Better than green tea for your skin

Green tea is a superfood when it comes to cancer, heart disease, and weight loss. But there’s another tea that has all the benefits of green tea and MORE.

I’m talking about white tea from the  Camellia sinensis plant. It’s rarer and more treasured than black or green tea.

White tea is made by gently steaming immature tea buds even before they bloom into leaves. Because it’s minimally processed, white tea retains even more of the powerful catechin antioxidants of green tea. Those catechins take on free radicals that develop when you get too much sun or stress, or eat a poor diet.

But white tea works in other ways to prevent and reverse skin damage that can make you look old before your time.

White Tea Reduces DNA Damage While It Preserves Collagen And Elastin

White tea protects your skin by strengthening its immune system.

Did you know your skin has an immune system? It’s true. The epidermis contains “watchdog” cells called Langerhans cells. They’re constantly on alert for foreign agents like germs and mutated proteins that signal cancer. But Langerhans cells are extremely sensitive to sunlight. Over time they become obliterated by sun damage.

In a study from Case Western Reserve University researchers applied cream containing white tea extract to a patch of skin on each subject’s buttock. Then they exposed the skin to artificial sunlight. After just three days, skin treated with white tea extract had its Langerhans cell immunity completely restored from sun damage. 

In addition, the white tea extract limited DNA damage in the treated skin cells. That’s the kind of damage that promotes skin cancer, age spots and wrinkling.

White tea also keeps skin looking younger by slowing the breakdown of collagen and elastin.

When you’re young, collagen and elastin break down all the time. Certain enzymes called “matrix metalloproteinases” (MMP) activate the breakdown. But you also build up collagen and elastin to replace the damage done by MMP. In other words, you constantly replenish your skin’s foundation.

As you get older, MMP breaks down collagen and elastin faster than you can replace it. Eventually you notice sagging skin and wrinkles.

But white tea blocks MMP. Researchers found white tea inhibited MMP’s destructive action better than 20 other plant extracts tested. ² In fact, white tea was 3-6 times more effective than green tea at protecting collagen and elastin.

Preserve Your Skin’s Youthful Elasticity
With White Tea Extract

To promote healthy, radiant skin drink 2 to 3 cups of white tea every day. It’s not as popular yet as green tea but you can easily find it in your health food store or online.

Republic of Tea makes several flavored and unflavored white teas. Just remember that white tea contains low amounts of caffeine so if you’re sensitive, go easy.

You can also apply white tea directly to your skin. Here’s a trick some of  clients use. Freeze freshly brewed white tea in ice cube trays. Rub a melting cube over your skin for a refreshing white tea toner.

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Subscribe to the podcast on iPhone app. http://apple.co/2exloMN OR