You might have heard the common health claim that drinking tea is good for your skin. Although it’s likely there is some truth to that claim — maybe even a lot of truth — it’s a little misleading because it’s so oversimplified. To really understand how tea might support skin health, we need to take a more detailed look at the scientific research that has been done so far. 

A lot of research, very complex topic

Researchers using Western scientific methods have been interested in the relationship between tea and skin health for a while now. But their research usually has not provided insight on key questions such as: How much tea does someone need to drink in order to access the health benefits?; Are the anticipated health benefits the same with all varieties of a certain type of tea?; Would a person’s individual biology or genetics affect how much they are able to receive the health benefits of green tea?; and others.

One of the earliest related studies this century confirmed green tea’s suspected anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic potential. Soon after, a 2001 study concluded that consumption of black tea was associated with a decreased risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a type of skin cancer, specifically. But the study did not collect data on exactly how much tea the subjects regularly consumed. A 2008 study built on this line of research and concluded that the more tea was drunk, and the more frequently, the less likely there was an occurrence of SCC. 

But the results of a 2015 study “[did] not support the hypothesis that high black tea consumption reduces risk of skin cancer, including in people with a previous history of skin cancer.” So the relationship between black tea and decreased risk of skin cancer is still questionable.

It’s not only about fighting cancer

The UV-blocking properties of tea compounds are likely to support skin health in other ways besides the possible decrease in cancer risk, though. It’s generally believed, including among many scientists, that the high levels of vitamin E and other compounds in green and white tea have an anti-aging effect on skin. Again, the required dosage and other parameters necessary for accessing that benefit to its full potential are not clear yet. But it’s encouraging that even a small effect can probably be significant.

It’s also possible that consuming green and white teas by drinking them is not enough to unlock their full potential for skin health. For example, a 2017 study concluded that a dose of oral or topical green tea polyphenols might help relieve acne. A cup of brewed tea would be weaker in polyphenols than such a dose, so maybe concentrated supplements are more effective than brewed tea in this case.

This is by no means a comprehensive review of the scientific literature available on tea and skin health, but it illustrates the complex nature of this research and how little we still know. While there may be still unknown benefits to drinking tea, we have to be cautious when recommending it for the sole purpose of attaining these benefits. Tea is a wonderful beverage in various aspects; many even find it helpful in more esoteric ways, so it perhap better to think of it as a grounding means to reduce stress or calm oneself even if just by the process of slow and mind preparation. Let’s not reduce it to specific health benefits – we simply don’t know this yet.

Conclusion: drink water

One thing is for sure: If you drink a lot of tea (especially green and white, and also herbal infusions, which do not have the astringent tannins of black tea), you will increase your hydration, which can help your skin stay clear and soft. But, of course, hydration also can be achieved with plain water without the need for tea.