Green Tea has become one of the new age food heroes – a helpful ally in preventing everything from heart disease and cancer, to skin aging and weight gain. The full range of health benefits may take decades to define, but research on its impact on human skin is reasonably well developed. The secret ingredients are chemicals called catechins and green tea has over five times as many as black tea. Catechins are antioxidants that can clear cell damage on the skin and repair wrinkles, blemishes, or other impurities. When applied to the skin, green tea can reduce sun damage by reducing inflammation and tackling free radicals. (It doesn’t block UV rays). Therefore, green tea may complement sunscreen’s effects when used together. It’s also being studied as a treatment ingredient for rosacea, psoriasis and warts. Green tea formulas may also slow down the signs of aging, but turning back the skin’s aging clock is far less certain. Keep in mind that, like most other antioxidants, green tea loses its potency when exposed to air and it’s still unclear whether skincare products can preserve the benefits of catechins from lab to shelf. The optimal concentration is also unknown. All in all, considering tea’s safe track record and the suggestion of countless health benefits, switching to green tea from other beverages makes good sense, as does a green tea food supplement.