Why green tea has more polyphenols than black/oolong tea
Posted By May
When it comes to beauty and skin care, it's nice to turn to mother nature for her finest, most potent remedies. Let's pick a leaf and explore the wonders of green tea in health and beauty.
What makes green tea so good?
Green tea is made from a plant called Camellia sinensis. The leaves and leaf buds are steamed, fried and then dried to become loose-leaf or bagged green tea for steeping.
Matcha green tea is made from the same plant, however, it is grown differently and is made from the leaves ground into fine powdered. Matcha is more caffeine-rich compared to loose-leaf/bagged green tea since you ingest the leaves entirely in its powder form. Whereas with traditional green tea, the loose/bagged leaves are discarded after steeping it. They also differ in colour and taste. Loose-leaf green tea is a lighter green version, while matcha is darker green and tastes more leafy.
Black/oolong tea also comes from the same plant, but is fermented and has more caffeine. Not going through fermentation enables matcha/green tea to keep more of its precious polyphenols that give you tons of antioxidant health benefits.
Health & beauty benefits from green tea:
Several studies have pointed to the broad benefits of green tea. Green tea is rich in catechins (polyphenols) and caffeine (alkaloid) that greatly aid cell growth and repair. These are just some of the green tea's many benefits:
Green tea, when ingested orally, is:
When topically applied, green tea treats:
Skin & Hair Care Infused with Green Tea
Here are a few products with green tea that are good for your body:
View more product recommendations in our Green Tea Beauty Shopping Guide >
REFERENCES:
What makes green tea so good?
Green tea is made from a plant called Camellia sinensis. The leaves and leaf buds are steamed, fried and then dried to become loose-leaf or bagged green tea for steeping.
Matcha green tea is made from the same plant, however, it is grown differently and is made from the leaves ground into fine powdered. Matcha is more caffeine-rich compared to loose-leaf/bagged green tea since you ingest the leaves entirely in its powder form. Whereas with traditional green tea, the loose/bagged leaves are discarded after steeping it. They also differ in colour and taste. Loose-leaf green tea is a lighter green version, while matcha is darker green and tastes more leafy.
Black/oolong tea also comes from the same plant, but is fermented and has more caffeine. Not going through fermentation enables matcha/green tea to keep more of its precious polyphenols that give you tons of antioxidant health benefits.
Health & beauty benefits from green tea:
Several studies have pointed to the broad benefits of green tea. Green tea is rich in catechins (polyphenols) and caffeine (alkaloid) that greatly aid cell growth and repair. These are just some of the green tea's many benefits:
- skin firming
- slimming (fat-burning)
- photoprotective
- anti-inflammatory
- anti-cellulite
- anti-alopecia (prevents hair loss & stimulates hair growth)
Green tea, when ingested orally, is:
- antioxidant
- anti-cancer
- combats skin aging
When topically applied, green tea treats:
- genital warts
- atopic dermatitis / eczema
- acne
- rosacea
Skin & Hair Care Infused with Green Tea
Here are a few products with green tea that are good for your body:
  Arcona Green Tea Cleansing Base Shampoo |
  Foreo UFO Activated Mask, Farm-to-Face Collection - Green Tea |
  Elemis Superfood Matcha Eye Dew |
  Arcona Green Tea Lotion |
View more product recommendations in our Green Tea Beauty Shopping Guide >
REFERENCES:
- Gianeti, M. D., Mercurio, D. G., & Campos, P. M. (2013). The use of green tea extract in cosmetic formulations: not only an antioxidant active ingredient. Dermatologic therapy, 26(3), 267271. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-8019.2013.01552.x
- Koch, Zagórska, Marzec, & Kukula-Koch. (2019). Applications of Tea (Camellia sinensis) and its Active Constituents in Cosmetics. Molecules, 24(23), 4277. MDPI AG. Retrieved from https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules24234277
- Pazyar, N., Feily, A., & Kazerouni, A. (2012). Green tea in dermatology. Skinmed, 10(6), 352355.
- Qian Yi Eng, Punniyakoti Veeraveedu Thanikachalam, Srinivasan Ramamurthy. (2018). Molecular understanding of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 210, 2018, Pages 296-310, ISSN 0378-8741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2017.08.035. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874117309893)
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/matcha-vs-green-tea#what-is-green-tea