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Beauty Benefits of Green Tea

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Green Tea is consumed as a beverage for health and beauty benefits. But it also works wonders when applied topically. An ingredient in many skin and hair products, this anti-aging superstar offers a host of beauty benefits.
Flowering Camellia Sinensis

Flowering Camellia Sinensis, the plant that makes tea leaves

Green Tea Skin Benefits

Green Tea feeds and moisturizes the skin, calms irritation, and is an excellent antioxidant. Topical Green Tea application can calm the irritation that aggressive topicals such as Retinol cause.

Green Tea on a compress or cotton pad can soothe inflammation from sunburn or angry cystic acne.

Drinking green tea has anti-aging benefits from polyphenols. It can reduce sun damage, decrease collagen breakdown and increase cell regeneration.

Green tea contains polyphenols that soothe skin while providing antioxidants. Polyphenols may improve sun-damaged skin. [1]

High in Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), Green Tea is a major player in skin health and appearance. EGCG is the potent antioxidant from green tea. It protects against environmental damage and neutralizes free radicals that prematurely age skin. Research shows EGCG reactivates dying skin cells.  This shows promise for repairing sun damage and scar healing.  [2]

Hair Benefits

Topical application of Green Tea reduces hair fall. Dermato-trichologists use green tea as an excellent scalp massage as it nourishes the scalp, soothes inflammation and dandruff. The Polyphenols in green tea are good for hair roots and follicles, promoting hair regrowth. [3]

Green Tea removes DHT from the scalp. DHT is a hormone that accumulates on the scalp and chokes out hair follicles, shrinking them until they no longer grow new hair. Green Tea can remove DHT from the scalp.

Choose a quality whole leaf tea to brew your own green tea for DIY beauty benefits, or choose from some of our favorite products that incorporate green tea in their ingredients.

Brew green tea for 2 hours and allow to cool. Pour into a squirt bottle to use as a 5 minute treatment on your hair and scalp in the shower.

Choosing Green Tea

Superior results come from full leaf tea that is fresh.  Choose full leaf loose tea whenever possible, not the dust found in tea bags.

  • Adagio teas has loose leaf teas that are fresh and do not contain preservatives. Choose one without added sugars.
  • Local health stores may also have bulk loose leaf tea.

DIY Green Tea Treatment Ideas

  • Use brewed and cooled green tea as a soothing and nourishing face wash.
  • Rub your face with green tea ice cubes for a refreshing morning pick me up that makes skin glow.
  • Soak a muslin cloth in green tea and place in a Ziploc baggie in the refrigerator. Use as a cooling facial compress over a moisturizer or mask.
  • Add brewed green tea to bathwater or a foot soak.
  • Rinse washed hair with green tea for shine. Focus on a gentle scalp massage to remove DHT.

Recommended Beauty Products Featuring Green Tea

Some products we use that feature green tea in their ingredients include:

Haruharu Wonder Honey Green Brilliant Cream

Haruharu Wonder Honey Green Brilliant Cream is a lightweight gel like cream that absorbs quickly with no tacky dry down.  It is lightweight enough for day use but packs the ingredients of a decadent treating night cream, including several synergistic fermented ingredients, such as fermented green and white teas, that promote collagen synthesis.

Haruharu Wonder Honey Green Brilliant Cream

Haruharu Wonder Honey Green Brilliant Cream

ROIL LIFE SHAMPOO

Developed by celebrity hair stylist Amanda George, the ROIL Private Collection range features green tea in products such as their Roil Shine Shampoo and Roil Body Lotion.

ROIL Shine Shampoo has a decant lather and leaves hair clean yet hydrated. The Green Tea pairs well with Indian Gooseberry and Rosehip Oils.

 

BeautyStat

BeautyStat Universal C Refiner combines green tea’s EGCG with a stable Vitamin C for strong anti-aging protection. The green tea makes an excellent buffer so skin can tolerate the vitamin C.

 

 

 

emerginC Eye Serum

EMERGINC Scientific Organics Eyelight Serum combines green tea with Komucha, White Tea, Grape Stem Cells, Seaweed Extract and Yerba Mate.  It depuffs eyes while treating signs of aging.

 

References

  1. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, February 2015, pages 456-463
  2. Journal of Pharmacol Exp Ther 2003 306: 29-34
  3. Journal of Leukoc Biol. 2001; 69:719-726

Health and Beauty: Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

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Last week I eagerly clicked a link on what models were drinking to achieve their luminous skin during NYFW. It was…green tea. Didn’t we know this already? Whether you are new to the skin and health wonders of green tea or a tea devotee, you should definitely try Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea.

OVERVIEW: This is a tangy and crisp Green Tea, perfect for the end of summer, beginning of autumn.

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

WHY WE LIKE GREEN TEA:
On average, we try to drink two cups of Green Tea per day. Green Tea makes for glowing, youthful skin; as it reduces inflammation (such as puffy undereye bags), rids the cells of aging free radicals and helps boost the metabolism resulting in more energy and weight management. Green Tea also has health benefits for heart and brain health and is considered beneficial for cancer prevention.

The Green Tea that one drinks can make all the difference in gaining benefits. To get real beauty and health benefits from Green Tea, it takes two things: 1) find a reputable company that produces safe, quality, fresh green tea from whole leaves, not “tea dust” and 2) find an enjoyable flavor you will enjoy drinking consistently

FINDING A REPUTABLE GREEN TEA COMPANY FOR QUALITY TEA:
Two key considerations when seeking a good tea brand is the quality of the tea and the safety of the tea.

TEA SAFETY: StyleChicks recently reviewed the Coastal Tea Company, and we were very impressed with the efforts they take to produce tea that is not only high quality, fresh whole leaf tea, but they strictly regulate their production to sell only small-batch, fresh tea with no trace of radiation or lead. Tea leaves, like other vegetation, is subject to soaking in the nutrients from the ground. Sometimes that ground contains metal traces including lead, and some areas where tea is grown have been subject to high levels of radiation. Coastal Tea Company takes extensive measures to avoid both risks, see more about the Coastal Tea Company here in our review of their Mango Green Tea.

TEA QUALITY: The most value from Green Tea comes from fresh, full leaves containing the highest levels of EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) and polyphenols (the chief antioxidants). These high levels are not found in green tea “dust,” or the leftover remaindered older teas. Look for loose tea that has large, fresh pieces of dried leaves visible within the tea mix and a low amount of “dust” in the mix. Any inclusions to flavor the tea, such as dried fruit, nuts, or petals, should be generous in size and fresh. A fresh tea has a tasty, full aroma.

FINDING A FLAVOR OF TEA YOU LIKE
It is important to find an enjoyable flavor of Green Tea because Green Tea is for some, an acquired taste. It may, in fact, not be YOUR cup of tea if you don’t enjoy drinking it. Green Tea can taste somewhat vegetal, and often requires some sweetener or flavoring to enhance it, especially for someone new to drinking full leaf, fresh green tea. Fresh Green Tea has a richer, fuller taste than many commercially pre-bottled, pre- sweetened sugar drinks with Green Tea as an ingredient.

WHAT MAKES COASTAL TEA COMPANY GINGER MINT GREEN TEA SPECIAL?

Coastal Tea Company’s Ginger Mint Green Tea is a 100% loose leaf sencha green tea blend with dried ginger pieces, lemongrass, and Moroccan Mint. It has a crisp taste without being too tart or bitter. The Ginger is nicely tempered by the mellow Moroccan Mint, which surprised me as a tasty combination of flavors. The Lemongrass was a surprise enhancing ingredient in this blend because typically lemongrass tastes just plain grassy to me. But in this tea blend, playing off the other flavors, it is quite good – sort of a crisp tanginess without being bitter. For those new to Green Tea, a small amount of sugar or honey could be added, but even our non-Tea loving friends and family have enjoyed this blend.

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

INCLUSION: Any inclusions to flavor the tea should look fresh as well. The chunks of ginger are plentiful and big. They are full, solid chunk slices, not gritty partial crumbling shards of ginger. How they appear in the pictures is how the tea looks poured directly out of the bag. The lemongrass pieces are plentiful and unbruised. The mint leaves were large pieces of fuller leaves. Notice how all the pieces of tea and inclusions are in good shape, they look fresh and there is no tea dust.

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

NATURAL FLAVORS: Coastal Tea Company uses all natural flavorings. There are no chemicals or additives; the flavor comes just from the inclusion ingredients, in this case, the Lemongrass, Ginger and the Mint.

TASTY: Not everyone likes the taste of Green Tea. This Ginger Mint has a crisp, tangy taste; the sweet Moroccan Mint balances the tart taste of the ginger surprisingly well.

FULL LOOSE LEAVES: The tea is actual large leaf and full leave pieces, leaves, not dust or remaindered tea. This is the freshest type of tea, the best of the batch, and it holds the most anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.

PREPARATION
Bring water to almost the boiling point but not a full boil. This makes Green tea brew better and tastes less bitter. Don’t over steep the brew, brew for no more than 2 – 4 minutes.

The tea has a lovely, pale yellow hue and tastes of ginger, lemongrass, and Moroccan mint. I got a second full-pot brew out of the same leaves that were just a flavorful as the first.

CONCLUSION: A tasty, natural tea that has all the benefits I look for in a green loose leaf tea without any of the risks associated with some loose leaf tea brands. I am impressed by the strict standards and precautions Coastal Tea Company undertakes to ensure their teas are fresh and safe.

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

Coastal Tea Company Ginger Mint Green Tea

 

Find this tasty tea at Amazon.

 

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYyVSm2UCG8[/embedyt]

 

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Tea Tuesday: Coastal Tea Company Mango Green Tea

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Coastal Tea Company's Mango Green Tea

Coastal Tea Company’s Mango Green Tea

Here at Style Chicks, we drink lots of green tea. Green tea is a beauty powerhouse for youthful, glowing skin as well as a metabolism and energy booster. For example, studies indicate if you have a cup of green tea each day instead of your standard afternoon coffee for a year, that alone can result in up to a ten-pound weight loss. But to get the beauty benefits that green tea can offer, the brand of tea one chooses is critical in order to make sure it is the quality of tea to derive benefits. And, if you are not a fan of green tea, it helps if it is a tasty, flavorful tea. Coastal Tea Company makes a delicious Mango Green worth giving a try.

GREEN TEA
Green Tea has often been touted as the miracle drink for glowing skin, weight control, increased energy, improved immunity, and reducing inflammation. EGCG in doses of green tea shown to be effective in preliminary studies for cancer prevention. Multiple cups of green tea per day are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers. But not all green teas are created equal when it comes to taste, quality, EGCG levels, freshness, and safety.

WHAT MAKES COASTAL TEA COMPANY MANGO GREEN TEA SPECIAL?

– Coastal Tea Company’s Mango Green Tea is a 100% leaf sencha green tea blend with dried mango pieces with hints of peach and mint. The chunks of mango are plentiful and big, how they appear in the pictures is how the tea looks poured directly out of the bag, they were not “arranged” for the photo. What you see is what you get.

– All natural. There are no artificial flavors, chemicals or additives for flavor.

– It is tasty. Green tea can taste somewhat vegetal and is something of an acquired taste. This mango tea has a sweet mango and peach flavor with a notable mint infusion.

– The tea is actual full leaves, not dust or remaindered tea. This is the freshest type of tea, the best of the batch, and it holds the most benefits. The batches are small batches to ensure freshness and quality.

– In addition to being an organic green tea that is tasty, low caffeine and healthy, Coastal Tea Company takes special efforts to avoid the risks associated with green tea: lead and radiation.

Coastal Tea Company's Mango Green Tea

Coastal Tea Company’s Mango Green Tea

 

LEAD
A concern with the otherwise incredible health benefits of green full leaf tea is the level of lead it can contain. This problem is inherent to green tea, as it is highly prone to absorb chemical pollution, especially so in leaves picked in China. This problem exists in many brands of tea. The cost of the tea is not necessarily always correlated to the probability of higher levels lead, but small batch, hand-picked teas had the least possibility of containing lead.

According to the New York Times Well Blog, an independent study analyzed the lead content of various brands of green tea leaves. The study stated that the leaves in the Lipton and Bigelow tea bags contained 1.25 to 2.5 micrograms of lead per serving. (What’s in Your Green Tea?, May 23, 1013)

Coastal Tea screens their tea leaves for lead and metal traces by running it through a metal detector, a sorting machine, and a heavy magnet to sort out any tea leaves that have absorbed any lead or metals. I haven’t heard of a company taking such efforts to screen their tea leaves, but it gives me much more confidence that Coastal Tea Co teas are safe.

RADIATION
Another risk for green tea leaves is it is susceptible to absorbing radiation. While this is chiefly a concern with matchas (because the leaf is actually consumed not just steeped), it is something to be aware of in the selection of tea. Coastal Tea tests tea for radiation levels, as well as only selects tea leaves from areas that are known as safe (Uju City) and have never had reports of radiated tea.

TASTE
Brewed for 2-5 minutes, the tea has a lovely, golden-yellow hue and tastes of peach, mango, and a crisp, fresh-tasting mint. I got a second brew out of the same leaves that were just a flavorful as the first.

Coastal Tea Company's Mango Green Tea

Coastal Tea Company’s Mango Green Tea

CONCLUSION: A tasty, natural tea that has all the benefits I look for in a green loose leaf tea without any of the risks associated with some loose leaf tea brands. I am impressed by the strict standards and precautions Coastal Tea Company undertakes to ensure their teas are fresh and safe.

 

Coastal Tea Company's Mango Green Tea

Coastal Tea Company’s Mango Green Tea

Find this tasty tea at Amazon.

 

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggqv2SkshiQ[/embedyt]

 

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Natures Nectar Ultra Premium Natural Organic Matcha Green Tea

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The Style Chicks have long enjoyed a good cup of green tea: a tasty warm treat that does wonders for the skin, metabolism, and energy. Green Tea aids in hair growth. Green Tea contains Vitamin B, and its’ anti-inflammatory properties are significant. To get skin glowing the day before an event, we started drinking a minimum of 2-3 cups of green tea per day as was recommended in Dr. Nicholas Perricone’s 3-day “Anti-inflammatory Diet.” When you drink 3 cups of green tea in a day, your skin is luminous, dewy and glowing.

But sometimes it is tough to consume 3 cups of green tea a day when I really feel like I just want a double espresso with whip to get over my afternoon energy slump. An easy fix for this problem is to drink Matcha. Matcha tea has about half the caffeine of an espresso shot. AND it makes you extra pretty.

WHAT IS MATCHA & WHY SHOULD I DRINK IT?
Matcha is ground tea leaves which make for an intensely concentrated tea, something of a super tea, which has more than 100 times as much Polyphenols as regular green tea. One cup of matcha tea per day is enough for a jitter-free time released energy boost, glowing skin, weight management, increased metabolism and maximum health benefits. Matcha has highly concentrated green tea benefits, but you can get too much of a good thing. Drinking too much of any green, white or black tea can deplete iron in the blood, and all natural tea leaves, like anything else grown in soil, can have minuscule traces of lead. After one cup of matcha per day, you have gained all the Polyphenols, Amino Acids, and metabolism boost that you need.

A cup of Matcha in the afternoon can be an easy alternative to drinking multiple cups of green tea or a coffee substitute when you need some energy. Personally, I can use as much caffeine as I can get, but I do enjoy the energy boost from a good cup of Matcha because there is no “crash” from it like I get from some other caffeinated drinks.

HOW TO MAKE MATCHA TEA
To make Matcha tea, add 1 gram (just shy of a 1/4 teaspoon, .20 of a teaspoon to be exact) of Matcha powder to 6-8 ounces of hot but not boiling water and whisk until the powder dissolves. If you don’t have a matcha whisk, use the smallest whisk you have. Whisk the tea until you have a light froth, probably 30 seconds to a minute. To froth, quickly move your whisk in an M motion (remember: “M” for Matcha!)

A RECOMMENDED MATCHA TEA FOR DRINKING
Nature’s Nectar Ultra Premium Natural Matcha Green Tea is a ceremonial grade Matcha that is delicate and sweet without tasting artificially sweet. If you already drink green tea, you will notice it has a superior flavor of not tasting ‘vegetable-y’ or bitter, just a warm and delicate flavoring. The intensity can be richer depending on the amount of powder and water used, but this tin is a 30 day supply, 1 gram a day. Some brands are an entire teaspoon of Matcha per cup; that is too much powder for a fine grade Matcha such as this one. There is no need to over-do it with this Matcha as it has 137 times more Polyphenols than regular green tea, so you don’t need more any powder than suggested to optimize your green tea benefits. Nature’s Nectar Matcha is also organic and gluten free.

Something else I noticed about Nature’s Nectar Matcha is it is a much brighter green than the other Matcha’s I have. When I select a Matcha, I look for the most vivid green I can get not just because it makes for a prettier cup of Matcha but the colorful green means it is also packed with Amino Acids.

While this Matcha can be added to smoothies and drinks, but since it is such a high-grade matcha, I only drink it straight as a tea and use my less tasty Matchas for including in Matcha-based beverages.

DRINKING GRADE VERSES BAKING GRADE
Here is where Matcha can get tricky: a Matcha powder suitable for drinking as a tea should be a pure and high-quality matcha powder with an intentional blend of green tea leaf varieties. These Nature’s Nectar Matcha leaves are the preferred “first harvest” leaves which make the freshest tea and the highest levels of green tea benefits. A quality Matcha is often labeled as “ceremonial grade”. These Matcha powders often come packaged in a relatively smaller tin than those sold in bulk or bagged. They are also more expensive than those intended for making beverages featuring Matcha. For example, Trader Joe’s Matcha Green Tea Latte Mix is a larger container of powder best suited for use in lattes and recipes because the Matcha is pre-mixed with sugar cane, coconut and milk powders. Good in a DIY latte but not suitable as a matcha powder for tea. A pure matcha suited for drinking as a Matcha tea can be pricey but costs far less per cup than an afternoon run to a coffeehouse for a double espresso. And it is super simple to make.

Matcha TIPS and HACKS:

Once opened, store matcha in the refrigerator to maintain its fresh taste and vibrant green color.

Is your Matcha tea too bitter? Bring water to only a near boil, or wait for one to two minutes after boiling before pouring the water into your cup. Water at 194 degrees Fahrenheit (90 Celsius) and below will produce sweeter Matcha tea than when mixed with boiling water.

Need an extra brain power boost? The lower the temperature of the hot water, the more Theanine that brews. Theanine is the part of green tea that causes brain focusing and mental alertness. Can you tolerate a little extra bitterness for the sake of beauty? Then brew up a nice extra hot cup.

Matcha makes for a great pre-workout caffeine boost that will give you sustained energy without the mid-workout crash.

Natures Nectar Ultra Premium Natural Organic Matcha Green Tea

Natures Nectar Ultra Premium Natural Organic Matcha Green Tea

Tea Tuesday: Midori Spring ECO Class Culinary Grade Matcha

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StyleChicks has long touted the value of green tea for glowing skin, for its anti-oxidants, for healthy weight loss or maintenance by kick-starting the metabolism, and for general hydration. Green tea makes for an excellent anti-inflammatory agent within beauty products, and holds many well-known health benefits. Staying well-hydrated with a quality loose leaf green tea is a beauty treat that cant be easily replicated. While most of us have heard of green tea, Matcha is somewhat less well-known kind of green tea. It is considered the equivalent of numerous cups of green tea, and has significant health and beauty benefits.

Matcha is a fine milled powder green tea variant. It is naturally lighter tasting than many green teas but not too sweet. This Matcha, as stated in the description, is a Japanese Matcha with a process that increases its’ oxygenation and affords optimal at-peak tea leaves. It is a fresh green, natural taste, sort of earthy, but not too overwhelming, especially when tempered with other balancing flavors such as vanilla, maple syrup, or a fruity blend. It is a very fine mill that blends well, which is nice to not find lumps of the powder in a baked good or smoothie.

This particular Matcha is a culinary-grade Matcha, not a ceremonial drinking Matcha. This means it is too concentrated for just stirring into your hot water to make a green tea as it will make your tea taste much too bitter. It could however, blend well into a mixed drink, such as a latte or other mixed beverage. Matcha adds a nice anti-oxidant feature to various recipes, which is especially useful in the winter when good, fresh fruit is less available. I like how pure the process is to avoid unnecessary chemicals or additives in the process or product. I am personally not a health-food devotee, but there is no reason to be exposed to excess chemicals, especially in a food or drink product.

This is a very good price compared to many of the Matcha varieties available, and just a bit goes a long way in a recipe; this bag will last for a while. It is easy to find several recipes online for smoothies, breakfast breads and muffins, protein shakes, even Matcha green tea ice cream.
For those who cook for finicky eaters, or are fussy themselves, there is always the issue of appearance. The natural green color, once mixed or baked into a product, is not murky or lima bean color, which might turn some people off from using the Matcha, it is a fresh springy color that is visually appealing.

This recipe was adapted from Gena Hamshaw’s Matcha Green Tea Chia Pudding recipe. She adds fresh fruit; mine uses almonds, and sometimes, dark chocolate chips. The pudding is a nice switch from a morning, mid-afternoon or pre-workout smoothie as it is rich in anti-oxidants, calcium, protein and healthy fat. (The Full Helping http://www.thefullhelping.com/matcha-green-tea-chia-pudding/)

I like this combo of Matcha and chia seeds to have some invigorating energy without feeling caffeine jitters. There is a point in the day that I really need a pick-me-up but I dont want more coffee because I have had so much caffeine that my heart-rate is about as fast as a hummingbirds. So I find a Matcha based tea, smoothie or baked item (some people even add a little Matcha to their pancake mix!) with about one-third the caffeine, gives a nice natural energy boost.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp Matcha powder
  • 6 tbsp. chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup (optional)
  • sliced/diced almonds or dark chocolate chips to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add in the blender the milk, sweetener, vanilla, and Matcha together and blend in pulses until the mixture is smooth.
  2. Add the Chia seeds to a bowl. Pour the liquid over the chia seeds. Stir thoroughly. Stir again every few minutes for the next fifteen minutes. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
  3. Stir the mixture once more, add almonds to taste. Makes 2 servings.
Midori Spring ECO Class Culinary Grade Matcha

Midori Spring ECO Class Culinary Grade Matcha

Find Midori Spring ECO Class Culinary Grade Matcha at Amazon.

I received this item in exchange for my unbiased review.

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