National Geographic states that if you were to take off your skin it would cover nearly 22 square feet and would weigh an average of eight pounds, which makes your skin the largest organ within your body. As with any other organ, over time environmental influences and age causes your skin to lose its elasticity and vibrancy.
Although there are hundreds of ointments and creams designed to enhance the appearance and health of your skin; however, if you wish to enhance your skin naturally you may find white tea to be an effective treatment option. While proponents of white tea claim this herb can significantly enhance the look and feel of your skin, scientific evidence does not fully support this use.
Active Constituents of White Tea:
Since white tea is derived from the same plant as green, black and oolong tea its active constituents are fairly similar; however, the concentration of such compounds vary in concentration.
White tea is manufactured by exposing young tea leaves to extreme temperatures in order to hinder the oxidation process. As a general rule of thumb, the longer tea is allowed to oxidize the higher the catechin, or antioxidant, content. Because of this, green tea has the highest catechin content due to its long oxidation period.
The most potent compounds found in white tea include a variety of flavonols, epigallocatechin and epicatechin gallate, which belong to the catechin family.
According to researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute, the constituents found in white tea have shown promise for treating osteoporosis, coronary heart disease and potentially cancer.
White Tea Skin Benefits:
According to ScienceDaily, the active constituents found in white tea are at such a concentration they have been shown to prevent skin damage due to oxidation, which ultimately enhances your skin’s immune system.
Researchers from the study where this information was derived found that by topically applying white tea extract directly to the skin damaged skin cells were restored and any DNA damage due to sunlight exposure was significantly reduced. Researchers also hypothesize that external application of white tea may actually delay the natural skin aging process due to its extremely high antioxidant concentration.
How to Utilize:
If you wish to utilize this natural skin therapy, you may do so by consuming white tea and applying white tea extract directly to your skin. White tea ointments are available; however, you may brew fresh white tea leaves for five to 10 minutes in boiling water. Allow the water to cool, and dip a clean washcloth into the tea. Rub the soaked washcloth over your skin.
References Used:
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/skin-article.html
National Geographic: Skin
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/01/030130081227.htm
ScienceDailiy: New Study Shows Tea Extract Protects Skin…
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w02/tea.html
Linus Pauling Institute: Tea and Chronic Disease Prevention
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/tea/
Linus Pauling Institute: Tea