Sipping Your Way to Beautiful Skin with Tea

If green tea puts a bounce in your step, matcha hits the umami spot, or oolong has you feeling like you can beat the cold and flu season, take note: tea can also help you achieve the smooth, glowing skin you crave. Because many teas are packed with antioxidants and other powerful ingredients, they can help skin rid itself of toxins and encourage important activities like DNA repair. Which teas can help you achieve the smooth, clear, and luminous skin you crave?

Green Tea Rejuvenates Skin Cells

Research by Dr. Stephen Hsu - a renowned cell biology specialist at the Medical College of Georgia - has shown the many ways in which green tea can help you sport youthful looking skin. The secrets likes in this tea’s high polyphenol content. Polyphenols scavenge the free radicals that cause your skin to develop wrinkles, sag, and lose elasticity. In his research, Dr. Hsu found that when old skin cells are exposed to one specific green tea polyphenol, instead of dying, they begin to behave as though they were young, and start rapidly dividing, making DNA and producing more energy!

Green Tea also Battles Inflammation

If your skin type is dry, then you may also have conditions like psoriasis, whose symptoms include rad, flaky skin caused by the overproduction of skin cells. Green tea can help slow down the growth of skin cells, thus reducing the thick buildup of skin that causes itching and discomfort. Currently, scientists are looking for ways to create topical green tea solutions that do not oxidize when mixed with other ingredients.

White Tea Strengthens the Building Blocks of Skin

White tea is another potent youth booster. Research carried out at Kingston University in South London have shown that antioxidants in white tea protect the basic building blocks of skin - elastin and collagen. These promote skin elasticity and firmness and as we age, we naturally tend to lose them. Therefore, a bit of white tea support can help us remain looking younger longer.

Oolong vs Atopic Dermatitis

Oolong is a popular choice after a meal at Chinese restaurants, but the benefits of this tea go beyond its flavor, with one study showing that it can help manage atopic dermatitis. In the study, 63% of participants with dermatitis showed marked to moderate improvement of symptoms. The good news is that the benefits start showing up early - just one to two weeks after starting. Just place a 10 gram teabag into 100 ml of boiling water, allowing the tea to sit for five minutes. Divide into three portions, drinking one portion with each of your three daily meals.

Tea is not only energizing and packed with antioxidants that promote better heart health and stave off inflammation and aging, but it also helps to keep your skin looking young. From white tea as a powerful ally for the protection of collagen and elastin, to green tea and its ability to promote vital DNA creation, tea can work well alongside a healthy diet and a strict skincare routine. To make the most of its benefits, drink tea throughout the day and help your body rid itself of unwanted toxins while you are at it.

Thank you to freelance contributing author, blogger Jennifer Porter for this article!