Tea for acne
Several legends revolve around tea. We will remember the one that comes straight from China: an Emperor boiled water under a tree, a light breeze caused a tea leaf to break off and land in his cup. The water became colored under the effect of the infusion, a delicate odor emanated from it, the Emperor drank it and found it delicious. Tea was born (1). Tea, since its discovery, has been recognized for its benefits against skin problems and in particular pimples and imperfections. As part of our advices we tell you more about tea.
Decryption of the different types of teas
The tea plant is a small shrub. It is the youngest, least green, finest and smallest leaves that give the most refined and tasty tea.
There are different types of teas, which are classified by color. The color of tea is the result of its processing, its oxidation. As soon as the leaves are cut, the natural oxidation process is triggered. It can be stopped quickly or, on the contrary, accentuated and intensified by man (2).
White tea
This is a tea which has undergone the least transformations and which comes closest to the original plant. It is therefore concentrated in active ingredients. Furthermore, it is very little oxidized. Oxidation determines the strong taste of a tea, white tea will be very soft and light in the mouth. It will therefore contain very little theine.
Green tea
It is the most consumed tea in the East and the Maghreb, and it is increasingly consumed in the West for its medicinal properties. Green tea underwent natural oxidation but this was quickly stopped. It combines a mild taste, but with character, with powerful active ingredients. Against acne, green teas are real allies. Choose loose tea, rather than industrial tea, industrial products being largely responsible for acne.
Oolong tea
Oolong is the only one in its color category. Blue-green tea takes its name from the infusion color of its leaves, a bluish tint. This color is due to incomplete oxidation between that of green tea and black tea. This tea will be appreciated for its medicinal properties that are more present than black tea while having a more pronounced taste than green tea.
Black tea
This is the most consumed tea in the world and therefore the most produced: almost 75% of world tea production. The irony is that it mainly comes from China where it is only consumed in small quantities compared to green tea. However, black tea is not the oldest since it was in the 19th century that the British “created” this new tea.
When wanting to transport green tea from China to England, it fermented and a little moldy during transport and was black on arrival. This tea has undergone complete oxidation. This long fermentation caused the tea to lose its virtues but still retained some of it. More concentrated in tannin and theine than green tea, you will need to brush your teeth carefully to avoid staining them and people sensitive to excitement due to caffeine should avoid drinking it after 17 p.m.
Red tea
Red tea is definitely the tea that no one agrees on. And yes, as much as green is green and black tea is black, there is no red colored tea. From the Eastern point of view, in China, red tea is the black tea that Westerners drink and from the Western point of view red tea is "Pu-Erh", a Chinese tea that is more often found under the name Tuocha in France. Another confusion, rooibos is increasingly called red tea, incorrectly since, even if rooibos gives an infusion with reddish nuances, it is not tea but a tree without theine.
Be careful though, in case of acne we forget milk with tea.
The properties and virtues of teas for acne
Emperor Shen Nong, father of Chinese medicine, declared in his Treatise on Plants in 2800 BC that “tea relieves fatigue, strengthens the will, delights the soul and revives the sight”.
Tea has many active ingredients and wonderful health properties. The tannins or polyphenols it contains have antioxidant power and thus fight against skin aging (see the article on pollution and beauty of the skin). Antioxidants also protect against the action of free radicals in the development of certain cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
But tea also has many benefits against skin diseases. Some specific ingredients in green tea are particularly effective for eczema (3). Notably the high amounts of tannins and other anti-inflammatory ingredients. Green tea is also renowned for its detoxifying power, it regulates the digestive system and activates the metabolism. Also check out our articles on fight acne while losing weight et treat your acne and your line with an infusion.
We also recommend tea for people with acne-prone skin. The high content of tannic acid and its richness in antioxidants allow green tea to be effective against skin inflammation (4). Green tea has the property of reducing the amount of sebum present in the skin, the excess of which is the cause of blackheads and acne spots.
To find out more about acne and our Akno Natura treatment, find questions from our customers.
Against acne, teas which have undergone the least transformation will be the most effective because they will have retained all their properties. It is for this reason that green teas are more recommended for their health benefits than black tea against acne.
Tips for fighting acne with teas
Make yourself an anti-acne mask with green tea
1 teaspoon of Japanese green tea powder (matcha);
1 teaspoon of white clay;
The equivalent of a teaspoon of sesame oil;
2 teaspoons of Roman chamomile floral water.
Mix and apply with a brush and leave for 15 minutes.
Little additional tip, also discover our article on the benefits of rice powder for the skin.
Another recipe we tested
1 bag of organic green tea
Soupe à 1 honey cuillère
Brew the green tea bag then let it cool. Then add the honey and mix. Using your fingers, apply this mask to your previously moistened skin. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
sources:
(1) the Palais des Thés
(2) Machinethe
(3) Thévert.com
(4) savor-the.fr
(5) Santemagazine.fr
Read also:
Vegan cosmetics and acne
Spring detox treatment for acne
Acne and junk food
Non-comedogenic treatments for acne
6 misconceptions about acne
5 anti-acne masks
5 special acne creams
Vegan, flexitarian and vegetarian diets for acne
The 10 commandments for acne
