Can Tea Help Prevent Skin Aging

Tea seems to be everywhere these days. There are stores popping up across the country with near endless options of specialty blends and it has found its way into cocktails, food, and even skin care products. Health benefits of tea abound (though I’m not sure how they fair when combined in cocktails), and as good as it is for the body, it’s just as good for the skin.

While the benefits vary across the varietals of tea, they typically contain high antioxidant content and help to fight the signs of aging. What types of tea are available in skin care products and what exactly do they do? Read on…

Tea Varietals in Skin Care

Some of the tea varietals known to be beneficial to the skin include rooibos, kombucha (black tea) and green tea. Rooibos (aspalathus linearis extract) comes from a shrub indigenous to South Africa. It has high antioxidant content and inhibits free radicals from damaging skin cells.

Rooibos is also rich in minerals and flavonoids, which when applied to the skin and soothe acne, eczema and other rashes. It also reduces inflammation and works as an anti-microbial to kill bacteria.

Kombucha is often referred to as “tea mushroom” or “tea kvass,” a name that comes from the process of fermenting black tea with yeast and bacteria, which forms the mushroom-like kombucha culture. This powerhouse culture contains organic acetic, lactic, malic, gluconic and butyric acids, as well as active enzymes, polyphenols and B-vitamins. In skin care it has been said to help smooth the skin and provide a re-youth effect. A new complex of “Kombuchka” is actually being used as a natural, non-invasive wrinkle filler. For more, see our post on the ingredient.

Green tea (camellia sinensis leaf extract), similar to rooibos has high-antioxidant content and helps soothe the skin and inhibit bacteria. It is made from camellia sinensis leaves, a plant that originates in China. Green tea is extremely valuable for acne-prone skin simply for its ability to fight bacteria, reduce inflammation and nourish the skin with antioxidants.

So if you’re in need of a boost – for your skin and your body – turn to tea for its powerful rejuvenating qualities.

For more information on Kombuchka, check out the RA For Men Radical Redux. For green tea, see the Stone Power, and for rooibos, see the ReZone.