Skip to main content

Antioxidants

Green tea extract

Also listed as Camellia sinensis leaf extract, EGCG, epigallocatechin gallate

Rich in the polyphenol EGCG, a strong antioxidant in the lab. Small studies hint at help for acne; anti-aging results in people have been disappointing.

Limited evidence

What it is

Green tea's catechins, especially EGCG, neutralize oxidants, calm inflammation and reduce sebum and acne-bacteria activity in lab studies. Extracts go into cleansers, toners, sunscreens and moisturizers, often at low, unstated levels, and catechins oxidize easily.

A concentrated green-tea catechin ointment exists as a prescription drug for genital warts; that is a far higher dose and a different product from cosmetic extracts.

How strong is the evidence?

Limited evidence

An 8-week trial of 10% green tea cream plus oral green tea found no visible improvement in photoaging over placebo, only changes on biopsy. A small uncontrolled study of 2% green tea lotion found fewer acne lesions after 6 weeks. Lab evidence is strong; clinical evidence at cosmetic doses is limited.

What it's used for, checked

Wrinkles and photoaging

Unproven

The best-controlled trial found no visible difference from placebo after 8 weeks.

Acne

Mixed

Small, mostly uncontrolled studies report fewer lesions with 2% lotions.

Antioxidant protection from UV

Mixed

Reduces UV damage markers in lab and small human studies; it is not a sunscreen.

Oily skin

Unproven

Reduces sebum in lab work; little good human data.

Who should be careful

  • Generally well tolerated, though the green tea group in one trial reported more irritation than placebo.

The studies

Every citation is checked against its PubMed record.

  1. Double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of green tea extracts in the clinical and histologic appearance of photoaging skin.
    Chiu AE, Chan JL, Kern DG, Kohler S, Rehmus WE, Kimball AB · Dermatologic Surgery · 2005 · RCT

    40 women with moderate photoaging used 10% green tea cream plus 300 mg oral green tea twice daily, or placebo, for 8 weeks; no clinical difference was seen, only improved elastic tissue on biopsy, and the green tea group reported more irritation.

  2. The efficacy of topical 2% green tea lotion in mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
    Elsaie ML, Abdelhamid MF, Elsaaiee LT, Emam HM · Journal of Drugs in Dermatology · 2009 · Uncontrolled clinical study

    20 patients with mild-to-moderate acne applied 2% green tea lotion twice daily for 6 weeks; the average lesion count fell from 24 to 10. There was no control group.