Looking for a fun addition to your skin care routine? Adding matcha to your face mask doesn’t just make you look like an otherworldly creature with green skin. It actually comes loaded with health benefits for your skin and overall body.
What Is Matcha?
Matcha is different from other green tea in that it’s made from grinding the tea leaves into a very fine powder. You dissolve it in water for a highly concentrated tea drink. In other words, you drink the entire leaf instead of just the brew. You can drink it hot or cold. It makes for an easy option to keep on hand because you can add it to any water and have it on hand. No brewing required.
Super Drink
Before we get into the skin-specific benefits of matcha, let’s talk about the overall health benefits it contains. Matcha is basically a super drink.
Matcha is loaded with anti-cancer properties. Drinking matcha regularly has been found to reduce the risk of breast, bladder, colon, and prostrate cancers. The NIH even cites studies saying that green tea can prevent cancer, adding lung and ovary cancer to the list. Studies looking for evidence that green tea can treat cancer are inconclusive.
Matcha has been shown to promote weight loss and rev up metabolism. Green tea is high in catechin which can help balance cholesterol levels by reducing inflammation. Matcha also helps with hypertension and reduced the risk of heart disease. Matcha is high in flavonoids — like catechin — which is good for the heart and blood vessels. These can reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The chlorophyll in matcha is a super-detoxer. Chlorophyll can pull out toxins including chemicals and heavy metals. It also makes your blood better at delivering nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.
Matcha also has been shown to help reverse type 2 diabetes. One study found that drinking green tea decreased fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and A1c concentrations.
I call matcha “happy juice” because it has high levels of an amino acid called L-theanine. L-theanine increases alpha waves in the brain which relaxes the mind without causing sleepiness. It also doesn’t come with caffeine jitters while making you more alert and attentive. Matcha can contain 5x more L-theanine than other forms on green tea.
Keep in mind that matcha does have some caffeine (about half that of coffee), so don’t sip on it before bed. It makes for a much better morning boost or cure for a mid afternoon slump.
Super Skin Care
Matcha has detoxing powers that promote healthy, glowing skin! It can decrease sebum production which is good for fighting acne. The chlorophyll helps remove toxins and heal damaged skin, making it anti-aging. All the antioxidants reduce inflammation, making your skin feel happy. And let’s not forget about those anti-cancer properties!
You can bet I love getting this stuff into my skincare practices and all over my face. A cool matcha face mask on over-sunned or super dry skin is pure bliss. You can also add it to soap if you make your own.
Matcha can be used on all skin types because it doesn’t dry out your skin or cause irritation. Whether your skin is dry or oily, this yummy green powder can always be there for you and your skin care needs!
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