Although many people are aware of the health benefits associated with drinking green tea, not that many are aware of the properties it exhibits when used in topical skin care preparations and cosmetics for protecting collagen from being broken down.

The tannins interact with proteins and are astringent and also have antioxidant activity. One of the polyphenols in green tea - Epigallocatechin galate (EGCC) is thought to be 200 times more powerful than vitamin E for neutralizing free radicals.

Since free radicals can attack and damage the DNA of the cells, the antioxidant effect of green tea has a protective role to play as well, since it prevents free radical damage and possible skin tumors and cancers and can be used in confidence as an anti-aging ingredient in skin care preparations. Green tea is a potent anti-inflammatory agent thereby reducing inflammation in the skin, and most importantly having an inhibitory action on collagenase, which is a collagen-reducing enzyme that breaks down collagen.

Since green tea helps to inhibit collagenase, the topical use of green tea helps to promote the health and quantity of collagen, thereby maintaining a firm and elastic skin.

In one clinical trial is was shown that the skin had measurably more elastic tissue content after continuous application of a product containing green tea. The flavonoids and catechols in green tea provide it with vitamin P properties and the tannins in its chemical composition give it astringent properties, whereas the polyphenolic compounds also act as an astringent, but also protect the skin. The Methylxanthines contained in green tea also stimulates skin microcirculation and therefore positively influence the tone and health of the skin. Green tea also exhibits a photo protective effect when applied to the skin and reduces erythema formation.

In some studies it also showed that polyphenols found in green tea limited cell death when exposed to radiation, thereby showing that these polyphenols have a cell-protecting function as well.