Matcha - Mystical Ingredient With Amazing Properties
Fads are a fact of the beauty industry. Every once in a while, you will come across ingredients and names you haven't heard before. Some of them do turn out to be hype. However, a few of them turn out to be actually beneficial, and often surprisingly so. One such ingredient is called matcha.
If you were browsing through stores' skin and hair care sections, you must have come across products with matcha. Matcha is yet another form of green tea. Today we will discuss everything you need to know about this amazing ingredient and reveal why it's known as a mystical ingredient with exceptional properties.
Table of Contents:
- The Story of Matcha
- Uses of Matcha
- Matcha for Skin Care
- Treat Inflammation
- Prevent Premature Aging
- Prevent and Cure Acne
- Matcha for Hair Care
- Promotes Hair Growth
- Strengthen Hair Follicles
- Helps Deliver Nutrients to Hair and Scalp
- Get Rid of Dandruff
- How to Use Matcha for Skin and Hair Care
- Matcha-Infused Skin Care Products
- DIY Matcha Concoctions
- Matcha-Infused Hair Care Products
The Story of Matcha
Matcha is not a new ingredient by any stretch of the imagination – it is known for thousands of years. But matcha was introduced to the western world much later. For centuries, it was a closely held secret of the far east, including China, Japan, and Korea.
The documented history of matcha goes back to 600 AD in China, when tea leaves were ground and formed into bricks for preservation. Modern matcha is not very different from that. The process of making matcha involves growing special variants of green tea plants that need to be cultivated in the shade. Once the plant leaves grow, they are taken off and ground into a fine powder. There are special processes for both plucking the leaves and grinding them.
The ground green tea powder that forms as a result is called matcha. Traditionally, it is used for making tea only. But the healing properties of green tea were known to humans a long time ago. Gradually, matcha found its way into skin and hair care.
The combined benefits of consuming and topically applying matcha bring out the best of it. Today we have several premium skin and hair products that are infused with matcha, making it easier than ever to use it for self-care.
Uses of Matcha
Matcha tea is widely used in both personal care and food. It is even used as a flavoring agent in various dishes. Warm matcha tea is served at traditional Japanese tea parties, and it has a spiritual association with it.
Several scientific studies of matcha prove that it has a positive effect on our mental health. Research conducted on the same shows that university students who consumed 3 grams of matcha in 500 ml of water were less prone to burnout compared to their peers who consumed a placebo.
Apart from dietary and medicinal properties, matcha is also known for its benefits to skin and hair. In the following section, we will look at how and why matcha is good for the skin.
Matcha for Skin Care
Before we go into how matcha nourishes your skin, it is important to understand its composition. Matcha is full of amino acids that include theogallin, theanine, succinic acid, and gallic acid. Among them, theanine is the primary compound responsible for reducing stress.
Matcha green tea also has a very high concentration of caffeine. It's a result of its cultivation process. Since matcha is made from green tea plants grown in the shade, it has more caffeine than other variants of tea. Caffeine, as we know, boosts skin repair and regeneration along with hair growth.
Instead of going for caffeine-only skin care products, you can get more out of a matcha green tea skin care product. It brings together the best of green tea along with the dose of caffeine. Caffeine from coffee can also trigger reactions in many people, but caffeine from matcha green tea rarely does.
Here are some of the specific ways matcha is great for skin:
- Treats Inflammation
Inflammation is at the root of most skin-related issues. Be it mild acne or more serious eczema or rashes; matcha can help in fighting back inflammation. Since it has a high concentration of antioxidants, it can fight the root causes of inflammation.
Consuming matcha green tea can also help with this. Our bodies can have severe inflammation internally, and we often do not even realize it. Consuming matcha green tea will reduce inflammation and make you healthier. Drink matcha green tea along and apply it to your skin to see the best results.
- Prevents Premature Aging
Premature aging is not a condition in itself as much as it is a combination of symptoms. There are several symptoms of aging that can start showing up on your skin. Be it lines on the forehead, baggy eyes, or wrinkles, aging has distinct and unmistakable signs.
The stress-reducing properties of matcha also play a role in its anti-aging properties. Stress, as most of us already know, is one of the causes of different diseases. If you suffer from some diseases, it's natural for signs of aging to appear before you expect them.
Along with the topical application of matcha-based products, consider having it as a hot beverage. The combined effect would be much stronger.
- Prevents and Cures Acne
Acne is the most common skin condition in the world. There are several ways to treat acne, but the nature of the condition makes it quite unique. Different things work for different people. While some may swear by pharmaceutical drugs, they make the condition worse for others.
If you also suffer from acne and have not found a solution yet, give matcha green tea a shot. It has notably worked for several people of all ages and races. If acne is making you anxious and stressed, start drinking matcha green tea as well.
Apart from being great for skin, matcha is also amazing for hair. Let's find out more about that.
Matcha for Hair Care
Drinking matcha green tea also has its fair share of benefits for hair and scalp care. Today there are several hair care products with matcha that you can replace your regular shampoo with. A few months of use will convince you to never go back to your old shampoo.
- Promotes Hair Growth
Stress has been identified as one of the main reasons behind hair fall. While consuming matcha will help you reduce stress, using it in your hair care predicts will bring out its best.
Studies have concluded that green tea is effective in managing hair fall. Matcha, being a concentrated form of green tea, also offers the same benefits. Some also argue that the concentrated nature of matcha makes it more potent than green tea. At the end of the day, both are the same ingredient with different processing methods. You can use either or both, and your hair health would be better nevertheless.
- Strengthens Hair Follicles
If your hair follicles are weak, you will lose hair very easily. Even rubbing your head with a towel after a shower will lead to hair breakage. Matcha is an amazing ingredient to target this problem.
The primary antioxidant in matcha, epigallocatechin gallate, is known to reduce hair fall by fighting the free radicals that weaken hair follicles. When your hair follicles are weak, even the slightest friction causes hair to fall. Over time, weak hair follicles can shut themselves, resulting in baldness. Simply using matcha-based hair care products can be a lasting solution to this problem.
- Helps Deliver Nutrients to Hair and Scalp
Hair is a part of our integumentary system, which also includes nails and skin. Protein and other nutrients are delivered through it to promote the growth of hair and nails.
Consuming matcha green tea improves blood flow and oxygen levels, making it easier for the blood to carry nutrients. A topical application would also have several benefits in the form of making your hair and scalp more receptive to other products you use.
- Get Rid of Dandruff
Dandruff is often a result of bacterial infection on the scalp. Regularly using matcha green tea can fight off the infection and resultant dandruff. But if your dandruff is primarily caused by dryness, you would need to combine other products with matcha.
How to Use Matcha for Skin and Hair Care
You can use matcha in a wide range of forms and methods. As long as you are using the authentic ingredient without adulteration or harmful chemicals, you are good to go.
You can drink matcha green tea as a hot beverage; you can make your own matcha hair mask or use products that contain matcha green tea. Let's find out more about the different ways to use matcha.
Matcha-Infused Skin Care Products
The simplest way to use matcha is to have it in your skincare products. Here's a great example: this Fuji Matcha Green Tea Clay Face Mask from Wow Skin Science.
It comes with purifying clay and matcha green tea that cleans and nourishes your face from the inside. All you need to do is use this face mask for 15 minutes once or twice a week. As the purifying clay unclogs your pores, matcha green tea delivers nutrients and reduces inflammation. Regularly using this face mask will bring lasting smoothness and suppleness to your skin.
DIY Matcha Concoctions
Some people are more passionate than others when it comes to DIY skincare solutions. If you are willing to put in the additional time and effort, you can get good results from DIY matcha skin care recipes.
However, note that DIY may not be as safe as you think it is. If you add ingredients without knowing them or knowing how they go with each other, it may do more harm than good. Similarly, ensure that you buy unadulterated and authentic raw ingredients.
Finding high-quality matcha green tea may be a challenge if you are shopping in your local supermarket. Several online providers now deliver pure matcha green tea, and you can make use of them. For recipes, go with only tested bloggers or certified experts.
Matcha-Infused Hair Care Products
Just like skincare products, several shampoos and conditioners now contain matcha. When choosing a matcha shampoo or conditioner, you must read the ingredient label. Avoid products that have parabens, SLS, artificial colors, and fragrances. Using the right products is a convenient way to experience the benefits of matcha for hair and scalp.
There are many wonderful benefits of matcha that go beyond hair and skin care as well. Once you start exploring the benefits of this green tea variant, you'd want to incorporate it into every aspect of your life. Start using matcha today, if you don't already, and let us know your experience with this magic ingredient!