Being a barista on and off for three years taught me to steam oat milk and pour pretty decent latte art, but the best thing it ever did for my skin was teach me to love green tea. Switching from my favorite sugary coffee drinks to an ultra-hydrating, no-sweetener green tea was enough to present me with an apparent difference in my skin: less stress, more health. Used for centuries in Eastern medicine, green tea contains antioxidants that are said to protect against some chronic diseases and has more nourishing benefits for your skin than you might think.
You might recognize green tea as one of the key components of Youth To The People’s custom superfood blend. Green tea is anti-inflammatory, meaning it can calm irritation, swelling, and redness in skin, including inflammation associated with skin conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and rosacea. It also helps to heal sun damage and it even prevents signs of premature aging.
Enter our vitamin heroes: vitamins B2 and E. Vitamin E hydrates and nourishes skin, and vitamin B2 helps your skin maintain collagen, the structural protein that strengthens, firms, and hydrates your skin. Our bodies naturally slow their production of collagen as we age (which leads to drier or more mature-looking skin) but we can restore collagen topically for firmer skin with daily products that contain green tea, like YTTP’s gentle Superfood Cleanser.
When green tea is consistently included in your skincare routine, your skin will begin to feel healthier, more youthful, and more rejuvenated. You can introduce green tea to your routine by steeping yourself a cup every morning—bonus points for repurposing your tea bags: try stashing a few in the fridge to cool for an easy 15-20 minute de-puffing eye treatment.
