Cosmetic advice (on-topic, I think)

You could develop a spa for wealthy people with skin problems, like wrinkles. Your spa might offer hot tubs with tea, in which the patron meditates without moving for some time, like 30 minutes to begin with. Put about one pound of tea in 100 degree f. water.

The sales pitch might mention things like relaxation and meditation, with the suggestion that positive thought will aid in wholeness. This might be integrated with some Chinese medicine practices, such as acupuncture and massage. I suggest that background music and aroma be part of the sensual experience. It wouldn't hurt to suggest that the tea works as a medium stimulating release of negative energy and stress, then facilitating positive and relaxed outlook. Some of the properties in tea no doubt are useful in cleaning the skin.

bookburn

Tea-On, Apply directly to the wrinkles. Tea-On, Apply directly to the wrinkles. Tea-On, Apply directly to the wrinkles.

You can have that bit of marketing from me to you for free. :)

I'm certainly not into the skincare thing, but I will admit my unnatural love for Anthony (for men) "product." I think the scents are generally citrus-y. The only other marketing/product design I immediately had was a lotion/creme including tea and cucumbers... kinda like an English tea and finger sandwich angle. I do know that emu oil really penetrates the skin well, but I have no idea if it is good for the face.

I've heard bathing in tea is good, but I'm always afraid it would stain either myself or the tub. A good book for info is Teany's book by Moby, it has a whole bunch about eye masks, etc. using tea.

- Dominic (no more off topic than my request for noodle info, and it seems like a smart idea... I apparently know more than I thought about skincare as well which is slightly worrying :)

Ever wonder how I look not like my age? :"P White tea and green tea has been added to cosmetic for quite some time now. Origins has a white tea range called Perfect World, Bvlgari adds it to their cosmetic and perfume range...

Extract of tea would be the advisable way to go, or make a tincture of it - these things do not last very long, at most 1 week in the refrigerator. I find it easier to make a thick infusion of it, and add a little of it to kaolin when I make a mask, and use the rest as a final rinse.

However, the effectiveness of tea as a cosmetic product is still debatable...

Quote: "The Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology (December 31,

2001) stated that the polyphenols ?are the active ingredients in green tea and possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. Studies conducted by our group on human skin have demonstrated that green tea polyphenols (GTP) prevent ultraviolet (UV)- B?-induced immune suppression and skin cancer induction.? Green tea and the other teas (e.g., white tea, which is what green tea begins as) show a good deal of promise for skin, but they are not the miracle that cosmetics and health food companies make them out to be. As the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology (January 2002, pages 25? 54) put it, ?Tea has received a great deal of attention because tea polyphenols are strong antioxidants, and tea preparations have inhibitory activity against tumorigenesis. The bioavailability and biotransformation of tea polyphenols, however, are key factors limiting these activities in vivo [in humans]. Epidemiological studies ? have not yielded clear conclusions concerning the protective effects of tea consumption against cancer formation in humans.?

Most researchers agree that tea (black, green, or white) has potent anti-inflammatory properties and that it is a potent antioxidant. Current research also indicates that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an extract of tea, can prevent collagen breakdown and reduce UV damage to skin (Source: Journal of Dermatological Science, December

2005, pages 195?204)." Unquote.

kevo

FWIW, my previous dermatologist didn't like lotions or oils or anything like that at all, he said none of it actually moisturizes or penetrates the skin. Water does hydrate, and then putting some sort of cream on top of that (he actually preferred petroleum jelly over other things with more "stuff" in them) kept the hydration in longer.

Lanolin can cause skin rashes in susceptible people. Personally, being a sensitive-skin person, the more absolutely basic and non-formalin forming the better. If I wash my face with tea (which I have thought about doing more as an astringent and bacteria-killing option than any penetrative result) I just steep some old green tea bags in hot water and rinse my face with them, no fussing. If you really want a base cream you could try the base that goes into most creams which is somthing like white petrolatum possibly mixed with mineral oil. If you want something less petroleum-originated, my first choice would be almond oil, but it won't penetrate, if my dermatologist was correct, and it probably somes off easier than a white petroleum base. What would penetrate I am guessing would be soaking the skin in water containing the tea (or caffeine, but really I don't know what the skin uptake of caffeine is, so that might be a problem for people who are caffeine sensitive) and then after the skin has been hydrated with the tea-containing water, "sealing" it in with an oil or petroleum cream of some sort.

So in sum I guess I see two modes of possible "delivery", a white petroleum cream base like what goes into, for instance, hydrocortisone creams on the shelf, or using a water bath and then sealing it in. This is all total brainstorming on my part though, I'm not a doctor or an herbal practitioner or anything but a tea drinker and person who's skin is very sensitive to lots of things unfortunately. If you were to pursue this I'd first find out what the uptake of caffeine is through the skin, that might be a serious problem if the caffeine were concentrated and if it permeated the skin quickly.

Melinda

Wow, actually you may have hit on something there... it would be like Red Bull lotion. No drinking anything, no calories, and be wired for the day. Again, "Tea-on apply directly to the skin" x3.

- Dominic