- Acne and Green Tea
- by Elaine Clay
Green tea is used by the Chinese
as a traditional medicine to treat many ailments including acne
and to improve general well-being. But does it provide an effective
herbal alternative to modern medication?
The answer seems to be 'Yes'.
There are only two herbal treatments that are known to be effective
in treating acne and green tea is one of them.In a recent study
by Jennifer Gan-Wong, M.D. a green tea cream was trailed against
a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution on people suffering with moderate
to severe acne. The results from this research study showed that
green tea was just as good in treating acne as the benzoyl peroxide.
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But benzoyl peroxide dries out
skin causing itching or allergic reactions. Unlike green tea
that has the added advantages of natural anti-bacterial properties
and antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate which
is 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at fighting free radicals.
Green tea also helps to reduce
inflammation, hormonal activity and aids in detoxification -
which is all good news for acne sufferers. |
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Green tea extract is an extremely
versatile herbal supplement - it can be administered topically,
often being used in creams, taken as a in the form of a pill
or incorporated into your diet and drunk as a tea.
This last method is very popular
(Green Tea with Honeysuckle is often known as 'Pimple Tea' in
many Chinatowns) when drunk after a meal it aids digestion and
helps to detoxify your system, getting rid of the toxins that
can cause acne. Tip: don't drink it with sugar, this will neutralize
the worthwhile effects of the tea.
It seems that taking green tea
for acne is a win-win situation. It has many beneficial properties
which promote good all-round health with little or no known side
effects and for the price, green tea it's definitely a herbal
treatment that's worth trying. |
Beauty Secrets of the World
