Study: LED Light And Green Tea Cream Smooth Facial Wrinkles
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free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:10 pm

You are all quite welcome; glad I could be of some help! It may be too soon to say exactly what is the exact composition of the green tea "lotion" or "cream" (I have seen both terms used on various google hits for this study) since the full journal article has not been published yet. I have read elsewhere that publication has been delayed until November (not sure if this is true). I believe that the full article will give more precise details on the topical preparation used in this study; however, the article may only be available on a fee basis (who knows).

Science Daily has a somewhat related article from December 1, 2006 entitled "Tea Extracts Help Treat Damaged Skin in Cancer Patients". Might be worth taking a look at since those authors conclude that topical applications of both green tea and black tea are beneficial to the skin (yes I understand that LED is not the same as cancer radiation treatments). The full journal article is available free-of-charge online as "The effects of tea extracts on proinflammatory signaling" at Biomedcentral (dot com) .... it gives exact specifications for preparation of the topical. HTH

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:49 pm

Lacy53 wrote:

Science Daily has a somewhat related article from December 1, 2006 entitled "Tea Extracts Help Treat Damaged Skin in Cancer Patients". Might be worth taking a look at since those authors conclude that topical applications of both green tea and black tea are beneficial to the skin (yes I understand that LED is not the same as cancer radiation treatments). The full journal article is available free-of-charge online as "The effects of tea extracts on proinflammatory signaling" at Biomedcentral (dot com) .... it gives exact specifications for preparation of the topical. HTH

Here is their "formula" for the green tea used in the study Lacy53 mentioned above.

"Preparation of tea extracts

Two tea bags (1.5 g each) tea were covered with 50 ml Millipore water (black tea: boiling water; green tea: water at 70°C) for five minutes. The resulting extracts were passed through a 0.8 μM and a 0.22 μM filter to free the extracts from insoluble material. Small aliquots were stored until usage at -20°C in the dark. Given a estimated total catechin content of 10–40 mg/g for green tea [12], tea preparations used in our study, were expected to have an estimated total catechin concentration of 25–100 μg/ml. Epigallocatechin-gallate (Sigma-Aldrich) was solubilized in water and small aliquots of the stock solution were stored until usage at -20°C in the dark."

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:20 pm

Great find Riley!

What do you suppose they mean by "filtering out the extracts from the insoluble ingredients"? Aren't they just using the brewed tea.. Confused

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:42 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

Great find Riley!

What do you suppose they mean by "filtering out the extracts from the insoluble ingredients"? Aren't they just using the brewed tea.. Confused

In scientific terminology that means "removing the crap"! It all sounds a little more complicated than just brewing up a cuppa in the kitchen! I'm going to make up both a green tea toner and a serum and just use that.

Some very fine research going on here ladies - well done!

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:59 pm

Kassy_A wrote:

Great find Riley!

What do you suppose they mean by "filtering out the extracts from the insoluble ingredients"? Aren't they just using the brewed tea.. Confused

I am just guessing here, but I think possibly some very small particles of tea leaves may come out of the bag, and they are just filtering it with the 8 and 22 Um to get all the particles out they can?

ETA: Meaning I think the tea bags have bigger holes than the 8 and .22 Um!

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:56 pm

I came to the same conclusion Riley .... basically just filtering out the residual sediment after brewing the tea. Although this second reference I supplied was related to skin injuries after radiation cancer treatments, I thought the "recipe" might be useful for someone who wanted to make their own topical solution; seems simple enough to do. I wondered about the freezing ... concluded that this was done for convenience, and would ensure consistency of formulation across treatments (ie: one batch prepared then divided into identical small doses). BTW patients were instructed to use the solution three times per day until skin was fully healed. Storing the batches in the freezer (described as dark) may also have been done to prevent degradation from sunlight. As I stated previously this was not a study on LED usage so please keep that in mind.

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:01 pm

Cold tea is also supposed to be very good for sunburn - so it must have beneficial healing qualities.

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:02 pm

Ya know something just dawned on me that might be of interest..

I haven't done it lately, but for years I steamed my face once or twice a week, and always dropped a couple of green leaf tea bags in it..

My point is, that my facial skin health really is so much better than it has a right to be.. I'm a 44 year smoker, love a glass of wine or 3 and baked my arse in the sun like an aztec princess yearly till I was 35.. Maybe all those green tea steamings through the years have preserved lots of elastin. The hands of time are catching up now, and I'll be 60 in 3 months, but when I'm side by side amongst my peers/friends who are my age and younger, there is very major differences between our skin. It's skeeeery I tell ya!

Whipping out the steamer now kiddies... Laughing

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:22 pm

*off to brew some green tea

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:32 pm

Lacy53 wrote:

I came to the same conclusion Riley .... basically just filtering out the residual sediment after brewing the tea.

I am glad you could make sense out of what I wrote and that you did come to the same conclusion! (Was in a hurry and noticed I typed the numbers of the Mu wrong every time!!) Laughing

Kassy, I have seen your pictures and I think you have lovely, glowing skin. You look better than I do, that is for sure. Did you ever have any deep wrinkles or do/did you have just superficial ones?

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:56 pm

One final comment ... the study used Millipore water (also known as Laboratory water or purified water). I think distilled water would be fine but NOT regular tap water. Those of you who whip up your own topical skin treatments probably already know this, but I thought I would mention it.
Keliu you are correct ... cold green tea is recommended for sunburns. The cold would be soothing on the skin. Thought this might be of interest to you:

Protective Effects of Green Tea Extracts on Photoaging and Photommunosuppression.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate whether the sunscreen-containing 2-5% green tea extracts (GTEs) protect ultraviolet irradiation (UVR)-induced photoaging and photoimmunosuppression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty volunteers were exposed to repetitive solar-simulated UVR (ssUVR) on the upper back at a dosage of 1.5 minimal erythema doses (MED) per day for four consecutive days. Thirty minutes before each UVR and 6, 24, and 48 h after the last UV exposure, the products containing vehicle, and 2-5% GTEs were applied onto five sites on the dorsal skin, respectively. The skin biopsies were obtained 72 h after the last UVR. The thickness of the stratum corneum and epidermis was measured under the microscope and the expression of cytokeratins (CK)-5/6, CK16, metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and the CD1a(+) Langerhans cells (LCs) were determined using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Our results showed that UVR substantially induced cutaneous erythema, thickening of the epidermis, overexpression of CK5/6, CK16, MMP-2, MMP-9, and depletion of CD1a(+) LCs. The sunscreens containing different concentrations of GTEs conferred significant protection against the photoaging and photoimmunology-related biological events. Interestingly, the protective effects were not parallel to the concentrations of GTEs, with 2% and 3% GTEs showing the most efficacious photoprotection. CONCLUSIONS: GTEs-containing sunscreens have potential photoprotective effects on UVR-induced photoaging and photoimmunosuppression.

** Note the concentration .. 2% to 3% **

(I will be so happy when I can post links for you ... although it is nice to see the actual journal article in the body of the posts I think?)

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:17 pm

rileygirl wrote:

Kassy, I have seen your pictures and I think you have lovely, glowing skin. You look better than I do, that is for sure. Did you ever have any deep wrinkles or do/did you have just superficial ones?

Ah, thanks Riley! No, I've never had what I'd consider deep wrinkles, with the exception of 1 short deep forehead wrinkle and two fairly obvious neck rings. I had a vertical line from a dimple in my right cheek, but the LED has taken care of that, and really softened the fine lines and crows feet around my eyes. I have a few vertical lip lines from all the decades of smoking and drinking water out of the bottle, but the Vaculifter has nearly irradicated them. If I purse my lips I see them, but at rest they aren't there.

I really believe in LED use, and I'm living proof that it really works with dedication and committment. I'm anxious to get into the "green tea" treatment protocol now, to see if it intensifies the results.. The clock is always ticking, so anything that helps to slow the ravages of time I'm willing to commit to..

My goal is to keep my record going of no fillers, botox, surgeries or anything else, for as long as possible. One of these days though, I do want to get the 1st spa facial of my life.. Laughing

I did the 'green tea' steaming before, and also made a little bottle to use as a toner.. It felt lovely! I also added another bit of extract to my LED treatment serum.. Next Omnilux treatment isn't till Tuesday and I'm chomping at the bit now..sigh!

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:51 pm

Does the green extract come with color?

If I use the brewed tea and make a toner, should I worry about the tea stain on my facial skin? Similar to leave tea in the cup for long, you will see tea stains left on the cup. I certainly don't want my skin look like that. Am I over worried?

free skin care · Sun Sep 13, 2009 11:26 pm

pinkberry wrote:

Does the green extract come with color?

If I use the brewed tea and make a toner, should I worry about the tea stain on my facial skin? Similar to leave tea in the cup for long, you will see tea stains left on the cup. I certainly don't want my skin look like that. Am I over worried?

Yes, I think you're worrying over nothing. Believe me, if you could get a fake tan from using tea, everyone would be on to it! I think the extract is a beige colour, but don't forget, it's only used at 2-3%.

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:02 am

Do you think rubbing a tea bag after you've made a cup of tea would have the same effect? Or have all the good parts of the tea dispersed into the water?

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:23 am

Skippie wrote:

Do you think rubbing a tea bag after you've made a cup of tea would have the same effect? Or have all the good parts of the tea dispersed into the water?

Yes, I would imagine that most of the goodness would be in the liquid. I also think it would be better to just brew the tea as you need it - that way, you wouldn't have to worry about it oxidising.

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:27 am

Skippie, how many minutes do you intend to treat each area of the face with the Warp 10?

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:39 am

That's a good question, Keliu. The specifications for the Warp 10 include this:

Quote:

High intensity 60 mW/cm2 illuminated surface produces 5 Joules/cm2 dose in 88 seconds

The study using the Warp 10 had this to say about using the Warp 10:

Quote:

Operating in the range 600−720 nm (central wavelength 670 nm, 50% relative spectral output 660−680 nm), it covers a 10 cm2 area with an integral light intensity of 728 W m−2. To exclude adverse effects, that is, inhibition of cellular functions,irradiation times were adjusted to doses around 4 × 104 J m−2, known to temporally increase blood circulation.

So, I'm guessing I need to lower the 88 seconds to maybe 60 seconds? Does anyone with a better understanding have any insight?

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:39 pm

rileygirl wrote:

foxe wrote:

Does anyone know which LEDs have the listed wave intensity listed here? does BQ, AALS, LED man or Prolight have this? Better yet, can anyone post the comparable info at all? If an intnesity of 728 W was used, then which other LEDs besides the Warp one have this?

That's a great question. I have no idea, but if you find anything out, please report!

ProLights Red has 730 nm wavelength.730 nm LED diodes are more expensive then other wavelengths this is why they are not widespread in LED devices.

rileygirl - you are covered for 730 wavelength since you have ProLight Red.

Edit: ProLight Platinum might have it as well, but I did not verify it.

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:45 pm

This is a great thread! I am a dedicated green tea drinker, and now presented with an opportunity to use green tea topically.

I love using hydrosols, and do not see why green tea can not be used in the same way as hydrosol, e.g. by simply spritzing it over the face. Just brew strong green tea... Also using green tea with SK bioferment is a wonderful idea!

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:05 pm

mpstat wrote:

foxe wrote:

Does anyone know which LEDs have the listed wave intensity listed here? does BQ, AALS, LED man or Prolight have this? Better yet, can anyone post the comparable info at all? If an intensity of 728 W was used, then which other LEDs besides the Warp one have this?

ProLights Red has 730 nm wavelength.730 nm LED diodes are more expensive then other wavelengths this is why they are not widespread in LED devices.

rileygirl - you are covered for 730 wavelength since you have ProLight Red.

Edit: ProLight Platinum might have it as well, but I did not verify it.

Thanks for providing the information, mpstat. but, I have a question about this noting the difference in terms used here. In the quote I provided, it says "728 W was used, whereas - you mention the Prolight has 730 nm.

Is there any difference in nm vs. W? Not sure about the terminology, is all.

PS - it's good to know the Prolight Red has this.

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:11 pm

mpstat wrote:

This is a great thread! I am a dedicated green tea drinker, and now presented with an opportunity to use green tea topically.

I love using hydrosols, and do not see why green tea can not be used in the same way as hydrosol, e.g. by simply spritzing it over the face. Just brew strong green tea... Also using green tea with SK bioferment is a wonderful idea!

I am a dedicated tea drinker, too, after reading up on it last year. I do like to have a black or herbal tea once in a while too, though.

mp - I love your idea of using the tea as a spritzer. I wonder where it would need to be kept, tho. Fridge? In the dark?

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:15 pm

mpstat wrote:

ProLights Red has 730 nm wavelength.730 nm LED diodes are more expensive then other wavelengths this is why they are not widespread in LED devices.

rileygirl - you are covered for 730 wavelength since you have ProLight Red.

Edit: ProLight Platinum might have it as well, but I did not verify it.

mpstat, I honestly don't know. I do have the Prolight Red (the professional one), but honestly could not tell you any of the specs! It that listed in paperwork that was sent or did you get the info from Rita?

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:18 pm

rileygirl wrote:

mpstat wrote:

ProLights Red has 730 nm wavelength.730 nm LED diodes are more expensive then other wavelengths this is why they are not widespread in LED devices.

rileygirl - you are covered for 730 wavelength since you have ProLight Red.

Edit: ProLight Platinum might have it as well, but I did not verify it.

mpstat, I honestly don't know. I do have the Prolight Red (the professional one), but honestly could not tell you any of the specs! It that listed in paperwork that was sent or did you get the info from Rita?

Yes it is in specs available on the web site. http://www.prolightaesthetics.com/catalog/item/4476688/4501513.htm

free skin care · Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:21 pm

foxe - I misunderstood the question. W is Watt which is power output such as Joules per second. What is missing here it is a value for an area which is needed to compute comparison.

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