It’s not just a hot drink with a sweet taste. Matcha is also a very effective active ingredient for the skin. Powerful antioxidant, firming, purifying and anti-grease, it is even more effective than its cousin the classic green tea.
Its powder presentation and beautiful jade green color set it apart from other varieties. Matcha tea comes from the same tree as the classic green tea, Camellia sinensis, but it gets a different treatment. “Four weeks before harvest, a mat is laid to create shade on the younger leaves, at the top of the shrub. Due to this sun deprivation, photosynthesis is reduced and the tree compensates by producing more chlorophyll and amino acids, “explains Émilie Jolibois, cosmetic ingredient research expert at Aroma-Zone. Thanks to this process, the matcha is very concentrated in active ingredients, such as polyphenolsand tannins. Its leaves are then dried and powdered. Unlike other teas, stronger in taste, its roundness in the mouth does not require infusion. “In cosmetics, this powder can easily be added to a mask recipe. It can also be used in an emulsion by filtering it with a very fine filter so as not to have any deposit”, adds the specialist.
Matcha tea protects the epidermis
Matcha is very concentrated in catechins, polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants. These provide excellent defense against free radicals. They also exert a soothing and anti-inflammatory action, thus relieving tightness and redness. Its tannins reinforce the anti-free radical protection of cells. The amino acids it contains, including L-theanine, are renowned for their relaxing and anti-stress effects. “These properties have been demonstrated when matcha is drunk, but no study has been carried out to verify whether the relaxing benefit on the skin was real”, tempers the expert of Aroma-Zone. Still, matcha is also very interesting for the scalp since it tones and stimulates regrowth, after a hair loss for example.
It has a restorative action
Catechins also have anti-aging properties: they inhibit the process of collagen degradation (collagenase) and they boost the production of this essential support protein in the dermis. Matcha also contains antioxidant vitamins C and E, and regenerating vitamin A for the skin. Thanks to their astringent effect, tannins regulate excess sebum and tone the epidermis. Finally, this green tea is rich in caffeine (or theine). This plays a role in anti-cellulite care because its lipolytic action promotes the elimination of fat. This action is found in treatments intended for the eye area, with the mission of reducing pockets of fat.
4 matcha tea cosmetics we love
Very complete, this lip care repairs, softens and stimulates collagen production thanks to the matcha powder, vitamin C and the coconut and avocado oils it contains.
Matcha balm, Wink y Lux, 16 € le stick de 4 g.
A balm composed of coconut oil to take off makeup and impurities, and matcha to take care of the skin gently.
Make-up remover balm, Prescription Lab, € 13 for 100 ml.
The green tea from which this powder to be mixed in a treatment is extracted is organically cultivated in an unspoiled region of Japan.
Organic matcha green tea from Japan, Aroma-Zone, € 5.90 for 30 g.
A cocktail of fatty acids from fruits, vegetables, vitamins, minerals and matcha that restores radiance and hair suppleness.
