Green Tea (Camellia sinensis)
Also known as: camellia-sinensis, egcg, matcha, nokcha
The antioxidant your grandmother drank. Her skin was probably better for it — and yours will be too.
What It Does
Deep Dive
Green tea's active polyphenols — primarily epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) — are one of the most-studied antioxidants in dermatology. EGCG neutralises free radicals 25x more effectively than vitamin E, reduces sebum production in vitro, and has documented photoprotective effects when paired with UV filters. Amorepacific built an empire around Jeju-island-grown green tea (Innisfree, AmorePacific Green Tea Seed); Japan uses matcha in luxury masks; Chinese and Korean traditional medicine have been brewing the leaves for skin for a thousand years. It's a quiet, foundational antioxidant — not flashy, but in almost every credible antioxidant serum for good reason. Best paired with vitamin C in the morning for combined photoprotection.
Sources
- [1]EGCG and photoprotection — View source
