19 Powerful Green Tea Ingredients That Will Transform Your Skin, Hair & Nails

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You’ve probably heard of green tea and that it has some amazing ‘super-powers’ which are very beneficial to us humans.

And this is actually true!

Well, maybe not super-powers, but it does have some very potent and special ingredients in it.

Do you want to give yourself an energy boost?
Do you want nicer skin, hair & nails?
Do you need a little help losing some weight?

Then green tea is the answer my fiend.

I’ve written many articles on the power of green tea for both health & beauty (see links at the end of this blog post), and so I though it would only be right to dedicate a whole post specifically on the ingredients of green tea alone. Then we’ll all know exactly what we’re consuming.

So this post is to specifically enlighten you with all the wonderful green tea ingredients which are all naturally good for you.

What Green Tea Ingredients Do for Skin, Hair & Nails

Green tea is much more than just a relaxing herbal tea.

Because of it’s production process, the active ingredients in green tea are preserved and that’s what you get when you buy it from the shelf of a shop – live, active ingredients.

Just so you know: The production process is cooler and for shorter periods of time than that of black teas which go through a much more rigorous and longer production process – thus losing some of their natural, nutrient-dense ingredients.

So yes, green tea is still very rich in natural, plant-dense ingredients which can give us many benefits both in health & beauty.

With that being said, let’s look into the wonderful green tea ingredients that help us with our skin, hair & nails care.

Bioactive Compounds

Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds. These leaves and buds are still full of active ingredients thanks to the gentle production process, as described above.

From these Camellia sinensis leaves, there are over 200 active ingredients in green tea (don’t worry, I’m not going to go over each and everyone of them!) But there are a few ingredients that are very powerful and have more than one benefit when it comes to the health of your skin, hair and nails.

So I’ll go over the main green tea ingredients which will benefit us ladies the most when it comes to our beauty planning and regimens.

Please note: It depends on what type of green tea you purchase as to the exact ingredients you will get in your purchased product, as the ingredients will vary from one green tea to another. For example, green tea bags’ ingredients will differ from powdered green tea.

But here are the more obvious and stable ingredients found in green tea:

Antioxidants

Polyphenols: There are more than 500 polyphenols which naturally occur in plants. Polyphenols are known for their protective mechanisms as they possess antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

EGCG: [A polyphenol] This is a unique plant compound as evidence has suggested that it aids to reduce inflammation, encourage weight loss, and helps to deter brain and heart disease.

Catechins: [A polyphenol] Catechins are natural antioxidants that help prevent cell damage. These substances can reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, protecting cells and molecules from damage.

Flavonoids: [A polyphenol] Flavonoids are thought to provide health benefits through cell signalling pathways and antioxidant effects. famous for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits, as well as its contribution of vibrant color to the foods we eat

Vitamins

Vitamin A: This vitamin is essetial to our skin and body as it helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth and eyes. Vitamin A is also known as ‘retinol’ as it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye, which promotes good vision.

Vitamin Bs: Vitamins included in the B-complex group all assist in the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose utilized for the energy used in the body. They also metabolize protein and fatty acids, and promote healthy maintenance of the eyes, skin, hair, the liver and stable the nervous system functioning.

Vitamin C: This vitamin helps protect our cells from free radical damage. It does this by boosting collagen in our tissues and cells, and also fights against oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is very important as it helps the body absorb calcium from the foods we eat. If you don’t get much sun (a major source of Vitamin D), follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, or have a milk allergy, then you aren’t getting enough vitamin D naturally and you could be prone to a vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin K: Vitamin K is essential to regulate blood calcium levels, as it produces prothrombine which is an important protein which helps prevent blood clotting and plays an essential role in bone metabolism (new bone turnover).

Minerals

Calcium: Calcium prevents the development of brittle bones and old age skeletal deformities. Without enough calcium in your diet, your body begins extracting calcium from your bones, which leads to osteoporosis and loss of bone mass.

Potassium: Potassium is a key mineral that the body relies on heavily to function properly. It helps to lower blood pressure by balancing out the negative effects of salt.

Iron: If you lack energy and feel constantly tired even after getting eight hours of sleep, then you may be experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency. Iron is particularly responsible for transporting and transferring oxygen to the cells, an activity necessary for the continued healthy functioning of your body. Iron is also vital for the ability of the immune system to fight off infection and disease.

Zinc: Zinc assists in the normal growth and repair of wounds, as well as contributing to immune system functioning. Zinc is also essential for making many enzymes and hormones including growth hormones, testosterone and insulin. In fact, without sufficient amounts of zinc, men may find themselves having difficulties with their fertility.

Magnesium: Magnesium regulates energy release in the body as well as enhancing smooth muscle contractions, nerve cell function and deterring blood clot formation by preventing the release of thromboxane, a substance that makes blood platelets more sticky.

Amino Acids

L-Theanine: This is a unique amino acid found in the green tea leaves which gives the relaxation effect on us humans.

Stimulants

Caffeine: Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system. When you drink caffeine and it works its way up to your brain, it will give your the ‘alertness’ effect. Suddenly you’re less tired and more alert & awake. This is why some people drink copious amounts of coffee during the day in order to keep them more alert to get on with their tasks.

Theobromine: Theobromine is mainly known as an ingredient in cocoa (chocolate), but it has traces of it in green tea too. Theobromine is quite similar in structure to caffeine and therefore it can also act as a stimulant in that it gives you the same alertness feelings as caffeine does, but on a much milder level.

Theophylline: relaxes smooth muscles in the airway, making breathing easier while also stimulating both the rate and force of heart contractions. mild diuretic effect and improves blood flow around the body, leading to a net reduction in blood pressure.

Here are all the articles which I’ve written on the subject of green tea:

… I’ve had a quick tot-up and I’ve just realized that I’ve written over 11,000 words on the subject of green tea alone! Is that sad?

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