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Rows of fresh green tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) on a tea plantation

Plant waters & botanicals

Green tea

INCI Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract · Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water

Also known as green tea extract · green tea water · Camellia sinensis · tea leaf · catechins · EGCG · epigallocatechin gallate

Antioxidant tea leaf: 73% of our eye cream's base, and in our toner and serum.

Green tea is the unfermented leaf of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, and one of the most researched antioxidant botanicals in skincare thanks to its catechins, especially EGCG. It appears as a leaf extract or a light green tea water. VVBETTER's Firming Eye Cream is built on 73% green tea water instead of purified water, and green tea extract supports the AHA Boosting Toner and the ACZERO complex of the Succinic serum.

Found in

What it is

All true tea, green, black or oolong, comes from the leaves of one evergreen shrub, Camellia sinensis. Green tea is made by heating fresh leaves soon after picking, by steaming or pan-firing, which stops the leaf's own enzymes from oxidising it. That is what keeps green tea rich in catechins, the polyphenols that are largely converted into other compounds in black tea.

The main catechin is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), followed by epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epicatechin. Tea leaves also contain the amino acid L-theanine, a little caffeine, flavonols and minerals. In cosmetics you will see:

  • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract: a water- or glycol-based extract that concentrates the catechins.
  • Green tea water: a light aqueous preparation of the leaf used as a formula's base in place of purified water.
  • Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil: an oil pressed from tea seeds, used as an emollient, a different material from the leaf.

Benefits for skin

  • Antioxidant protection

    Catechins such as EGCG help neutralise free radicals from sunlight and pollution that contribute to dull, tired-looking skin.

  • Calms the look of stressed skin

    Green tea is a classic soothing botanical in formulas for skin that looks red or feels reactive.

  • Helps skin look fresher

    Used around the eyes and on the face, green tea helps tired-looking skin look brighter and more rested.

  • Balance for oily skin

    Green tea is a common partner in formulas for oily, shiny-looking skin and visible pores.

How it works

Catechins are strong antioxidants. They donate electrons to unstable free radicals, interrupting the chain reactions that damage lipids and proteins at the skin surface and contribute to a dull, uneven look over time. In a formula they also help protect other ingredients. Green tea polyphenols have been widely studied in the laboratory and in topical products for their soothing and protective properties, which is why tea extracts are among the most common botanicals in skincare.

The form changes the dose. A leaf extract concentrates catechins; a tea water forms a large, gentle base that brings a smaller amount of the leaf's water-soluble compounds to every layer of the formula. Both are supporting ingredients: they make a product kinder and more protective, while targeted actives do specific jobs.

How to use it

Green tea is versatile and suits morning and evening use in toners, serums, eye creams and creams. Morning use makes the most of its antioxidant role, under sunscreen. Apply tea-based toners right after cleansing, serums before cream, and eye creams as the last skincare step, patting gently around the orbital bone and avoiding the eyes themselves. No special waiting time is needed between green tea and other ingredients.

Pairings

Pairs well with

Use with care

  • Homemade brewed-tea toners

    Brewed tea has no preservative and spoils within days; a formulated, preserved product is safer for the skin.

Who it suits

Suits every skin type. It is especially useful for oily and combination skin, for sensitive or reactive-feeling skin, and around the eyes in a gentle base. Skin that reacts to many botanicals should patch-test.

Good to know

  • Sensitive to light and air

    EGCG oxidises easily, which can turn formulas slightly brown over time. Keep products closed and away from direct sunlight.

  • Not sunscreen

    Antioxidants complement sunscreen but do not replace it. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen in the morning.

  • Rare sensitivity

    Reactions to green tea in cosmetics are uncommon. If you have reacted to tea or many botanicals, patch-test first.

  • Pregnancy

    Topical green tea is generally regarded as low-risk; if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and unsure about a product's other actives, ask your doctor.

IN OUR FORMULAS

In VVBETTER

Where you will find it, how much the product record states, and what it works with in that formula.

Firming Eye Cream

$31.00

Amount 73% green tea water as the base

Green tea water replaces purified water as the base of the Firming Eye Cream, chosen to enhance its soothing effect on the delicate skin around the eyes.

Works with, in this formula

  • BakuchiolBakuchiol 0.1% (1,000 ppm), a plant-based alternative to retinol that stays stable in heat and UV, inside a soothing tea base suited to thin skin.
  • Peptide complexAn 8-peptide complex and adenosine 0.04% (400 ppm) take care of skin around the eyes that looks less firm.
  • Niacinamide (vitamin B3)Niacinamide 1%, alpha-bisabolol 0.52% and two vitamin C derivatives (sodium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl glucoside) work on an eye area that looks dull; tea's antioxidants support them.
  • Ceramide NPGlycerin, panthenol, squalane, sodium hyaluronate and ceramide NP add lasting hydration and the feel of a comfortable barrier.

How to use it Twist the top, press once, and dot around the eye area as the last skincare step, morning and night; pat until absorbed and avoid the eyes themselves. One pump is usually enough for both eyes. If the eye area is reactive, start with nights only, and use sunscreen in the morning.

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AHA Boosting Toner

$23.99

Green tea extract is one of four soothing botanicals, with centella, propolis and chamomile, in this daily exfoliating toner.

Works with, in this formula

  • Lactic acid (AHA)Lactic acid 0.45% and glycolic acid 0.07% lift dead surface cells; green tea and centella help skin feel calm while they work.
  • Betaine salicylate (BHA)Betaine salicylate 0.1% (BHA) with willow bark water helps with congested-looking pores and surface oil.
  • BetaineHyaluronic acid, betaine and glycerin keep skin feeling soft, not stripped, after wiping.

How to use it Morning and evening after cleansing, soak a cotton pad and sweep over a dry face and neck, avoiding the eyes. Use it as a wipe-off toner, not a soaked pack. New to acids? Start every other day, and use sunscreen in the morning.

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Jeju Yuja Succinic Balancing Serum

$24.00

Green tea leaf extract is one of the seven plants in the patented ACZERO complex (1,000 ppm of the complex), which helps skin look calmer and keeps the look of shine and pores in check.

Works with, in this formula

  • ACZERO™ seven-plant complexWithin ACZERO, green tea sits with centella leaf, white willow bark, mozuku seaweed, coffee seed, bergamot leaf and pine leaf extracts.
  • Succinic acidSuccinic acid 2% and niacinamide 2% do the main work for breakout-prone, oily-looking skin; the soothing plant complex supports them.

How to use it 2–3 drops after toner or pads, morning and night, then cream. Use it first when layering the three Solution serums.

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Travel Kit Blue

$21.40

The travel-size AHA Boosting Toner (30 ml), Teca Lifting Moisture Serum (10 ml) and Teca Lifting Moisture Cream (10 ml) all list green tea leaf extract among their botanicals. The minis are made to their own formulas.

Works with, in this formula

  • Peptide complexIn the serum and cream minis, green tea joins 8 and 9 peptides, the patented TECA centella complex, adenosine and niacinamide.
  • Lactic acid (AHA)In the toner mini it supports a 0.62% AHA and BHA exfoliating blend.

How to use it Use in order, morning and evening: foam, toner on a cotton pad, serum, cream, then sunscreen in the morning.

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Gentle Deep Cleansing Oil

$24.90

Green tea seed oil (from the seeds, not the leaves) is one of the 21 plant oils that make up 81.6% of this cleansing oil.

Works with, in this formula

  • Sunflower seed oil and plant oilsSunflower seed oil (76.4%) does most of the dissolving; green tea seed oil, camellia, argan, jojoba and the other oils complete the softening oil blend.

How to use it 2–3 pumps on dry hands and a dry face, massage for about a minute, add a little warm water until milky, rinse, then follow with a water-based cleanser.

View product

Questions people ask

What does green tea do for your skin?

Green tea is an antioxidant botanical. Its catechins, especially EGCG, help protect skin from everyday oxidative stress and help skin that looks dull, red or tired look calmer and fresher. VVBETTER uses it as the 73% base of its Firming Eye Cream and as a soothing extract in its AHA Boosting Toner.

What is green tea water in skincare?

Green tea water is a light aqueous preparation of tea leaves used in place of purified water as the base of a formula. It brings a gentle, soothing, antioxidant character to every layer. In VVBETTER's Firming Eye Cream it makes up 73% of the formula.

Is green tea good for the eye area?

Yes. Green tea is gentle and soothing, which suits the thin skin around the eyes. VVBETTER's Firming Eye Cream combines a 73% green tea water base with bakuchiol 0.1%, eight peptides, adenosine 0.04% and niacinamide 1%.

Can green tea replace sunscreen?

No. Green tea's antioxidants complement sunscreen but do not protect against UV on their own. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning, especially if your routine includes exfoliating acids.

Is green tea good for oily skin?

Green tea is a popular partner in formulas for oily, shiny-looking skin and visible pores. It is one of the seven plants in the patented ACZERO complex in VVBETTER's Jeju Yuja Succinic Balancing Serum, made for skin prone to breakouts and visible shine.

References

  1. Koch W, Zagórska J, Marzec Z, Kukula-Koch W. Applications of tea (Camellia sinensis) and its active constituents in cosmetics. Molecules, 2019

Photo: Photo: lensnmatter, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

General cosmetic information, not medical advice. Amounts come from VVBETTER product records; where a record names an ingredient without an amount, none is shown. 1% is 10,000 ppm.
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