• Green Tea

Green Tea

I really enjoy a cup of green tea. Apart from it being a tasty drink, this ingredient has an absolute proven track record in scientific literature! There is no doubt about the fact that green tea can have a positive effect on your skin…

 

The effects

The ECGC (Polyphenol) in green tea is responsible for the positive effect on skin. ECGC has two important properties:

  • It is anti-inflammatory (stops inflammation)
  • It prevents skin damage after exposure to the sun

And for wrinkles?

Green tea extract (2-3%) helps prevent the onset of wrinkles. The reason behind this is that green tea can prevent skin damage after exposure to sunlight (photoprotective effect). I’ve mentioned before in my blog that 90% of ageing of the skin arises due to exposure to the sun!

There is no existing evidence that tea can reduce wrinkles. What has been discovered from scientific research is that the proportion of elastin increases when green tea (in high concentrations) is taken orally. Theoretically an increase in elastin can improve the elasticity and resilience of the skin.

Some snakes in the grass

It all sounds great, but there are some reservations. Whenever you see green tea extract in an ingredients list the active ingredient in this extract can vary between 0 until around 98%. So you don’t know if you have mainly water (0%), or really the active component in your product. If you buy a product this information is not normally mentioned. You do realise that an extract with a high concentration of ECGC is more expensive than a similar extract with a low concentration of ECGC!

The marvellous effects of green tea such as here above written are only useful if there are sufficient concentrations of its extract in your product. Unfortunately there is far too often talk of “angel dusting“.

Very unstable; it reacts with water and oxygen

In studies on the positive effects of ECGC on the skin, reference is made to the “fresh” and active component ECGC. ECGC is highly unstable, which means that it oxides if it comes into contact with water and or oxygen. So it then becomes ineffective. Do you have a day cream containing green tea in a pot? Well once this is opened the air gets in…

Mustard colour

The colour of green tea extract is brown. If the advised amount of extract is added to your product (at least 2%) it means that your product will have a mustardy colour. And people simply do not wish to rub “mustard” onto their faces! There is actually a white green tea extract available, but once added, it will also make your product turn brown in no time.

So although in theory it is an absolutely top ingredient, in practice there are some pitfalls involved. Fortunately green tea has so much potential that people keep searching for a way in which this substance can be effective in cosmetic products.

If you want to know more then take a moment to read this review article.

Have a good weekend and regards Jetske.

(Dr. Jetske Ultee-Research Physician Cosmetic Dermatology)

You can also read about effectiveness of anti-oxidants in a cream,
Vitamin CNiacinamide and green cosmetics.

No Comments

↓Klik om reacties te tonen
↓Klik om te verbergen
    Can you find the answer to your questions on my blog? If not, please don’t hesitate to contact my team, they are happy to help you!