Have you had a cup of green tea lately? In Japan, a cup of green tea is daily ritual. Green tea is known to prevent cancer as well as improve the functions of your brain, cardiovascular system, and skin, and support weight loss. It’s no coincidence that the Japanese have the lowest cancer rates in the world, are amongst the thinnest, and have the most translucent skins.
So, why is green tea good for your skin? Green tea is clinically proven to reduce sun damage, which is 80% of your skin aging causes.
While sunscreen is necessary to prevent serious damage from the sun, it’s inevitable that your skin will get some sun damage. Sunscreen is not perfect and unless you never see the sun, your skin will have some damage. For instance, the sunscreen you apply in the morning does not last till the afternoon. In addition, the amount you apply is probably only 1/3 of the suggested amount to provide full coverage. In other words, when sunscreen is tested for SPF (UVB protection) and PA (UVA protection), labs generally use 3 times more than the amount you use. Therefore, it’s very important to reduce sun damage after sun exposure. Green tea can help soothe this damage.
Also, green tea is great for preventing acne, thanks to its powerful anti-bacteria catechins. Hormone imbalances cause unnecessary pimples and green tea works to prevent and heal them.
Since green tea has such incredible healing properties for your skin, the Japanese love making fresh green tea masks. Here is how you can make Japanese green tea masks at home.
Ingredients: Green tea pack and yogurt. (Yogurt can be replaced by wheat diluted in water.)
Grind the green tea into small pieces. (If the pieces are too big, they can damage your skin so the smaller, the better.)
- Add yogurt.
- Stir green tea and yogurt together until thoroughly mixed.
- Apply to your skin for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Rinse before the mask starts to dry. (It’s very important to rinse before the mask gets dry because your skin’s moisture will evaporate as the mask dries.)
In addition to supplying the benefits green tea, this mask also has small grains to gently exfoliate your skin for healthier cell turnover.