7 DIY GREEN TEA FACE MIST RECIPES FOR A NATURAL GLOW-UP

By: Licensed Medical Esthetician & Millennia TEAm member, Erin Lawlor

We constantly celebrate the health benefits of consuming green tea for our bodies. But what if I told you using high quality green tea topically provides many of those same benefits for your SKIN. Green tea is packed full of antioxidants, which are an important piece in the anti-aging puzzle. Free radicals and inflammation speed up the aging process; neutralizing them with antioxidants can slow that down.

Below I’ll share my go-to DIY Millennia Green Tea Facial Mist Recipe, but first let’s chat a bit about WHY green tea should be your skin’s best friend.

EGCG, the powerhouse antioxidant found in green tea, combats the harmful effects of sun damage, pollution and chemicals and gives skin a healthy, long lasting youthful glow.

Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and while nourishing it with a high-quality, nutrient-rich diet is step one, sometimes our skin itself just needs a little extra TLC. Even if we live a healthy lifestyle, we can never fully avoid skin-taxing elements such as air pollution and sun damage. We can, however, work to protect and repair the skin from these daily exposures by using high quality, all-natural ingredients.

Because our skin is a living, breathing organ, anything we apply topically is absorbed directly into our bodies. Many beauty products on today’s market are packed full of nasty preservatives, artificial fragrance and hormone-disrupting ingredients.

As an esthetician, turned “health and wellness enthusiast” I am constantly searching for all-natural products to use on my skin. If I can make them myself, even better! That is why green tea is my go-to skin care ingredient.

Our ancestors have been applying green tea to their skin for thousands of years, so it must be doing something right?

RIGHT.

Green tea has many great skin benefits, including but not limited to:

Anti-Inflammatory - Green tea has a high content of polyphenols (called catechins). When applied topically, the catechins help to reduce redness, swelling and irritation. This makes it a great option for acne and rosacea.

Anti-Aging - Green tea is packed full of vitamins B2 and E, both essential in maintaining a healthy, youthful glow. Vitamin E encourages new cell growth and provides intense hydration for a younger appearance. B2 helps to maintain collagen levels, providing firmness and skin structure, AKA wrinkle repair and prevention.

Fact: Did you know our collagen levels start to decline around the age of 25? It is never to early to start taking care of your skin!

Antibacterial: The polyphenols in green tea kill off lingering bacterial membranes and help to fight against infection, again making it a powerful agent for treating clogged pores and acne. It has the ability to kill systemic bacterial inflammation, giving you a smoother, more even appearance.

Cancer Fighting: Not only does green tea help to prevent and fight cancer cells from the inside, applying green tea to the skin can help to repair the damaging effects of the UV Rays and even aid in the prevention of skin cancer. A powerful antioxidant called EGCG fights against DNA damage caused by sun exposure making it again a potent anti-aging ingredient. (Note: This does not replace the need for sunscreen)

De-Puffing: Green tea is great for treating dark circles and puffy eyes, the caffeine and tannins have to ability to shrink the blood vessels around the eyes giving you a brighter, more awake appearance.

So how can you utilize your green tea to benefit your skin?

Easy!

My favorite way to make use of my left-over tea leaves is by making a DIY Green Tea Facial Mist. With only a few simple steps you can create your own customized facial mist to spritz on after a shower, as a toner under makeup, before bed as a soothing base to serums, or throughout the day as a refreshing, awakening mist.

Regular use of a green tea facial mist will hydrate, cleanse and tone while also helping to balance the natural pH levels of your skin. Making your own is an inexpensive, easy and fun way to ensure it is free of any preservatives, alcohols or other unwanted ingredients.

DIY Millennia Green Tea Facial Mist (base recipe)

What you’ll need:

Millennia Green TEA (I use 1 tea cube)
Distilled Water
Small spray Bottle: Glass works best but any spray bottle will do

Add-ins (optional):

Vitamin E
Essential Oils (detailed below)
Witch Hazel

Directions:

Steep tea and let cool. Steeping with distilled water works best to ensure you have a nice pure base, but tap water is ok if that’s all you have.

Tip: Personally, I steep my Millennia TEA cube 2 times and consume the tea and then I steep the leaves a third time, long and strong, to maximize the full benefit of each powerhouse cube.

Pour cooled tea into glass or plastic spray bottle

Store on the counter or in the fridge for a longer life and a cool refreshing mist.

For an even more powerful experience:

Add a few drops of essential oils, customized variations below
Add a few drops of vitamin E to prolong shelf life

A simple green tea facial mist offers many benefits. By adding a few additional ingredients you can curate your own personalized beauty spray suited to your individual needs.

Custom Variations:

Sleepy time Mist