DIY: Matcha Green Tea Mask

I will note this is one of the few esthetician-approved DIY facial masks I will ever recommend. Most DIYs are not skin-friendly, irritating, or simply ineffective.

Green Tea vs. Matcha Green Tea

While both green tea and matcha green tea are made from the leaves of the plant, how they are grown, harvested, and prepared are completely different. Matcha green tea is made in the shade and the young whole leaves are hand-picked, dried, and ground into a fine powder, and whisked into tea. While standard green tea leaves are usually made from steeping the leaf in hot water.

Skincare Benefits Of Matcha Green Tea

Specifically, in skincare, you will get some powerful antioxidant benefits from using matcha green tea topically. Antioxidants fight the negative effects of UV radiation and free radical pollution in the air that can prematurely age the skin. It is said that the antioxidants in matcha green tea help to reactivate unhealthy skin cells due to UV exposure, pollution, and lifestyle.

Matcha green tea contains a compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This compound is highly anti-inflammatory and is super beneficial for the inflammation that comes with acne, rosacea, redness due to cold weather, and evening overall skin tone.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of organic matcha green tea powder

Pick 1 of the following for your skin type:

For acne and oily skin types
1  tablespoon of pure aloe vera gel or 1 teaspoon of raw honey

For normal and combination skin types
1  tablespoon of vegetable glycerin or rose water

Dry and sensitive skin types
1 tablespoon of mashed avocado or hemp seed oil

Customize it

• You can mix and match wet ingredients such as aloe and honey if you feel dry with acne.

• For very oily skin or deep skin cleansing, you may want to add 1/2 teaspoon of bentonite clay with 1/2 of matcha green tea powder, 1 teaspoon of honey, and a few drops of water.   

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix your matcha green tea powder with your honey, aloe, or oil until you form a nice creamy paste.

You may need more or less depending on how thick your honey or aloe vera gel is if you are using either of those. You may want to add a few drops of water as well. 

2. Apply to face using a brush and leave on skin for 10 - 15 minutes. 

3. Remove with a warm wet washcloth.

I am a big fan of this cute little mask brush and bowl kit. If you are a DIY mask maker, having one of these is a must!