On the shelves of beauty stores nowadays, we find different kinds of skin products with matcha powder as one of the star ingredients. And as we’ve noticed, these products aren’t always the cheapest. Making a home-made matcha green tea face mask is both an economical and sustainable way to keep your skin feeling healthy and refreshed.
Matcha Benefits
Matcha is known to have most other tea types beat when it comes to health benefits. Compared to green tea, it has:
- 10 times the antioxidants of a serving of green tea
- 5 times more L-theanine, which improves our focus and creativity
- 15 times more vitamins
- 80 times the protein
Drinking 1 cup of matcha is basically equivalent of drinking 10 cups of sencha, when it comes to nutrients. When we drink sencha, we only drink the tea leaves infused in the brew. While in the case of matcha powder, we are consuming the whole tea leaf.
Matcha green tea is also known for having a powerful compound known as Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. EGCG is an antioxidant that has strong anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties. A common belief is that it can help reduce inflammation, aid weight loss, as well as help prevent brain and heart disease. Out of all tea types, the most significant amounts of EGCG are found in matcha, gyokuro, and certain kinds of white tea.
Can You Use Culinary Matcha For Tea?
The answer is — of course! Culinary grade matcha is made from the same plant and using the same processing methods as ceremonial grade matcha. The most significant difference is that for ceremonial matcha, only the youngest tea shoots are used. These tea shoots have the least astringency and store up the highest amounts of chlorophyll (thus the resulting deep green color of the powder). After the youngest tea leaves have been picked, come the ones next in line. Still young, still shaded, and still full of umami. The most important thing is choosing a trusted brand, making sure you don't end up with a dull-colored, bitter matcha.
When you drink straight matcha or matcha lattes at cafes most of the time, it is made from culinary grade matcha, otherwise called just “matcha”. Because of the more laborious process of producing ceremonial grade matcha, the price is higher and it is reserved for chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremonies), where it is drank in very small concentrated amounts.
Read more: Ceremonial Vs Culinary Grade Matcha
Matcha Face Mask
The EGCG in matcha works well internally as well as externally. For example, the EGCG and catechins in matcha absorb into our facial skin and fight undesired bacteria. This helps to reduce inflammation, simultaneously evening out our skin tone.
Studies have shown that using a green tea face mask for 8 weeks significantly improves skin condition. The best part is that a matcha green tea face mask is incredibly easy to make! We recommend trying this face mask out 1-2 times a week for at least 2 months and monitoring your skin condition along the way.
Ingredients for the easiest ever green tea face mask:
- 1tsp organic matcha powder
- 2 tsp water
Instructions:
- Sift the matcha powder through a fine-mesh sieve
- Mix together until a smooth, vibrant green paste is formed
- Apply to the face and neck area, leave for 10 minutes
- Gently wash the mask off with warm water and notice how refreshed your skin feels!
Depending on your skin type, other ingredients can be used. For example, honey is an excellent ingredient when it comes to acne-prone skin, coconut oil for dry skin, and yogurt for oily skin. Try adding an extra teaspoon of these ingredients (you can omit the water in this case) and see what works best for you!
How To Prepare Matcha Tea