Green tea isn’t just good for making instagrammable matcha, it’s also a hero ingredient across Korean skincare. Known for its powerful antioxidant properties, green tea is a skincare ingredient you won’t want to leave out of your skincare routine. Whether you’re chasing that glass skin glow or looking to join the Korean skincare routine fanclub, we’ve got you covered. Here’s your definitive cheat sheet on green tea skincare—its benefits, ideal pairings, and our top product picks.
How is Green Tea Used as a Skincare Ingredient?
Green tea is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant and has been a beauty secret for centuries. Originating in the Zhejiang region of China, green tea boasts a history steeped in tradition and science. The presence of polyphenols—a powerhouse antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties – is what makes green tea such an effective skincare ingredient.
Suitable for all skin types (unless you have a specific sensitivity), green tea is a must-have ingredient. If it doesn’t suit your skin, explore other K-Beauty favourites like heartleaf, Centella asiatica, rice extract, or snail mucin for similarly effective results.
Pairing Green Tea with Other Skincare Ingredients
Green tea works even better when paired with complementary ingredients, making it a true team player in your routine:
Vitamin C: Enhances green tea’s antioxidant effect while reducing its degradation, for double the glow.
Hyaluronic Acid: Boosts moisture penetration, delivering hydration at deeper levels, helps green tea to be better absorbed by the skin.
Aloe Vera: Works with green tea to repair and calm irritated skin.
Salicylic Acid: When paired with green tea, salicylic acid becomes a powerhouse for acne-prone skin. It works to control breakouts by gently exfoliating dead skin cells and unclogging pores, while green tea’s anti-inflammatory properties soothe redness and irritation.
Green Tea Benefits for Your Skin
Incorporating green tea into your routine can transform your complexion. Here’s how:
Soothes: Tackles redness and inflammation, making it ideal for acne, rosacea, eczema, and more.
De-puffs: Shrinks blood vessels and reduces puffiness, particularly around the eyes.
Protects: This antioxidant-rich ingredient shields the skin against free radicals, UV damage, and pollution while promoting DNA repair.
Regulates Sebum: Reduces oil production, tackling one of acne’s main culprits.
Anti-Ageing: Improves elasticity, smooths fine lines, and brightens hyperpigmentation caused by sun damage.
What Skin Types is Green Tea Good For?
Green tea is versatile enough to benefit various skin types:
Acne-Prone Skin: Its antibacterial and sebum-controlling properties help calm breakouts and redness.
Mature Skin: Boosts elasticity and targets sun damage, making it perfect for those focusing on anti-ageing.
Sensitive Skin: Its soothing and protective qualities make it a safe choice for easily irritated complexions.
The Best Green Tea Skincare Products
Now, onto the good stuff—our top green tea-infused products that belong in your skincare routine, from some of the best Korean skincare brands around:
Holika Holika Daily Fresh Green Tea Cleansing Foam
Product Type: Cleanser
Best For: Dry, acne-prone, and sensitive skin
Incorporate this refreshing Holika Holika Daily Fresh Green Tea Cleansing Foam into your daily skincare routine to effortlessly remove makeup and bacteria from the skin’s surface. Enriched with green tea, this versatile cleanser boasts anti-inflammatory properties to calm redness while deeply moisturising and softening dry, acne-prone, or sensitive skin. The result? A clean, smooth, and radiant complexion you’ll love.
innisfree Green Tea Hyaluronic Toner
Product Type: Toner
Best For: Dry skin
This ultra-hydrating innisfree Green Tea Hyaluronic Toner tackles dryness-related skin concerns by blending 16 amino acids, green tea, and essential minerals for a deeply moisturising and soothing effect. Infused with five types of hyaluronic acid, this water-based formula works to retexturise the skin’s surface, replenish moisture levels, and promote a clearer, healthier-looking complexion. Perfect for restoring balance and hydration to dry, tired skin.
innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum
Product Type: Serum
Best For: Dry and sensitive skin
This lightweight, gel-like innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum is infused with five types of hyaluronic acid and Beauty Green Tea™, delivering deep hydration to revitalise and plump your skin. Featuring nano-capsulized hyaluronic acid, it penetrates quickly for long-lasting nourishment, leaving the skin feeling soft, moisturised, and soothed. Designed to reignite your skin’s radiance, this serum is a hydration hero that perfectly pairs the calming benefits of green tea with the moisturising power of hyaluronic acid. A matcha-made must-have for glowing skin.
innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Cream
Product Type: Moisturiser
Best For: Dry, acne-prone, and sensitive skin
This deeply hydrating innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Cream moisturiser combines the nourishing power of fresh Beauty Green Tea™ Water with five types of hyaluronic acid and panthenol to deliver intense hydration and relief to your skin. Formulated with Green Tea Tri-biotics™, it strengthens the moisture barrier, balancing oil and hydration levels for healthier skin. A blend of ceramide and squalane helps fill gaps in the moisture barrier, creating a protective seal to lock in hydration, even in dry environments. Perfect for soothing sensitive skin and maintaining a dewy, radiant complexion.
innisfree Green Tea Amino Acid Cleansing Foam
Product Type: Cleanser
Best For: Dry, mature, and acne-prone skin types
This gentle yet effective innisfree Green Tea Amino Acid Cleansing Foam is formulated with Fresh Green Tea Water™ and hyaluronic acid to keep your skin hydrated even after cleansing. It works to leave your complexion plump, moisturised, and free from tightness. Enriched with amino acids, this soft-lathering formula deeply cleanses impurities from the pores while restoring the skin’s oil-moisture balance. Perfect for those who want a thorough cleanse without compromising on hydration.
TIRTIR Ceramic Cream
Product Type: Moisturiser
Best For: Dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin types
This luxurious TIRTIR Ceramic Cream moisturiser blends polyaromatic acid with shea butter to provide long-lasting hydration and a smooth, radiant finish. Its rich, creamy texture absorbs quickly into the skin, forming a lightweight but effective barrier that locks in moisture without feeling sticky. Enhanced with traditional Korean botanicals like Centella asiatica, green tea, and witch hazel, this cream works to reduce enlarged pores, soothe irritation, and nourish the skin for a balanced, healthy-looking complexion.
By Wishtrend Green Tea & Enzyme Powder Wash
Product Type: Cleanser
Best For: Oily and combination skin
This innovative By Wishtrend Green Tea & Enzyme Powder Wash is a powder cleanser that’s infused with green tea powder to cleanse, refresh, and soothe the skin. Formulated with papain enzyme, coconut-derived surfactant, and baking soda, it gently dissolves blackheads, impurities, and dead skin cells without irritation. Simply dispense the powder onto wet hands, add warm water to create a rich lather, and massage onto the face before rinsing off. Perfect for a thorough yet gentle cleanse, this formula leaves your skin feeling refreshed, smooth, and perfectly prepped for the rest of your skincare routine.
Beauty Of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol
Product Type: Serum
Best For: Sensitive, mature, and acne-prone skin
This lightweight serum from Beauty Of Joseon is a calming hero for sensitive and reactive skin. Formulated with green tea leaf water, a powerful antioxidant, it helps combat damage caused by UV exposure while soothing irritation and redness. Centella asiatica enhances the calming effect, reducing inflammation and promoting healing, while algae extract delivers deep hydration and plumping benefits. Perfect for those dealing with acne, this serum also works to control sebum and oil production, leaving your skin balanced, nourished, and radiant.
Whether you’re adding a green tea toner to combat dryness, a cleanser to calm redness, or a serum to nourish mature skin, there’s a green tea product for everyone.
