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First, green tea applied topically appears to offer sun damage protection by scavenging free radicals and reducing inflammation (rather than by blocking UV rays). Which means green tea might enhance sun protection when used with titanium and zinc-oxide sun block.
One small study showed that topical green tea provided notable benefits against rosacea. In other studies green tea showed protective action against skin cancer in animals.
The bottom line is that green tea has well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, so it’s feasible that topical green tea polyphenols could slow certain signs of aging. More human studies are needed to prove if and how green tea might improve skin's appearance, but in the meantime, there are some common-sense ways to experiment with topical green tea.
TIPS
- Green tea polyphenols oxidize and lose their activity when exposed to air. Therefore, the potency of commercial green tea creams is hard to verify and varies widely product to product. DIY is the better way to go.
- Sun protection benefits of green tea are widely acknowledged. Why not swab your skin with brewed green tea before applying a sun block? Choose titanium and zinc-oxide based creams, since they are chemically inert and should not react with green tea or present the hazards of some chemical sunscreens.
- Freeze freshly brewed green tea as ice cubes and use them as a toner. (Just don't apply ice cubes to your skin right out of the freezer, let them start thawing first or you may get a freeze burn.)
- You can also drink lots of green tea or take green tea extract in capsules. It's good for you, anyway, and it's possible that enough of the polyphenols in your bloodstream might reach your skin to make a difference.
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