When temperatures drop, holiday decorations pop up here and there, and it becomes acceptable to light a fire in the fireplace, your impulse may be to grab hold of the nearest available hot drink, pour it into a big mug, and get cozy on the couch. Sounds like a great plan, and if you are working toward healthy skin goals this fall and winter, you can keep on task by choosing a delicious hot beverage that also supports smoother, younger-looking skin. Dr. Crystal Dinopol, DPDS, a board-certified dermatologist and writer for payitforwardfertility.org, lets us in on the one hot drink for younger-looking skin that you can enjoy every day (and your skin will thank you for it, too).
Green Tea
Proper hydration is key when it comes to health and skin. Aside from water, one drink that can help skin stay youthful and glowing is green tea, according to Dr. Dinopol.
“This hot drink has been a holy grail for health enthusiasts and dermatologists for decades,” Dr. Dinopol said. “Although I do not recommend drinking it first thing in the morning (to avoid digestive and reflux issues), drinking green tea helps reduce puffiness and bloating from its caffeine and diuretic effects. Tannins and catechins boost immunity and skin resilience from UV radiation (combined of course, with daily sunscreen application). What’s more, green tea contains polyphenols that are said to regulate oil production and can reduce inflamed acne lesions.”
Green tea is also rich in vitamins E and B2, both of which help maintain healthy levels of collagen in the skin. But the antioxidant it contains that deserves a lot of credit is called EGCG, and it’s one that can fight UV-causing DNA damage.
“If you find that this is not exactly your cup of tea, you can try adding lemon and honey at first to get used to the bitter flavor,” Dr. Dinopol said. “Both are also known antioxidants that boost skin health.”
Experts recommend drinking three to five cups of green tea per day to reap its benefits. Keep in mind though that one cup of green tea contains about 28 mg of caffeine, which is half the caffeine content of black tea, but should still be considered so that you aren’t disrupting your sleep with too much caffeine in the late afternoon or early evening.
While you’re brewing up cups of green tea this fall and winter, don’t sleep on the benefits of green tea as a topical ingredient in skincare products. A boost of caffeine from green tea in your eye cream can awaken eyes, while the green tea in moisturizers and serums also acts as a hydrating powerhouse ingredient. It’s truly the ingredient that gives and keeps giving.
