Every day, environmental factors cause unavoidable stress to our bodies, from the toxins in the food we eat, to exposure to the sun, air pollution, and general wear.

These stressors produce free radicals, which can damage healthy cells and cause skin to age faster. After a decade or two of damage it is especially important to limit our exposure and minimize any further traumas to our skin.

A Solution in a Cup of Tea?

Often, our first thought is to reach for the latest anti-aging skin cream but with the call to use more natural ingredients in our diet it is good to know there is an alternative in a simple cup of tea!

You will have heard of the benefits of green tea, but there is a particular type of green tea, known as ‘matcha’ which has incredible anti-ageing benefits.

Matcha is made from the same green tea leaf but instead of using the leaf the conventional way, matcha green tea is made by stone grinding the leaf into a fine powder.

This preserves all the goodness of the leaf, so you receive its full benefits. This powder dissolves easily in water giving you a delicious drink full of nutritional and anti-aging benefits.

By preserving the whole leaf, when you drink one cup of matcha green tea you are flooding your body with 137 times more antioxidants than a standard green tea bag.

This boost helps to prevent cell degeneration and stops any further ageing and damage to your skin, keeping you looking young and fresh.

How to Get the Matcha Benefits?

The goodness of matcha can seep into your body in many ways, whether you drink it as a tea, enjoy it in a dessert, or even apply on your skin.

And when you add matcha to face masks, it’s particularly beneficial due to its strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Combining matcha with simple kitchen ingredients is extremely easy and can give your skin a direct boost of goodness, reducing the appearance of blemishes and leaving it looking fresh and supple.

We have created some simple recipes you can try in the comfort of your own home, so you can soak in all the benefits without reaching for those expensive beauty treatments.

Try our fresh matcha face mask to reveal beautiful, bright, and glowing skin. If you would like to try something a little sweeter, try whisking up a loaf of Matcha Banana Bread to serve with a Matcha Latte!

Matcha Face Mask

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions

1. Simply whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl until fully blended.
2. With clean hands, apply generously to the face and lightly rub in.
3. Sit back and relax for 20 minutes.
4. Wash away the mask to reveal beautiful, bright, and glowing skin.

Matcha Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 large, ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp matcha green tea powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease a 9×5-inch pan.
2. Take a large mixing bowl and mash the bananas before stirring in the sugar, melted butter, and egg.
3. In a separate bowl, gently stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and Zen Green Tea matcha powder.
4. Add dry ingredients to the liquid mixture and stir until well blended.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Matcha Green Tea Latte

Ingredients

• ½ a tsp of Zen Green Tea matcha (1 tsp if you like a strong matcha taste)
• 1 cup of your preferred kind of milk
• Optional: Honey

Directions

1. Dissolve the matcha powder with a splash of hot water to form a syrup.
2. Froth hot milk using a milk frother or heat in a saucepan and add the milk to a blender with the syrup to create the frothy effect.
3. Hint: You can serve with a drizzle of honey or a sprinkle of matcha on top.
4. Enjoy!!!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your favorite way to get rid of the toxins that poison your skin and body? Have you tried matcha in your diet and cosmetics? What effects have you noticed? Please share your observations, thoughts, and questions in the comments below.