According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, many people consume green tea because of its high concentration of powerful antioxidants, among them polyphenols, proven scientifically to neutralize and help prevent damages caused by free radicals that contribute to the aging process and development of health problems, including cancer and heart disease. The power of green tea, however, does not stop there; it can also be part of a beauty regimen.
Facial Wash
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, published online on Aug. 21, 2008, Lina Tanaka, co-founder of the Tokyo-based skin-care company Medical Research International, revealed one of her beauty regimens–green tea. Tanaka said she uses green tea not only to quench her thirst but also as part of her daily skin-care routine. Whenever she brews her daily cup of green tea in the morning, she also sets aside a portion for washing her face. After letting the tea cool down, she splashes it on her face using her palms. At times, she also uses cotton balls to wipe the tea on her face. Tanaka then applies her favorite moisturizer on her face to prevent her skin from drying up. Following this regimen will make your face feel smooth and soft.
Facial Mask
Brewing green tea with a teaspoon of powdered white tea and a teaspoon of honey can create a facial mask that can clean up your pores, according to Natural Home Remedies website. Boil the mixture until it turns thick. Allow it to cool down, and then apply it all over your face. Make sure to apply green tea around your nose, to clean clogged up pores. Let the mixture completely dry up before you rinse it off with cold water. Pat your skin dry with a fresh, clean face towel. Green tea facial masks can also help relieve sunburn.
Skin Freshener
Use freshly brewed green tea as skin freshener, just as Tanaka does, by placing the leftover green tea in a small bottle with spray, which she carries in her bag. Whenever she needs to freshen up, she spritzes on green tea. It is better to prepare fresh green tea each day instead of stocking up, Tanaka said, because the polyphenols found in green tea lose strength when exposed to air for a long time.
Dandruff and Psoriasis Treatment
Even if you have shiny hair, visible dandruff can be very unsightly and unappealing. Fortunately, you can use green tea to help alleviate dandruff as well as psoriasis. In 2007, Stephen Hsu of the Medical College of Georgia conducted a study that showed promising results in treating psoriasis and dandruff. According to the study, green tea helped regulate the Caspase-14 protein, thereby normalizing the growth cycle of skin cells. Massaging and rinsing your scalp and hair with cold brewed tea will help get rid of dandruff and psoriasis.
Photo Credit
- green tea image by Sergey Minaev from Fotolia.com
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