Matcha for Skin

by Vorst Canada June 01, 2022

DISCLAIMER: This article has been written for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment

Skin is the biggest organ and certainly the most important part of beauty and elegance. Matcha can support a healthy complexion with a clear and smooth appearance. The benefits of matcha for skin have been associated with its abundance of antioxidants, especially catechins and EGCGs.

Here we’ll explore some of the proven benefits of matcha for the skin. But before we get into the different ways matcha can improve skin health, it’s worth knowing the basics of matcha a little bit more. So, let’s get started.

What is matcha?
Benefits of matcha for skin
How to use matcha
Precautions and side effects
Final words

What is matcha?

Matcha is a special type of green tea made from tea leaves meticulously grown under shade. As a result, the leaves are prevented from photosynthesis and are obliged to produce more chlorophylls, the component that gives matcha its vibrant green color. Then the tea leaves are harvested, dried, and stone-ground into a fine powder which is globally famous as matcha powder.

The primary difference between regular green tea and matcha is that when you consume matcha, you actually consume the entire leaf, not just an infusion. For this reason, the antioxidant concentration of matcha is much higher than the other teas. Studies suggest that matcha contains at least 3 times higher antioxidants than that are found in the other teas.

Benefits of matcha for skin

Matcha powder and the plant compounds it contains benefit the skin in several ways. A few of them are as follows:

Protects the skin from UV damages

The chlorophyll content present in matcha has a significant ability to absorb sun rays as well as UV rays. This way, it prevents the UV rays from entering the skin. Reducing exposure to UV rays may lead to several anti-aging benefits.

Repeated exposure to the sun may cause premature aging of the skin over time. This may show up through various signs of aging such as wrinkles and dark spots. The chlorophyll content found in matcha can prevent premature aging of the skin and make it younger looking for a longer period of time.

Prevents and reduces skin inflammation

Matcha shows incredible anti-inflammatory actions with its high concentration of catechins and polyphenols. These compounds can reduce the symptoms of inflammation by preventing oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are byproducts of pollutants and harmful chemicals that cause large chain reactions and may damage skin cells and tissues.

Matcha can help detox the skin and repair damaged cells by reducing inflammation and its associated symptoms such as redness and swelling, making it noticeably beneficial to promote clear and brighter complexion.

Helps combat acne vulgaris

Some of the key factors that contribute to developing acne vulgaris are the growth of bacteria, excess sebum production, clogged pores, hormonal imbalances, exposure to pollutants, and inflammation. Matcha and the antioxidant content it contains particularly epigallocatechin gallates (EGCGs) have a miraculous ability to fight all of these factors that contribute to developing acne vulgaris.

Matcha can inhibit bacterial growth, lower sebum production, and reduce inflammation. Moreover, EGCGs can help correct hormonal imbalances by blocking androgen receptors. Androgens are male hormones such as testosterone that are necessary for both sexes, males as well as females.

But excess androgen levels may lead to excess sebum production that makes the skin oily and clogs pores when mixed with other pollutants, resulting in acne vulgaris. Matcha has a significant power to keep androgen levels as well as sebum production in check, making it extremely helpful for reducing acne vulgaris.

Improves circulation in the skin

Matcha contains several methylxanthines such as theophylline, theobromine, and caffeine. These components have the potential to improve blood circulation by widening blood vessels. Increased circulation is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells. Besides, it helps eliminate waste products from the skin cells, leading to clean and fresh skin.

By improving circulation matcha can support faster healing of skin damages and may promote skin health with visibly brighter and glowing skin.

How to use matcha

Matcha powder can be used in both ways topically as well as internally. The uses of matcha in the form of a face pack are popular and are directly applied on the skin. But, in order to get matcha benefits from the inside out, it's best to choose matcha supplements to consume on a regular basis.

2 to 4 grams of matcha powder supplements can be taken two to four times a day by thoroughly mixing with water. Make sure you maintain a gap of a couple of hours between matcha and other medications.

Precautions and side effects

Though it is safe and well-tolerated for most people, matcha may cause some side effects. Matcha is flooded with plant nutrients like polyphenols and antioxidants. Therefore, sudden high doses may cause some side effects such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. But these are not common for all and are easily reversible.

Besides, due to its caffeine content, consuming excess matcha may cause caffeine toxicity which may show in various symptoms like agitation, lightheadedness, headaches, tingling sensation in the extremities, anxiety, confusion, and seizures.

Therefore, it’s recommended to consult with a qualified nutritionist or naturopathic doctor so that he or she can analyze whether matcha is right for you or what doses of matcha would be best for your specific skin and health conditions.

Final words

Matcha is packed with a range of plant nutrients that can offer several health benefits including the skin. Protecting the skin from UV radiations, anti-aging, improving skin circulation, reducing skin inflammation, and fighting against acne vulgaris are some of the common benefits of matcha for the skin.

Since matcha may cause some mild and reversible side effects with high doses, it’s important to consult with a qualified natural medicine professional before starting matcha for skin to determine the safety and best doses.

Here you can see Vorst’s pure and natural Matcha with Organic Spirulina and Chlorella Powder (Sugar Free)

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