A cup of tea is a perfect pick-me-up in the afternoon, but did you know it can also do wonders for your skin? From antioxidant-rich green tea to soothing rooibos, different tea varieties offer distinct benefits for the skin, whether sipped as a daily ritual or applied directly through serums and cleansers. Each type brings its own blend of polyphenols, antioxidants and hydrating compounds to support a smoother more resilient looking complexion.
"Tea" Takeaways
- Tea varieties like green, white and black tea contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that support a more hydrated, smoother-looking complexion.
- Different teas suit different skin types, with green and white tea working well for dry or sensitive skin, and matcha or kombucha better suited to oily or acne-prone skin.
- Tea can be worked into a skin care routine both topically through serums and cleansers or as a beverage, doubling its benefits for the skin.
What Are the Benefits of Tea for Skin?
Tea contains bioactive compounds that have been scientifically proven to hydrate skin and protect it from aging and environmental damage, both as skin care ingredients and when sipped. Antioxidant tea polysaccharides fight free radicals and absorb and retain moisture. Tea polyphenols protect skin by absorbing ultraviolet radiation and diverting it from doing epidermal damage. They penetrate deep into the skin, putting up roadblocks around destructive enzymes that work against the skin’s “body-building” collagen and elastin. They also protect your skin’s hydration by boosting hyaluronic acid, while their anti-inflammatory activities improve microcirculation. So, we've established that this drink is your skin's best friend. Now we'll spill the tea on which blends can help, whether you're drinking them or applying them topically.
Green Tea
A perfect accompaniment to sushi, green tea is grown mostly in Japan. Green tea leaves are harvested, withered and steamed so that they stay green and unoxidized. There is an abundance of good things for the complexion in this type of tea, especially EGCG, a polyphenolic compound that is a powerhouse for the skin.
This compound is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It also protects against the redness that UVB rays produce and is being studied for its role in healing wounds and lessening scarring. Plus, EGCG has a remarkable ability to get inside the skin and stay there, mostly in the stratum corneum, where it actively moisturizes and smooths skin roughness and wrinkles.
Matcha Tea
Another Japanese export, matcha tea is green in color, but grown differently from regular green tea. About a month before harvesting, it is covered from direct sunlight to increase chlorophyll and amino acid levels. Intensely nourishing, matcha tea powder is regenerative for tired, damaged skin that is low on oxygen. It also fights inflammation and protects skin from harmful free radicals.
White Tea
Young tea buds and leaves are harvested only once a year in early spring to make white teas like Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) and Yin Zhen Bai Hao (Silver Needle). The leaves and buds are minimally processed — not oxidized or rolled — which means that nothing has been bruised or twisted to damage cell walls and release the plant’s juices. As well as having strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, white tea extracts in skin care products are believed to boost hyaluronic acid action for a plumper, more hydrated-looking complexion.
Black Tea
Black tea, like pu’er from China’s Yunnan province, is the most oxidized of the teas because it is produced from leaves that are harvested, dried, rolled, ground and fermented. Black tea extracts are new to the skin care game and their tannins appear to protect skin from environmental damage as well as perform antibacterial, nourishing and hydrating functions. Other teas do that as well, but black tea has one feature the others don’t: caffeine. Caffeine in skin creams stimulates microcirculation and helps reduce the appearance of puffiness under the eyes.
Rooibos
Another potent elixir for the skin, rooibos tea is packed with antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals, fight premature aging and reduce inflammation from the inside out. This hydrating beverage may help calm inflammatory conditions like acne and eczema.
It also contains natural alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and zinc, which gently exfoliate when used topically and regulate oil production to keep breakouts at bay. Once cooled, a strong cup of rooibos can be used as a toner or a refreshing facial mist that balances pH, reduces the look of redness and calms environmental stress on the skin.
Kombucha
A by-product of black tea, kombucha is produced by fermenting black tea with sugar, yeast and bacteria. As a beverage, probiotic kombucha builds an ideal bacterial environment in the gut that aids digestion. And it can do something similar for your skin. According to dermatologist Dendy Engelman, kombucha “… is excellent for balancing the skin’s microbiome by promoting a healthy ratio of good bacteria.” This is great if you are prone to acne or rosacea. Kombucha is also a natural exfoliant and antioxidant.
Darjeeling Tea
Often referred to as the “Champagne of teas,” true Darjeeling is grown exclusively in select tea plantations at the foothills of the Himalayas spread across the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. Darjeeling tea is grown at some of the highest elevations of any tea in the world, and it is the altitude that creates an ideal environment for the tea plant, giving these teas a unique flavor and aroma. The natural antioxidant properties found in Darjeeling tea can promote healthy skin, while the polyphenols are known to combat inflammation.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea offers incredible skin benefits both from the inside out and topically. Drinking it reduces systemic stress and delivers antioxidants that fight premature aging. When applied topically, its potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties soothe redness, calm eczema, and help fight acne breakouts. Our Calm Skin Chamomile products soothe, balance and hydrate dry, irritated skin.
Pineapple Tea
One more tea that is making its name in the beauty world is pineapple tea! It is made by boiling pineapple rinds to extract an enzyme called bromelain that is very helpful for digestion but also has exfoliating properties for the skin — which makes pineapple tea a rising beauty star on social media. Bromelain dissolves the proteins that bind together dead skin cells with minimal irritation for clear, radiant skin. If you’re looking for the benefits of bromelain, our Pineapple Refining Tonique is where you’ll find them.
Tea for Different Skin Types
Dry Skin
Tea-infused products in your daily beauty routine can really up your skin’s game, and there seems to be a type of tea for every type of complexion. Those with dry skin that is sensitive to pollution, cigarette smoke and the sun’s UVA and UVB rays should look to beauty products with extracts of hydrating green tea, white tea and oxygen-revitalizing matcha tea.
Oily Skin
Oily skin that is prone to acne will respond well to products with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory extracts of matcha, kombucha or white tea that detox the skin. Or try green tea, which is known to reduce the production of sebum.
Sensitive Skin
Due to its minimal processing, white tea is both very gentle and highly moisturizing for sensitive skin. Green tea is also calming to sensitive skin and rooibos is hypoallergenic, making it a soothing elixir for red or itchy skin.
Mature Skin
Mature skin can benefit from black tea, which helps plump the appearance of skin, while green tea helps retain moisture. White tea will also gently plump and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Any of these varieties will suit your skin to a "tea."
Tea Ritual
Rich in microbiome-balancing kombucha and white tea, nourishing Kombucha Microbiome Foaming Cleanser for the face primes your skin perfectly for our leave-on Kombucha Microbiome Balancing Essence and radiance-enhancing Kombucha Microbiome Luminosity Serum. High in polyphenol-rich green tea, the ultra-hydrating Stone Crop Serum can be applied several times throughout the day to make skin look firmer and more protected. And the skin on your body can benefit from an infusion of tea too. Post bath or shower, apply our green tea infused Cranberry Pomegranate Sugar Scrub to exfoliate, buff and hydrate the look of the skin.
Product Picks
A Brief History of Tea
The story of tea begins in China in 2737 BCE. According to legend, Chinese emperor and renowned herbalist Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree when some of its leaves blew into water that was being boiled for drinking. He decided to try the infusion that had accidentally been created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea.
All traditional teas are still made from the leaves and buds of different varieties of the Camellia sinensis plant — originally from the borderlands of northern Burma and southwestern China. The difference between teas lies in how they are processed — whether they are fermented or not, for instance — and this determines their oxidation levels. Green teas are not oxidized at all, while black teas are very oxidized. In terms of beauty benefits, green tea and matcha are very popular, but black tea, white tea and kombucha are also potent allies for your skin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tea is best for reducing the look of fine lines? Green tea is a strong option thanks to its EGCG content, which is known to smooth the look of skin texture and fine lines when used topically.
Which tea is best for reducing the look of fine lines? Green tea is a strong option thanks to its EGCG content, which is known to smooth the look of skin roughness and fine lines when used topically.
Does drinking tea benefit the skin as much as using it topically? Both offer benefits. Drinking tea delivers hydrating and antioxidant compounds from the inside, while topical application through serums and cleansers targets specific concerns more directly.
Are you looking to add the benefits of tea to your skin care routine? Visit your nearest Eminence Organics Spa Partner to find out how.
