Matcha is good for the taste buds, but is it good for the skin?

Matcha Lattes have become very trendy, and I have joined the bandwagon! I first got into matcha tea lattes via Starbucks because everything tastes better at Starbucks! One of the immediate differences I felt with drinking matcha instead of coffee or cold brew was a sustained energy rather than the fluctuating ups and downs of the coffee caffeine high. Because of this, I have switched to my first drink of the day to be homemade iced matcha tea lattes instead of coffee and if I need a little extra boost of energy in the slump of the afternoon, that is when I will pour myself a glass of cold brew. By doing this I also cut down on the extra sugars and calories Starbucks adds into their delicious drinks.

My current Iced Matcha Tea Latte concoction:

• Superfoods Matcha Green Tea Powder

• Oat milk

• Lots and lots of ice

Now the real question: Matcha is good for the taste buds, but is it good for the skin? IT IS! Matcha green tea powder helps the skin in numerous ways. Not only fight aging, but skin cancer, acne and clears blemishes. How does it do this?

1. Anti-Aging:

Matcha contains MANY antioxidants which are good for fighting the everyday stresses (free radicals) we experience in life (bad foods, UV rays). Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals to prevent them from damaging tissues in the body, like skin cells. By neutralizing free radicals, matcha is preventing premature aging or wrinkles, which is most seen on our faces, necks, and backs of the hands.

2. Skin Cancer Prevention:

Matcha also contains what we call EGCG or Epigallocatechin Gallate. EGCG has many functions, some of which are repairing damaged DNA (from free radicals) and stimulates our immune system to remove cells that are damaged beyond repair. In other words, the EGCG is repairing the damage that occurred when that the antioxidants could not neutralize it.

3. Clears Acne & Blemishes:

Finally, Matcha helps our skin by decreasing inflammation, sebum production (fatty acid that causes acne), and reduces acne related bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes), all to decrease the likelihood of you triggering an acne outbreak. Matcha decreases inflammation due EGCG being a strong anti-inflammatory product. By decreasing the sebum production, this prevents dirt and other dead skin cells from getting trapped into our pores and causing acne. P. Acnes is a bacterium that is commonly found on the skin and is connected to acne outbreaks. When matcha is used on the skin, it has found to have an anti-bacterial effect and reduce acne outbreaks by 89%!

Now does this mean I will be putting a matcha mask on every night? No. But do I feel more confident that matcha is benefiting my wellbeing and not just tasting good? Yes! I hope you find this interesting and maybe give an iced matcha tea latte a try!

Til next time!

Student Dr. Paige Daly