Research on the health benefits of green tea continues to emerge, with a recent study from the United States pointing out that catechins in green tea have strong antioxidant functions. After applying skincare products containing green tea ingredients to the skin, the amount of peroxides that cause sunburn, sagging, and roughness can be reduced by about one-third, even under intense sunlight.
Since 2001, the University of Alabama in the United States has been conducting research on green tea and sun protection. They found that ultraviolet rays in sunlight stimulate the skin to produce a large amount of peroxides, which can make the skin rough and lose its elasticity.
Scientists had participants apply either catechins extracted from green tea or a placebo with no active ingredients, and then exposed each person to intense sunlight. The results showed that the group that had applied catechins beforehand had 1/4 to 1/3 less peroxides in their skin compared to the other group. This indicates that their skin suffered less damage from the sun, thereby proving that the ingredients in green tea have a sun-protective function.
Another study showed that if one only drinks green tea, its sun protection effect can be the same as that of applying green tea skincare products.