Green Is The New Gorgeous

Green is the color of newly emerging life, springtime, your skin after a turbulent flight, money, pistachio ice cream, envy, Irish eyes, everyone’s favorite Muppet, and the magical camellia sinensis leaves that give us one of our favorite skin care ingredients, green tea.

Consumed for thousands of years for its health benefits, green tea has more recently emerged as a powerhouse topical agent due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-bacterial properties.

Green tea extract owes its hero status to its abundance of bioactive polyphenols, plant micronutrients including catechins (GTC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which protect cells and DNA from free radical damage and help maintain healthy collagen formation. Green tea has been found to have significantly more of these highly beneficial catechins than any other type of tea, probably because it’s harvested when the leaves are young and they not oxidated through processing the way others are. It’s also rich in antioxidant vitamins E and C.

What Can Green Tea Do For Your Skin?

Free Radical Fighter

Free radicals are unstable and highly reactive molecules in the body that are triggered by UV or pollutant exposure. They cause damage to DNA, cell membranes, and proteins, which can lead to premature aging, inflammation and skin cancer. The exceptionally high antioxidant content in green tea extract works to neutralize free radicals and protect skin from their damage.

Rosacea Tamer

Green tea extract is known as one of most effective antioxidants for calming rosacea. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic properties, which means it inhibits the growth of blood vessels. Using products with green tea can help reduce inflammation and redness and restore an even, glowing skin tone.

Acne Adversary

Because of its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties, green tea extract has benefit for acne-prone skin as well. It has been shown to reduce sebum production (one study showed a 27% reduction after 8 weeks of use) and to reduce inflammatory reaction to acne-causing bacteria.

Anti-Aging Warrior

The antioxidant effects of green tea extract are well documented in fighting photo-aging and the breakdown of collagen and elastin. But even more compelling, a 2003 study showed that the polyphenols in green tea extract can actually stimulate keratinocytes to generate biological energy and synthesize DNA for the promotion of collagen formation and healthy, firmer, more youthful looking skin.

Guardian Against UV Damage

UV radiation is a key catalyst for wrinkling, hyperpigmentation, and skin cancer.

Studies have shown green tea extract to be extremely effective in not only protecting skin from UV damage, but also in neutralizing damage that’s already occurred by stimulating rapid repair of UVB damaged DNA. While both consumption and topical application of green tea yielded positive results, the effect was significantly enhanced in the topical application because of the concentration of polyphenols.

Ready To Go Green?

Get a daily dose of green tea extract for your skin is with Vivant’s Green Tea Antioxidant Cleanser, which harnesses the antioxidant strength of green tea extract, and boosts it with grape seed and kiwi extracts. This gently purifying cleanser restores and revitalizes skin to a smoother, brighter, healthier appearance.