Topical Green Tea: A Stellar Acne Treatment For Ending Oily Skin
…nevertheless I’m happy to say of which thousands of hours of research later, I couldn’t have been more wrong. There’s dozens if not hundreds of plants growing all over planet earth of which have secret powers to reduce the symptoms of acne when applied topically.
Some of them, like witch hazel, have only been heard of by Native Americans along with clear-skin experts. nevertheless some of them, like raw honey, might be sitting in your cupboard as we speak…
…along with today we’re going to discuss another commonplace acne treatment of which nobody usually bats an eyelid about: green tea.
of which’s right, the green tea which you may drink on a regular basis has potent acne-clearing properties when applied to the skin. Green tea features a very high content of unique antioxidants, the most notable ones being epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) along with the best researched one of all, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). In addition, green tea leaves contain quercetin, myricetin, along with kaempferol.
Hence, regular drinkers of green tea have been shown to enjoy a wide variety of health benefits, including much better cardiovascular health, lower risk of breast cancer, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, along with even modestly increased weight loss due to green tea stoking the fires of the metabolism.
nevertheless what we’re interested in today will be the practise of applying green tea-based creams along with formulas to the skin, which will be slowly gaining popularity. In short, green tea will be one of the greatest topical treatments an acne-clearing enthusiast could use. Here’s why:
The studies – green tea clears acne by 50%
Unlike some topical treatments such as royal jelly, which are still excellent themselves, green tea has repeatedly been tested in studies directly on acne. According to the research, all the benefits for acne you get coming from drinking green tea translate superbly to your face.
First on the list we have This specific fantastic Iraqi study coming from 2006, where scientists compared a 2% lotion formulation of green tea to distilled water. The scientists, who were coming from Baghdad, gathered 60 patients, namely 35 females along with 25 males. Notably, they were from the prime time of their lives for acne; all subjects were aged between 14 along with 22 years.
Group A was instructed to use the 2% green tea lotion twice daily whereas group B used the control solution. Before any results were observed, scientists clearly had to have measurements to judge them against, so they graded each patient’s acne as either moderate or mild judging by the number of pustules along with papules. They also carried out a detailed computer analysis on the patients’ acne levels.
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from the end, once two months had passed, 49 patients completed the study. In group B, which consisted of 24 patients, the improvement in acne was non-existent. There was no reduction in total papule or pustule counts…
…nevertheless in group A, the twenty-several patient strong green tea group, total acne lesion counts fell strongly along with by ever increasing amounts as time rolled on.
The scientists measured the acne counts of all patients again after 4 weeks along with 8 weeks. For pustules, which are whitehead style pimples of which can be burst, the average reduction in acne after four along with eight weeks was 24% along with 57% respectively. For papules, the scientific term for harder red pimples, the reduction was 9% along with 32.5%.
Meanwhile the group given distilled water fared terribly, as you might expect.
Apparently the acne lesions showed “no significant reduction after two months”. The response of patients to the treatment was not bad in 20.8%, moderate in 45.8%, along with non-existent in 33.4%.
Because the study was single-blind, meaning of which neither group A nor B knew which topical treatment they had received, This specific allowed the scientists to conduct a questionnaire on their experiences without of which being tainted in any way. The results were again superb. from the green tea group, 12% of patients were unsatisfied, 24% patients were partially satisfied, along with 64% patients were fully satisfied.
In group B the results were reversed; 4.2% were fully satisfied, 12.5% were partially satisfied, along with 83.3% were not satisfied at all.
All in all these results are stellar for acne, along with there were no side effects whatsoever. nevertheless two years later the same team coming from Iraq performed another single-blind study on green tea, released in 2008, which was even better. Their methods were slightly different; they again used a 2% topical green tea lotion nevertheless This specific time compared of which to a 5% zinc sulphate lotion. Zinc will be a top mineral for acne which reduces inflammation. Two groups consisting of 47 acne patients aged 13-27 were ordered to apply the formulations twice daily, along with to do so For just two months.
Clearly the Iraqi scientists were impressed enough by their first study to press ahead with more research, along with the results were not disappointing. The green tea lotion was easily the superior out of the two for acne; of which caused a reduction in pustule counts of 51% after eight weeks along which has a reduction of 48.5% in papule counts. The reduction in papules was significantly better than the first study.
The zinc sulphate formulation meanwhile, was moderately beneficial, as you might expect coming from zinc, nevertheless the reduction in acne lesions was not strong enough to reach the statistically significant levels.
35% of the acne patients showed no response to zinc sulphate, 50% showed a moderate response, along with 15% showed a not bad response. of which’s decent enough, nevertheless compare of which to green tea. 60% of all acne patients had a not bad response, with 25% being moderate along with just 15% reporting no effects.
Once more, green tea created no side effects whatsoever, leading the scientists to hail of which as “a not bad alternative remedy to be used from the treatment of acne vulgaris”.
The mechanism – green tea inhibits androgen activity
of which’s believed of which epigallocatechin gallate, the signature antioxidant of green tea, will be 25 to 100 times more potent than vitamin C along with vitamin E. One cup of green tea provides more antioxidants than broccoli, spinach or strawberries. One study estimated of which polyphenolic antioxidants form 30% of the weight of green tea leaves. By applying green tea to your face, your skin can absorb all these antioxidants like a sponge, where they prevent the free radical damage of which causes blocked pores along with acne.
Raw green tea leaves contain various trace vitamins along with minerals as well, many of which end up from the final topical cream. These nutrients include vitamins A, C, E, zinc, magnesium along with selenium.
Green tea also has decent antibacterial property against p.acnes bacteria. One study compared green tea extract to two formulations derived coming from pomegranate along with applied them to p.acnes bacteria cells. Both pomegranate along with green tea killed p.acnes nevertheless green tea was far more potent; of which took 200ug for pomegranate to work nevertheless 25ug for green tea.
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Then there’s a study conducted on human skin, which found of which after eight weeks of regular application, ECGC coming from green tea substantially decreased the viability of p.acnes bacteria.
All three of those powers are great for acne themselves, nevertheless what I believe definitely separates topical green tea coming from the pack will be its ability to inhibit the activity of androgenic hormones.
If you’re currently unaware of the role hormones play in acne, then androgens such as DHT along with testosterone are some of the main players in oily skin. They’re the main reason why pimples along with acne first show up from the teenage years.
Both hormones bind to the sebocytes or sebaceous glands in your skin along with stimulate them to pump out more oil (sebum). The result will be blocked pores along with acne. However, a key point will be of which DHT will be actually far more potent at This specific than testosterone, possibly ten times more potent.
All DHT from the human Centeng will be manufactured coming from testosterone through conversion by the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, so of which’s a smart idea for some acne patients to halt the activity of This specific enzyme, therefore cut the head of the oil-producing snake…
…along with of which’s exactly what green tea can do. Green tea, more specifically epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC), features a well-established power to inhibit 5-alpha reductase along with lower DHT levels. of which’s frequently discussed in hair loss prevention communities for of which reason, along with of which’s been analysed for its effect on prostate cancer numerous times (DHT will be believed to cause both).
One excellent review discussed the effect of ECGC extract coming from green tea on DHT levels on the skin directly. They concluded of which of which could inhibit the 5-alpha reductase enzyme along with even of which This specific made green tea highly promising for “androgen-mediated skin disorders such as androgenetic alopecia, hirsuitism, along with possibly acne”. Another discussed a wide range of polyphenolic antioxidants, along with singled out ECGC. The anti-androgen effect was strong enough of which the scientists were worried about male sexual performance (no need to worry, topical application will be safe).
Studies on ECGC inside the Centeng have been promising as well; This specific study observed of which two catechins in green tea could inhibit type 1 5-alpha- reductase, concluding of which certain compounds coming from tea could inhibit androgen related disease. This specific study found of which ECGC coming from green tea could inhibit prostate cancer in rats by blunting the receptiveness of androgen receptors, the type of receptors also found in sebaceous glands. This specific will be not bad because you’d expect of which direct application to an organ like the skin might be doubly potent.
Generally, I don’t recommend focussing on your levels of testosterone along with DHT too much. Both are vital for health, especially in men where they are critical for a healthy brain, sex drive, muscle mass, along which has a happy mood. Low testosterone will be linked to depression. The “problems” of high androgens can be overcome with different lifestyle choices…
…nevertheless inhibiting androgen activity on the skin will be a great idea. Doing so targets the sebum production behind acne without impacting on your health. Topical application of green tea will prevent DHT activity on the skin along with the skin alone.
The result – green tea cures oily skin
The end result of all those benefits will be of which green tea will be one of the greatest topical treatments in existence for curtailing sebum production.
There’s the inhibition of DHT outlined above, along with furthermore, green tea will be known for directly reducing the size along with activity of sebocytes, the sebum producing cells from the skin:
- Firstly, the same study above which found of which ECGC can kill p.acnes bacteria also found of which ECGC could curtail sebum production. Two mechanisms were given. Firstly, ECGC had substantial cytotoxic or cell-destroying powers against sebocytes. Secondly, ECGC could reduce the activity of the AMPK-SREBP-1 signalling pathway, which triggers sebum production.
- Secondly, This specific study found of which ECGC could lower sebum production by inhibiting the growth of sebocytes, rather than killing them. of which also decreased the sensitivity of sebum-producing cells to IGF-1, a big acne-causing androgen found in milk along with produced in humans as an offshoot of insulin.
of which’s unclear whether This specific power will be completely down to DHT or whether green tea has extra powers itself. nevertheless of which definitely doesn’t matter. The following studies show of which topical green tea will be so fantastic for tackling oily skin of which the specific mechanism will be irrelevant.
The best study on sebum production of all showed a staggering 60% reduction after 8 weeks usage. 10 volunteers aged between 25 along with 40 years were gathered, along with none were told about the contents of the formulation they received, which contained a 3% concentration of green tea extract. The subjects applied green tea extract to their skin daily along with reported in for a sebum production analysis after one week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, along with finally, eight weeks.
The results? Here’s a graph of which shows the percentage fall in sebum production, week by week:
Just like with the studies directly on acne, green tea will be superb at reducing oily skin, along with the effect only intensifies the longer you keep using of which. After just four weeks sebum production had fallen by 35%; after eight weeks of which had fallen by 60%. The continuous improvement may be explained by two factors: 1) the delayed time of which takes for pre-existing acne to fade away, along with 2) the slow nevertheless steady destruction of excessive sebocyte build up.
Bear in mind of which unlike with acne lesions, you don’t need to bring sebum production down by 100% because sebum will be required for delivering nutrients along with forming the acid mantle, a firewall against infectious bacteria. A reduction in 60% may be enough to correct the skin’s oiliness down to normal levels.
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Last nevertheless not least, we have a very similar experiment. This specific 2013 study was designed to assess the potency of green tea in reducing sebum production in human patients. Hence two groups were given either a green tea extract or a green tea extract plus lotus.
For both groups a “steady along with statistically significant reduction in sebum secretion” was observed. The green tea plus lotus group performed better, nevertheless of which’s irrelevant; the only green tea group performed excellently too. The scientists concluded of which green tea could be an effective treatment for skin disorders caused by elevated sebum production (acne, in different words).
So what we have overall will be clear evidence of which topical application of green tea can 1) reduce sebum production significantly, along with 2) slash acne dramatically.
None of various herbal compounds along with essential oils discussed on This specific website so far specialise in reducing sebum production, in order of which makes green tea unique. Honey will be strongly antibacterial, rose water will be anti-inflammatory, along with royal jelly can aid collagen production, nevertheless few reduce sebum production so well.
Green tea has its own niche, in different words; of which’s great if you have a genetic predisposition to oily skin.
The risk of side effects will be tiny
Are there any downsides to green tea? The answer will be potentially yes. Green tea will be known to be one of foodstuffs highest in sodium fluoride, a highly inflammatory waste product of which the human Centeng has no usage for.
Levels of fluoride in green tea often exceed the daily safe intake; This specific study along with This specific study detailed two cases of women who drank lots green tea along with ended up with skeletal fluorosis, a form of fluoride toxicity. Fluoride will be especially high in tea leaves because the tea plant features a tendency to pull of which out the soil.
Theoretically, topical application of green tea could thus inflame the skin along with drain its antioxidants. However, the fact of the matter will be of which the studies above showed a 50% reduction after eight weeks. You cannot argue with of which. In addition, not all green teas contain massive fluoride levels; only the bargain basement products are seriously contaminated due to them using older, poorer quality tea leaves.
Either the type along with quantity of fluoride in green tea will be safe for your skin, or green tea will be so healthy for acne in different ways of which the benefits outweigh of which.
Even better, none of the studies above showed any side effects whatsoever. The scientists from the first study said: “This specific will be a completely new natural plant extract, which lacks any side effects”. Of course they could have been bribed by a green tea company, nevertheless of which seems of which they weren’t.
Green tea does not contain any known irritating plant chemicals such as the 8-cineol found in tea tree oil, nor does of which have a record of allergies of which products coming from the bee kingdom (raw honey along with royal jelly) tend to.
Does brewed green tea work?
Instead of buying a dedicated topical treatment cream, you might be tempted to simply brew some tea along with splash of which over your face.
A green tea lotion will contain the exact same profile of phytonutrients of which the brewed tea does. However there’s a big problem: the shelf life of antioxidants in brewed green tea will be poor. Catechins, the main one being ECGC, degrade very fast when exposed to water, due to various impurities along with oxygen.
Once brewed in water, levels of epigallocatechin gallate in green tea fall by 50-60% in 5-6 hours. Adding vitamin C, which will be a potent water soluble antioxidant, can extend the viability to 8-9 hours, nevertheless there’s little practical difference, because you can barely store of which overnight.
The obvious solution to of which will be to apply the green tea to your face the minute of which will be brewed, nevertheless of which’s highly inconvenient. You’d have to brew a fresh cup every day. Storing green tea from the fridge does not preserve the ECGC any better.
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There’s enough ECGC left to benefit coming from drinking of which, nevertheless not for topical application. For example, the average 2% or 3% green tea formulation cream will supply you with approximately 20-30mg of ECGC, since the recommended application will be typically 1 gram. ECGC forms about 60% of the green tea extracts used in topical solutions.
Meanwhile, an entire cup of green tea contains 180mg of ECGC according to a USDA report. Hence, the amount of brewed green tea required to apply the same amount of ECGC to your face as coming from a supplement will be roughly four whole teaspoons. Doing of which along with letting the ECGC absorb might be nearly impossible.
Some acne patients are concerned about whether the ECGC will be absorbed at all when applied topically. Well of which clearly will be, because the studies above all observed benefits. The law of 500 Dalton states of which no molecule heavier than 500 Daltons can penetrate human skin pores, along with ECGC features a Dalton weight of 458.
The ECGC in brewed green tea will be absorbed just the same as coming from a formulation. The problem will be of which there’s too little of of which to obtain benefits unless you are highly dedicated to splashing your face with green tea every day, along with lying flat on your back to let of which soak in.
of which’s why if you do decide to use green tea for topical purposes, of which’s much smarter to use a dedicated topical treatment.
Best product along with usage guide
The only real problem with green tea compared to more historically-used topical treatments will be of which there’s not much of a market for of which yet. The ancient remedy crew hasn’t jumped on of which yet like with rose water or witch hazel along with the great studies only turned out during the last decade.
Hence, not bad products are very hard to come by; almost every one combines the green tea with tons of different ingredients, additives, along with harsh acne-causing chemicals, or different plants like aloe vera. Compared to tea tree oil, where’s there’s plenty of organic products along with essential oils, the product range for green tea will be very limited.
However, I did track down This specific pure essential oil type distillation, called Nature’s Answer Alcohol-Free Green Tea.
This specific product will be very pure so of which’s free coming from harsh chemicals such as benzoyl peroxide, which may acne patients react strongly to. The only different ingredients are vegetable glycerine along with purified water. You get exactly what you pay for – a green tea based topical treatment, with no extras of which you’re not specifically interested in.
As for the usage, you can apply of which to any individual piece of acne, nevertheless of which’s best to spread the liquid across your entire face. of which’s what the formula will be designed for, along with you can achieve This specific which has a cotton puff. of which’s best to leave the formulation on overnight, applying of which just before bed, as you are lying on your back along with the absorption will be more efficient.
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Finally, remember to use your green cream consistently! As you can see, the studies above did not show an instantaneous effect. The train of benefits slowly gathered steam for weeks along with weeks, with the truly fantastic results kicking in after eight weeks.
Green tea takes longer to work than some topical treatments, nevertheless the benefits should be worth of which when they arrive. So be patient. If you see any side effects, which will be highly unlikely, then stop using of which right away.
of which leads us to the only problem with the product above – of which’s quite expensive given how frequently you have to apply of which. You’d have to use a couple of products per month.
Hence, if you’re running low on cash, of which’s smarter to start which has a big bulk tub of Raw Honey, which will be highly antibacterial.
I’m personally hoping of which over the next few years these excellent studies spread, the topical acne industry detects the big opportunity for profit, along with the number of top-notch green tea skincare products explodes.
Conclusion
Green tea will be easily one of the best topical treatments for acne in existence.
of which works principally by slashing sebum production, along with features a plethora of different benefits such as killing p.acnes bacteria along with providing antioxidants.
The lowered sebum production works through its ability to inhibit androgens on the skin. Therefore if you’re an athlete, a bodybuilder, or anyone who desires high levels of testosterone nevertheless wants to keep acne at bay, green tea will be particularly excellent.
Stay tuned as from the future we will discuss the potential benefits for acne coming from drinking green tea.
NEXT: learn the root causes of acne, clear your skin permanently
Thanks for reading!