Natural remedies often score high on hype but low on credible evidence. And reading about green tea you certainly find a lot of hype. But can green tea live up to the hype? Can you use green tea to treat acne?
The answer is a resounding yes. Studies show that green tea can reduce acne by over 50%. Furthermore, it can cut sebum production by astonishing 70%.
So take a few minutes to learn why you should make green tea as your go-to acne treatment.
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Read moreBenefits of green tea for the skin
Green tea has many benefits for the acne-prone skin, including the following:
- Reduces sebum production, one study showed 70% reduction after 8 weeks of use.
- Protects the skin against inflammation, several studies have shown that green tea cream can prevent and mitigate the damage caused by sunlight and other sources.
- Reduces inflammatory reaction to acne-causing bacteria. This is important because acne patients tend to have overtly strong inflammatory response to bacteria in the skin pores.
It’s now becoming clear that genes influence acne a lot. Not by causing it directly but by making the skin extra-sensitive to hormones and inflammation. One reason green tea is so effective against acne is because it mitigates these genetic vulnerabilities.
Studies: Over 50% reduction in pimple count
I searched the publicly available medical studies on effectiveness of green tea on acne. Unfortunately this isn’t getting the research attention is deserves and I only found 3 studies. But they show very promising results.
All 3 studies showed over 50% reduction in pimple count after using green tea cream. The study periods varied from 6 to 8 weeks (standard in studies like this). This graph summarizes the results.
Green tea cream reduced acne by more than 50%
In one of the studies the researcher wrote that green tea is as effective as benzoyl peroxide or antibiotic creams. Pretty impressive given that those are the go-to treatments for most dermatologists. And not only is green tea as effective as topical antibiotics, it also worked faster. Green tea lotion got results in 8 weeks while it took the antibiotic cream 12 weeks to really kick in.
The present work showed that 2% tea extract lotion was effective in clearance of papules and pustules,especially in mild and moderate acne. This result was comparable to the therapeutic action of other topical agents like topical benzoyl peroxide and topical erythromycin, which act as antibacterial agents and mainly on inflammatory lesions like pustules and papules, but tea lotion has a more rapid action than erythromycin as tea caused a significant reduction after 8 weeks, while topical erythromycin caused significant reduction after 12 weeks.
No mean feat for a humble cup of tea.
In case it’s not clear, these studies used topical green tea lotion.
Here’s a before and after picture from one of the studies.
Significant reduction in acne severity after using green tea cream
Source: Topical therapy of acne vulgaris using 2% tea lotion in comparison with 5% zinc sulphate solution (PDF)
Not what you could call ‘stop the press and rewrite page 1’ results, but still very good. And since this comes from a scientific paper (see the references below) you know it’s no photoshopped.
Green tea reduces sebum production by 70%
Excess sebum production is a problem for every acne patients. One reason green tea works so well is that it can reduce sebum production. One study found 70% reduction after 8 weeks of green tea cream.
Green tea cream reduced sebum production by 70%
Sources: Outcomes of 3% green tea emulsion on skin sebum production in male volunteers (PDF).
Earlier I mentioned how we acne patients got a bit unlucky in the genetic lottery. Because of genes our skin is far more sensitive to androgen hormones, and this causes excess sebum production. Green tea can mitigate this by blocking the androgen hormone receptors in the skin. And the graph above shows just how much this can help your skin.
For those who are technically minded, green tea does this by hindering the conversion of testosterone to DHT in the skin; something that happens far too actively in the acne-prone skin.
Green tea and skin inflammation
Excess inflammation is another problem for acne patients. Studies have shown that acne-prone skin reacts to bacteria much more strongly than normal skin does. The immune system sort of goes on an ‘overkill’ mode when it detects bacteria. This can turn otherwise harmless blocked pore into an angry pimple.
The presence of androgen hormones in the skin further strengthens this inflammatory response. Green tea can reduce the severity of your acne by mitigating the damage these hormones cause.
Further, green tea is strongly anti-oxidant on its own right. UV exposure from sunlight can damage and even cause skin cancer. Several studies have shown that topical green tea lotions protect the skin form UV-induced damage.
This is relevant because this sort of ‘external’ inflammation can trigger the acne formation process.
No real side-effects
In medicine desired (treatment) effects often come with adverse effects (side-effects). The more effective a treatment is the more side-effects it usually causes. Not so with green tea. The studies didn’t show any major side-effects from green tea creams. A few people experienced minor skin itching, but even that subsided over time.
Product recommendation
People often ask me to recommend a good product with green tea. There aren’t that many available yet. But the best one I’ve used is Exposed Skin Care. They include green tea into most of their products, and I noticed big drop in the oiliness of my skin when I used them.
They also use chemicals (benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid) responsibly and when they are called for, and compliment them with proven natural treatments. This aligns perfectly with my ideas for treating acne.
Disclaimer: I may get a small commission if you buy Exposed after clicking through from my website. You pay the same price and the income helps to keep this site going.
Take-home messages
So what’s the overarching conclusion from all this? Green tea is one heck of an effective acne treatment. It counters the main reason of our skin problems: genetic sensitivity to hormones and inflammation.
- The effectiveness of green tea is at par with benzoyl peroxide and anti-biotic creams, the current gold-standard treatments.
- Studies show over 50% reduction in pimple count from using green tea lotion.
- Green tea reduces how sensitive acne-prone skin is to androgen hormones by blocking androgen receptors in the skin. This can reduce sebum production, and one study showed over 70% reduction after 8 weeks.
- Green tea is also strongly anti-inflammatory. It can dampen the inflammatory response to acne-causing bacteria and protect the skin from external sources of inflammation.
With all this in mind I can confidently conclude that if you aren’t using green tea lotions you aren’t doing your best to fight acne.
Click to open references
- Topical therapy of acne vulgaris using 2% tea lotion in comparison with 5% zinc sulphate solution (PDF)
- The efficacy of topical 2% green tea lotion in mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris
- Treatment of acne vulgaris with 2% topical tea lotion (PDF)
- Outcomes of 3% green tea emulsion on skin sebum production in male volunteers (PDF)
- Skin photoprotection by green tea: antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects
- Green tea polyphenolic antioxidants and skin photoprotection (Review)
- Polyphenolic antioxidant (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate from green tea reduces UVB-induced inflammatory responses and infiltration of leukocytes in human skin
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Thank you for this great information. Is this type of lotion available for purchase? I can’t seem to find any manufacturers of such a lotion.
Cortney, unfortunately it seems that green tea lotions are not widely available. I know that some Korean bands (like Skin Food) have green tea lotions, but other than that I haven’t found any from supermarkets or pharmacies. That said, Exposed Skincare uses green tea in most of their products. They sent me a free kit 2 months ago and I’ve been really impressed with it. In fact so much that I just ordered another (with my own money this time
). This is not a scientific observation or anything, but I have noticed quite a significant reduction in the amount of oil my face puts out.
Proactiv also has green tea in their moisturizer. People have said good things about Proactiv’s moisturizer, but my personal preference is Exposed because they add green tea in most of their products and because of the other ingredients in their formulation.
What if can’t find products containing green tea? Can I still use plain tea on my face? Do you think that would have some effect?
I find your website very informative.
Grasi, happy to hear that you like the website!
I’ve also struggled to find products with green tea in them. If you are open to commercial solution then I highly recommend Exposed Skin Care. They use green tea in most of their products. I got a free kit from them to test it out and really liked it. Unfortunately I live in Thailand the Thai customs keeps sending my repeat orders back. Apparently they classify it as a drug and I need a licence to import it.
During the 2 months I used it I did notice a drop in oiliness of my skin. It also killed all the residual redness and the occasional small spot I still got. So I’m quite happy to recommend it.
I’ve been struggling to find a replacement. Now I just apply freshly brewed green tea on my face with a cotton pad. It’s too early to say whether that has any effect. I’m not sure whether the tea just sits on the skin or whether it actually gets absorbed. While my skin is still a bit wet from tea I apply either a moisturizer or sesame oil on my skin. I’m hoping this seals in the tea and prevents it from evaporating.
That’s something you can definitely try. But if you are open to commercial solution then I recommend Exposed. Either the Basic or Expanded kit should work just fine.
What about just mixing some green tea extract with a standard moisturizer(like Cetaphill)?, seems like that would be quite a bit cheaper. (you have a great blog going here)
In theory that should be ok. It doesn’t matter where the green tea extract comes from.
The only thing I worry is whether it gets absorbed along with the moisturizer. Many of those extra ingredients you see in skin care products are there to ensure all the active ingredients are uniformly spread and suspended in the lotion. Given that you introduce extra ingredients into the cream, I can’t say for sure whether it actually gets into your skin. It’s worth a try anyway.
Hi, I’m 17 from Philippines. Few months ago, I found out that green tea helped many people cure their acne. I searched on Google for many weeks before I tried it. I bought a box of green tea and and started drinking it 3-4 times a day. After several weeks, I noticed that my acne shrank and pimples stopped coming back. My only problem was my already existing whiteheads and blackheads. But I suddenly stopped drinking it, because 180 pesos or 4 dollars is already big enough to spend every week for me, being a student. But if I had more money, I wouldn’t stop. I’m
sure that If I did not stop, I would be already clear by now. Unfortunately, pimples slowly starts to come back. I’m on my first week now of drinking green tea again.
Sorry
Hope, you understand what I’m trying to say.
Marie, sure I understood you. It was quite clear that green tea helped your acne a lot. It’s not surprising since it’s anti-inflammatory and can also help with insulin resistance (and thus with hormonal acne). If green tea is too expensive, you can also try black tea. It’s not as good as green, but it also has quite a bit antioxidants. I would recommend green though.
Can I use green tea extract powder like this one http://www.bulkactives.com/teapolyphenols.htm and just add it to any cream or lotion at a 2% percent concentration?
I can’t say for sure. I doubt that just adding that powder into some moisturizer will do you much good. For ECGC to be effective it needs to pass through the top layer of the skin. And for that to happen it needs to be dissolved into liquid, because only very tiny particles can pass through the skin.
If you have some experience in cosmetics chemistry, then I’m sure you can make your own green tea cream. But I seriously doubt that just adding EGCG powder to some moisturizer will do the trick. You would fist have to dissolve EGCG into liquid and then use emulsifiers and surfactants to mix the liquid into a fat-soluble cream that will pass through the skin barrier.
Alternatively, you could dissolve EGCG into water and just use that as toner. But the problem is that water-soluble substance have a hard time passing through the skin, given how it’s coated in fat.
Thank you very much for your reply! I was planning on using that but I am skeptical about it, thank you for your advice, and what do you think about brewing fresh green tea then freezing it in small dixie cups and just thawing it when needed? Or will the catechins be destroyed when frozen? I really want to incorporate green tea into my regimen and the only problem I had with exposed is benzoyl peroxide being the main treatment in their system because I didn’t have a nice experience with it, It clears up acne but it is very drying to the skin and also the risk of breaking out after quitting from using it but I have nothing against it and would recommend it with people who has no issues with the dryness.
Not sure if you’ve seen these two posts already.
http://www.acneeinstein.com/hack-your-tea-2/
That one talks about shelf-life and absorption of green tea. Unfortunately I have no idea what freezing does to the catechins.
http://www.acneeinstein.com/fresh-green-tea-topical-acne-treatment/
That one talks more about using fresh green tea as topical treatment.
Ok thank you for the links and replies, maybe i’ll just get some from the green tea that I drink every morning.
Hello! You said there are Korean brands with green tea. I’m very happy I’m living in Korea now (I’m not Korean) so could you please recommend me any product in particular? Also, what do you think of bb cream? It’s very popular here, I use Missha and it was when I started using it on a daily basis that I for the first time in my life felt really beautiful. I found out I can look good! And everyone started complimenting me on my skin and looks. I still get break outs occasionally though (gluten is a big problem for me) and cannot get rid of the scars. I would love to have great skin even without makeup.
I find Korean cosmetics really good, what do you think?
Rumi, I’m not sure what you are referring to. I wrote about a Korean study, but I don’t think I’ve ever talked about Korean green tea brands. So I’m afraid I can’t help you there. Same with bb cream, this is the first time I hear about it.
No, no, I don’t mean Korean tea brands but Korean cosmetic brands with green tea, I saw you mentioned skin food and I would just like to know if you know more about it.
BB cream is a kind of makeup, it’s not as heavy as foundation and looks more natural. Most people cannot tell if you are wearing BB cream and it’s ridiculously easy to apply. It covers well and is an option when you want to hide you bad skin. I think it must be available in Thailand too.
OK, now it makes sense. Yes, I bought a green tea lotion from Skin Foods when we visited Korea last year. I have to say that I wasn’t too impressed with it. And I think the whole Skin Foods brand is more about marketing than good products. Korean cosmetics are all rage here in Thailand, but as a guy I really can’t say much about them
Sounds pretty interesting, so what kind of green tea treatment do you think would be more effective? topical applied to the skin? or actually drinking the stuff? Surely with topicals (creams etc) you run the risk of some other comedogenic ingredients?
Green tea can work both topically and orally (i.e. drinking it). It’s not a magic cure, but consider how simple it is to use I would recommend it to everybody. I wrote about using straight green tea topically before, and also about the benefits of drinking green tea. As for products, I recommend using Exposed Skin Care. Most products are formulated to be non-comedogenic, so I wouldn’t worry about that too much.
Thank you for this article and the one on antioxidants. They are both very well researched and encouraging. Do you know if, in theory, using a green tea serum would still help those with dry skin as well? My skin is dry but I struggle with consistent moderate acne.
I’m not sure that green tea serum would be the best option for people with dry acne-prone skin. Dry skin is not actually opposite of oily skin. Dry skin means the skin barrier is not working properly and it allows too much moisture to escape. Oil on the skin would help with that because oil forms a barrier water can’t penetrate, but it’s not the same thing.
For dry skin I would recommend either a water- or oil-based moisturizer. Look for something with vitamin C or E to supply your skin with antioxidants. I think green tea moisturizer would also work.
There may be something that irritates your skin and causes the dryness. Please see my dry skin post for more on that.
Seppo, which Exposed Skincare product did you use that significantly reduced your oil production?
At the time I was using the 9-piece ultimate kit, but I was mostly using the basic products and the moisturizer. I don’t think that the probiotic supplement had much effect on sebum production. So you could also get by with the 6-piece kit. To be honest, I can’t be 100% certain that the reduction in sebum production was due to Exposed. I think it was, but one can never be sure as there are so many factors that go into it.
Hi, what do you think about taking green tea extract supplements? (in pills), I am thinking about trying that since I don’t think I am drinking enough cups of green tea per day? Apparently the extract has a lot of ECGG…and I am also taking fish oil, does the fish oil interact with green tea? What if I added zinc and vitamin D? How many cups of green tea should I be drinking a day to get the effect?
Cheers
Green tea supplements can help. Some of the research I cited on my drinking green tea post was done with green tea extract supplements. See that and the tea hacking post for details on how many cups to drink.
But do keep in mind that topically applied and ingested green tea fight acne differently. Topical green tea can reduce the effect of hormones on your skin whereas ingested green tea may reduce insulin level and inflammation – so it reduces the pressure on your skin, so to say.
Hi Seppo, very nice articles and replies, I’ve learnt more about fighting acne in the last 30 mins then I have in my whole life! I am wondering if you know of any adverse effects of ingesting green tea on hormone levels, as I am currently trying to put on muscle mass I would hate to have my important muscle building hormone responses inhibited.
Kind Regards
Aiden
Glad to hear you found the site useful! I doubt green tea has any negative effect on hormones. Because it’s anti-inflammatory and can reduce insulin resistance it probably has small(ish) positive effect, but I don’t think it will negatively affect your hormones.
great site! what I’ve been trying with green tea is boiling some water and doing a facial steam with it by pouring it into the sink, adding a couple of green tea bags and then steaming my face with it. Then after I am done steaming my face, which opens up all my pores, I take the tea bags and let them rest on my face. I look quite silly, but it’s been working for me fairly well. I’ve also started doing the oil cleanse method with castor oil and jojoba oil!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Erin!