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This is a shortened version of an article in the Natural Foods Merchandiser 07/01/2005, for the full article please go to: http://naturalfoodsmerchandiser.com/ArticlePage/tabid/66/itemid/1669/Default.aspx Skin drinks in green tea’s benefits It turns out that green tea is as good for your outside as it is inside. Recent research has shown that topically applied green tea can benefit skin in myriad ways—no wonder the plant has been seen on more and more ingredient lists in your personal care aisle. One word describes the main advantage green tea can provide for skin: anti-aging. Using green tea externally can have a youthful effect on the skin for two reasons, says Lisa Frost, licensed esthetician at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy in Boulder, Colo. “One is that since green tea is a powerful antioxidant, it protects against free radical damage to the skin. Free radicals cause oxidative damage, which promotes aging,” she says. “Secondly, green tea increases the effectiveness of sunscreen. It protects against photo-aging and photo-damage caused by ultraviolet rays, and also brings down inflammation caused by sun damage. Dr. Stephen Hsu, an associate professor and molecular/cell biologist at the Medical College of Georgia, provides scientific insight into why green tea seems to be such a powerful anti-aging ingredient. Dr. Hsu’s recent research confirms that compounds in green tea called polyphenols are able to fight free radicals and also stimulate the proliferation of skin cells. “A normal skin cell cycle is 30 days. With green tea use, this process is accelerated and the skin cells migrate faster; more new cells are generated,” Hsu says. A point to keep in mind when stocking green tea personal care products is how much tea was used when making the merchandise. Frost, for instance, warns that green tea will only be effective if it is listed high up on the ingredient list and if the product doesn’t contain other contaminants that would counteract the tea’s positive effects. “If green tea is listed second to last on the ingredient list, there’s not a lot of green tea in that product. There’s a certain point in most skin care lines where amounts of ingredients become so nominal that they’re mostly just for show—we call it ‘window dressing.’ Also, if toxins like parabens or propylene glycol are in the product, it defeats the purpose of the healthy ingredients,” Frost says. Could green tea have met its match in the epidermis? Actually, the solution to this seemingly complicated problem is quite simple, says Russo. “Since green tea can’t get into the skin on its own, you have to provide it with a carrier,” she says. Carriers are agents easily absorbed by the skin to which green tea molecules can adhere. Once the molecules are connected to the carrier, they can be brought into the deeper layers of the skin. “There are three types of carriers: herbal extracts, alcohols and essential oils,” Russo says. Though green tea may not be invincible, it’s unstoppable when paired with the right ingredients, and its powers will make your shoppers healthy inside and out. “Consumption of green tea has jumped by 900 percent in the past three years, so many people are aware of its benefits,” Hsu says. “You can expect similar results in green tea skin care products.” Christine Spehar is a freelance writer in Boulder, Colo. Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXVI/number 7/p. 34, 36 |
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