Green Tea Leaves

Green Tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis tea plant. Black and white teas also come from this plant.Green tea contains substances called catechins. These plant-based compounds, or polyphenols, have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic properties. They also attack free radicals.

Green tea is especially rich in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol that  has shown to improve acne and oily skin.

In addition to having anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, EGCG lowers lipid levels and is anti-androgenic, making it effective at reducing sebum (oil) excretions in the skin.

Androgens are hormones that the body produces naturally. High or fluctuating androgen levels stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. Excess sebum can clog pores and increase bacterial growth, causing hormonal acne. EGCG helps break this cycle.

There have been an increasing number of studies and trials investigating green tea and its extracts in the treatment of various dermatological diseases. Many studies are very promising and suggest the use of green tea as an effective therapeutic option in chronic, infectious, inflammatory, and hair disorders as well as a preventive tool not only against skin aging but also skin cancer. However, to date there are only a few studies on the use of green tea extracts with double‐blind, randomized approaches and large patient numbers. More studies are required in order to be able to determine the true efficacy of green tea‐derived treatment approaches in most dermatological diseases as well as their long‐term safety and tolerability.