Green tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis tree, which is cultivated all over Asia but is originally native to China. It is not the same plant that produces tea tree oil (the Melaleuca alternifolia tree native to Australia), or the tea oil (which comes from a plant that is also native to China, Camellia oleifera). Green tea contains antioxidant polyphenols, particularly catechins, the most abundant of which is epigallocatechin gallate. These polyphenols can be credited for the health properties green tea imparts when it’s consumed orally or applied topically to the skin. Green tea also contains carotenoids, vitamin E tocopherols, vitamin C, and several other phytonutrients. Even though they come from the same plant, green tea has been shown to have a more potent antioxidant concentration than black tea (e.g. green tea has 25% catechin antioxidants, versus 4% in black tea), though this is somewhat contested due to the presence of theaflavins in black tea.

There have been a number of encouraging studies demonstrating the skin benefits of green tea. Both animal and human clinical trials have credibly shown that topical green tea formulations reduce sun damage by neutralizing free radicals and reducing inflammation (rather than by blocking UV rays directly like a sunscreen). Therefore, green tea may synergistically enhance sun protection when used in addition to a sunscreen.

Considering the well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that polyphenols within green tea impart, it is likely that green tea directly protects collagen and other structures of the skin from free radical damage, which promotes the overall integrity of the collagen/elastin network. In clinical studies the histologic grading of skin biopsies has shown significant improvement in the elastic tissue content of the dermis and preliminary evidence points to the conclusion that green tea could inhibit collagenase and elastase, two types of matrix metalloproteinase enzymes that contribute to the age-related degradation of the skin’s collagen/elastin matrix. Interestingly, white tea, which is also from the same plant as green tea, has been shown to be even more effective than green tea as a metalloproteinase inhibitor.