea leaves and pour them in the bowl. Place your face close to within a few inches and feel the steam rise up from the bowl. It is recommended to drape a towel over your head to catch the steam going up from the bowl. Maintain your position for ten to twelve minutes or when you feel that your face has been sufficiently steamed. Follow it off by rinsing your face with cold water and gently rubbing an ice cube to close the pores.
Green Tea Facial Scrub
For this homemade facial scrub, you’ll be needing two tablespoons of dried loose green tea leaves or about two tea bags. Add the dried tea leaves into half a cup of olive oil, add one cup of finely granulated white or brown sugar as this will be the main catalyst for exfoliating your dead skin cells. Mix all the ingredients together and add about two tablespoons of honey into the mixture. Apply the mixture onto your face and massage for about thirty seconds without water. You may also use this mixture for other parts of your body that may have acne, apply and massage for the same amount of time as you’d do with your face then rinse off with water.
Green Tea Toner
For this, you’ll need to steep one teabag first in hot water for as long as you want, the longer the better. After steeping, let the tea cool sufficiently, a good half an hour should be enough. When it has cooled, transfer the tea into a spritz container and add about five to ten drops of essential oil of your preference such as peppermint oil, lavender oil, or tea tree oil. If you have an excessively oily face, tea tree oil works well to dry up the acne present. Apply the toner on your face with a cotton cloth after you’ve done your facial ritual. This should be the very last thing to apply on your face as you just leave the toner on to dry.
You might have always thought of green tea as simply a mundane drink to wind you down after a hearty meal or just one of those drinks to help get you through the day, and there’s good reason to believe that, given that a cup of green tea contains about 30 to 50 milligrams of caffeine which is about half the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee. You get that extra focus needed to get you started but without the jittery feeling you get from coffee. But, green tea is more than just that. Apart from being an effective detox and inhibiting agent for acne, is that it contains L-Theanine. This nutrient is responsible for giving your brain relaxation without the sedation or drowsiness most commonly associated with other relaxing agents. Green tea also helps to lower your blood pressure and burns fat by increasing metabolism and fat oxidation (essentially fat burning) in your body. Models have shown a decrease in new blood vessel formation within your fat stores, meaning that it literally takes away the vital nutrition for you to develop more fat. So with all the nutrients and health benefits of green tea, you now know why green tea can help clear out your acne breakout.
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