Green Tea for Hair 101: How the Caffeinated Drink Boosts Hair Health

What Exactly Is Green Tea?

You may already be aware that green tea is a caffeinated tea with origins in China, but we wanted to dive a little deeper so you could get the full picture of what the tea actually is. “Green tea is a type of tea from the Camellia sinensis plant,” certified trichologist William Gaunitz shares. “It has a variety of different preparations but predominantly is consumed as hot tea and has been revered for its health benefits for thousands of years.” If you’ve already been consuming green tea, you’ve been doing a lot for your healthcare over the years. Now, let’s get into all the ways green tea helps your hair specifically.

5 Benefits of Green Tea for Hair

1. It Protects Against Environmental Stressors

Green tea is rich in antioxidants that offer numerous health benefits for your body, one of them being protection from free radicals. What are free radicals and environmental stressors, you ask? They’re things like UV rays, cigarette smoke, industrial chemicals, and other air pollutants. Dr. Gaunitz notes that by consuming green tea, you “can reduce the impact of free radicals on the body” because of its antioxidant properties.

2. It May Improve Hair Growth

Allow Dr. Gaunitz to get into the science for a sec: “Green tea contains a large amount of EGCG, which has been studied for its ability to reduce 5-alpha reductase—the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This helps support the reduction of DHT and improvement of hair growth related to male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss (aka androgenetic alopecia).” Translation? The EGCG in green tea promotes healthy hair growth and, in some cases, hair regrowth.

3. It Reduces Inflammation

“Green tea has other anti-inflammatory properties that improve cholesterol and cardiovascular markers that in turn lower systemic inflammation, resulting in less inflammation in the hair follicles,” says Dr. Gaunitz. But what does that mean exactly? Essentially, inflammation can damage the hair follicles and lead to hair loss, along with impacting scalp health. So reducing inflammation can help with hair growth and even minimize scalp issues like dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, folliculitis, and more. Healthy hair roots lead to healthy hair.

4. It Helps With Nutrient Absorption

Green tea contains polyphenols, which Dr. Gaunitz notes “improve digestion and nutrient absorption.” So what’s the big deal? Improved nutrient delivery ensures your hair receives the proper care it needs. Let’s say you’re taking supplements or using a topical for hair shedding and not noticing a difference. This may be because your body is having absorption issues. In order to boost that, it’s green tea to the rescue.

5. It Boosts Blood Circulation

Did you know that blood circulation is essential for healthy hair? If not, you do now. While green tea promotes blood circulation which helps with cardiovascular health, it also helps with hair health. By increasing blood flow to the scalp and hair during the growth cycle (otherwise known as the anagen phase), strands are more likely to grow longer and be less brittle. Say goodbye to hair thinning and split ends.

Things to Consider Before Using Green Tea on Your Hair

While green tea seems to be a gold star ingredient for hair health, what are the side effects of consuming the tea? The good news is there are not many. “Realistically, there are nearly no negatives to consuming green tea for your hair,” Dr. Gaunitz says. This goes for hair types too so whether you have straight hair, natural hair, or a texture in between, every hair type can benefit from using the tea.

However, he does point out that those who are anemic or have low iron levels should be cautious as the tea can reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron. “Because of the high number of tannins in green tea, you should have iron supplementation or iron-bearing foods at least one to two hours away from consuming green tea because it can impair the absorption of iron when the tannins and iron are present in the digestive tract together,” he shares.

As with anything, you also want to be cautious in your consumption and not overdo it. It’s recommended to drink between three to five cups of green tea a day, though that may vary from person to person so be sure to talk to your healthcare provider to discover the best course of action for you.

How to Use Green Tea for Your Hair

Aside from drinking green tea regularly, one of the best ways to incorporate green tea into your hair care routine is through a homemade hair rinse. This is one of the best ways to soak up the benefits of green tea directly into your scalp and strands.

Step 1: Brew the Green Tea

Add one to two bags of green tea to boiling water and let them brew for three to five minutes.

Step 2: Let the Tea Cool

Once the tea has steeped, let it cool so you don’t burn yourself when you eventually pour the rinse on your scalp and hair.

Step 3: Use the Rinse

At the end of your shower, pour the green tea rinse over your scalp and strands on clean hair. If you’re looking for a shampoo that contains green tea extract, we recommend the GROW GORGEOUS City Defense Shampoo.

Step 4: Let It Sit

Give the rinse a little time to work its magic before washing it out. We suggest leaving it on for no more than 30 minutes. You can even cover your hair in a shower cap (like the REFRESHMENTS Snazzy Shower Cap) and finish the rest of your shower while you wait.

Step 5: Rinse It Out

When the timer goes off, rinse it out with lukewarm water and follow with a nourishing conditioner. Similar to the GROW GORGEOUS City Defense Shampoo, the GROW GORGEOUS City Defense Conditioner also contains green tea extract to boost your green tea consumption.

What’s the Difference Between Green Tea and Matcha?

Yes, there is a difference between green tea and matcha, and it all comes down to their preparation. “Green tea is typically grown to maturity, and then the tea leaves are usually cooked in some capacity before leaving it dry to be prepared as tea,” says Dr. Gaunitz. “Matcha, however, is usually plucked about a month before maturity and the leaves are dried and powdered without any cooking. As a result, matcha is much more nutrient-dense and caffeinated than standard green tea.”

Using Hair Care Products to Incorporate Green Tea Into Your Hair Care Routine

Drinking green tea isn’t for everyone, even though it is the best way to get all the benefits. But some of us can’t stomach the taste or simply don’t handle caffeine well. Thankfully, green tea hair products exist and we have a few recommendations for your routine.

For a shampoo and conditioner, we recommend the GROW GORGEOUS City Defense Shampoo and the GROW GORGEOUS City Defense Conditioner. Both protect your hair from environmental stressors and also contain green tea extract.

The POMELO + CO. Matcha Magic Smoothing Hair Mask is a great product for curly hair types. Featuring green tea and hemp seed oil, the mask works overtime to nourish your strands leaving them soft and silky.

A weekly treatment option for damaged hair types is the ST. TROPICA Beach Goddess Hot Oil Hair Mask. Along with organic green tea, it uses coconut oil to hydrate your hair, prevent breakage, and help it grow longer and stronger.

There are numerous other products out there if drinking green tea isn’t in the cards for you, just be sure to consult a healthcare provider or dermatologist before drastically switching up your routine.