Acne and Blackheads: Green Tea Can Help
Acne and blackheads, pimples on your forehead or nose… you don’t have to be a teenager to suffer from these annoyances.
They’re so common nowadays that there’s an industry constantly generating new creams and treatments for these skin imperfections.
But did you know that something as cheap and healthy as green tea can become your best friend in the fight against blemishes?
In this article, we’ll describe three simple strategies for using green tea to get rid of acne and blackheads.
1. White clay and green tea mask to fight acne and blackheads
Have you already heard about the benefits of using white clay for your skin? White clay, also known as “Kaolin,” is an ideal base for natural beauty treatments.
It’s highly cleansing and disinfecting, making it perfect for treating problems with acne and blackheads.
Here are some more benefits of using a white clay and green tea mask:
- It has excellent astringent properties, treating acne and blackheads and revealing healthy, luminous skin. But where can you get white clay? Try your local herbalist or health food stores. And it’s not expensive – in fact, it’s quite affordable. Typically you’ll find it in powder form. You’ll see how easy it is to make a mask.
- To prepare this treatment the first thing you need to do is make a potent tea using three green tea bags and a half cup of water. Use chlorine-free water if possible, but don’t worry if you don’t have it on hand.
- Now you’ll add your tea to the white clay powder. You want to obtain a paste that’s thick enough to apply to your face. Mix it well, and smooth this mask over your face, paying special attention to areas where you tend to see blackheads and breakouts.
- Leave your mask on for 15 minutes, then rinse with cool water. It’s a good idea to use this treatment twice a week.
2. Green tea and apple cider vinegar toner
This toner is great for nighttime usage three times a week. The two ingredients form a powerful combination against acne and blackheads that you can’t afford to leave out of your beauty routine.
But why apple cider vinegar? Well, apple cider vinegar is great for fighting inflammation as well as blackheads, and helps balance the pH of your skin.
To make this toner, you’ll need to make your green tea first, using slightly less than half a cup of water, add three green tea bags to steep. Then add just a little apple cider vinegar (a teaspoon) and pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
Store this in the fridge and in two days it will be ready for use. Shake it well and spritz the toner on your face. Leave it on for at least half an hour before rinsing well and applying your normal nighttime moisturizer. It’s as simple as that!
3. Steam bath using green tea
This version of a steam bath is as easy as the original method. It’s a highly effective way to get rid of blackheads and make your acne disappear.
To do it, just follow these simple steps. Pay attention:
- Heat some water on the stovetop until it’s boiling, and then add five bags of green tea. Once it steeps, place your face over the pot and cover your head with a cloth to trap the steam. Remember to turn off the heat on the stove and to keep the heat from the steam at a comfortable level.
- Be careful not to hold your face too closely to the steam, or it could burn you.
- Let the steam penetrate your skin. You’ll see how good it feels, and you’ll really notice the benefits if you do this twice a week.
To wrap this up, it’s always a good option to take your green tea the traditional way (as an afternoon beverage). It can also help fight your acne and blackheads from within. Are you read to start today?
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- MedlinePlus (2019). Acné. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/acne.html. Accessed 11/03/2020.
- Saric, S., Notay, M., & Sivamani, R. K. (2017). Green tea and other tea polyphenols: Effects on sebum production and acne vulgaris. Antioxidants, 6(1), 2. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox6010002. Accessed 11/03/2020.
- Williams, L. B., & Haydel, S. E. (2010). Evaluation of the medicinal use of clay minerals as antibacterial agents. International geology review, 52(7-8), 745-770. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/00206811003679737. Accessed 11/03/2020.
- Yagnik, D., Serafin, V., & Shah, A. J. (2018). Antimicrobial activity of apple cider vinegar against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans; downregulating cytokine and microbial protein expression. Scientific reports, 8(1), 1-12. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18618-x. Accessed 11/03/2020.
