Acne and Green Tea

Green tea is used by the Chinese as a traditional remedy for treating various diseases including acne and improving general well-being. But does it provide an effective herbal alternative to modern medicine?

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. Green tea cream has been reduced to 4% benzoyl peroxide solution in people with moderate to severe acne. The results of this research show that green tea is just as effective in treating acne as benzoyl peroxide.

But benzoyl peroxide dries the skin causing itching or allergic reactions. Unlike green tea it has the added advantages of its natural anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties, especially epigallocatechin gallate which is 200 times stronger than vitamin E in combating free radicals.

Green tea also helps reduce inflammation, hormone activity and aids in detoxification - which is good news for acne patients.

Green tea extract is a very versatile herbal supplement - it can be topically given, often used in creams, taken as a pill or included in your diet and consumed as tea.

This last method is very popular (Green Tea with Honeysuckle is commonly known as 'Pimple Tea' in many Chinatowns) when drunk after a meal it helps digestion and helps to detoxify your system, eliminating toxins that can cause acne. Tip: don't drink with sugar, this will neutralize the effect of the tea.

It seems that taking green tea for acne is a win-win situation ... It has many beneficial properties that promote good health with little or no known side effects and for the price, green tea is definitely a valuable herbal treatment give it a try.

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