Armed with a discount code for 70% off the Dr Botanics range I thought I’d try a new night moisturiser. I usually just wear a leave-on serum mask at night, but lately that’s not quite been cutting it. I know that a lot of beauty crowd love matcha green tea, and I had previously done a bit of research on the benefits, so popped this into my basket.
Matcha Green Tea Night Moisturiser
Price:
£47.50 – available at discounts during flash sales.
Active ingredients: Matcha Green Tea and Guava Fruit extracts, both anti-oxidants containing vitamins C and E; Coconut Oil high in antioxidants and fatty acids.
Additional ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera
Matcha Green Tea
Matcha green tea in skincare has been trending over the past couple of years and a lot of skincare brands jumped right into the matcha teacup so to speak. What’s the big deal? Well, matcha contains a range of antioxidants, specifically catechin polyphenols, which can repair damage from UV rays, and soothe inflammation. Match also contains
methylxanthines , which are great for stimulating skin circulation, thereby improving radiance and even complexion.
For direct benefits to your skin, it is better applied topically, i.e. in creams, lotions and masks. The skin benefits will be limited to the outer layers of the skin, similar to other green tea products (ref: Medical College of Georgia, 2003 and US National Library of Medicine). They work best in conjunction with other antioxidants, like vitamin C.
When matcha is ingested, as tea or in foods, you will gain body benefits from the inside out as well. It’s high in vitamins C and E, as well as helping liver function, and promoting circulation. This is similar to many other green teas, and it is just the case that matcha green tea has become popular over the last few years. It should be noted, that worth any green teas, the tea should be taken in moderation, as it is not caffeine-free and also too much green tea (more than 3 or 4 cups a day) can negatively impact iron absorption in the blood.
Impact on iron absorption is one thing that I experienced myself a few years ago when I switched out tea and coffee for green tea. I didn’t realise that there was caffeine in green tea, and also I couldn’t understand why my energy levels had dropped significantly – a blood test showed low iron, so I reduced my green tea intake to one a day or every few days. No such problems since then.
Texture, fragrance, performance
The Matcha Green Tea Night Moisturiser has a light, gel texture that is a bit thicker than the Seaweed day moisturiser, but still easily absorbed. I wore this as a day cream on slightly heavier days, rather than topping up my day cream.
The fragrance is not too strong but is noticeable. It’s a gentle scent, similar to the Seaweed moisturiser, a very mild fruity scent mixed with a touch of cocoa butter. As far as I can tell from the ingredients, there is not a significant amount of perfume added, the fragrance is a by product of the ingredients.
After 2 months of daily use, I’d say that I like it but don’t love it. It gives me an added hydration boost on dry days, or light everyday nighttime moisture. My skin looks and feels more hydrated on most days.
The only thing I don’t like about the moisturiser is that you can’t really layer it up, without it pilling up. Even after I let one layer fully absorb into my skin before applying the next. This is similar to most gel-based moisturisers, which is why I usually prefer creamy texture moisturising creams.
Best for…
All skin types, except very dry skin. The gel texture is really quickly absorbed into the skin and gives my skin lasting hydration, without feeling gunky.
Not for…
Very dry skin, as noted above. The gel texture means that it doesn’t layer up well for very dry skin. If you try to apply multiple layers of this, even allowing time in between layers for it to absorb, it does start to pill up. For very dry skin, I’d recommend a more creamy, thicker texture moisturiser.
The verdict
Dr Botanicals skincare is on the pricey side but I do like a lot of the range. They often have sales of 60-80% on specific ranges at different times of the year. I must admit that while I have tried a lot of the Dr Botanicals face and body ranges, I have never paid full price for them.
Products I’ve tried which I haven’t got on with haven’t been bad products, per se, but just not suited to my skin type or my needs. I can’t help feeling that the high price point is a real barrier to making these onto the mass market. They can clearly afford to reduce the prices, as they have massive discounts every 2 months or so.
Back to the Matcha Green Tea Night Moisturiser – basically, I love it.
It suits me really well as a night cream for any day, or a day cream on dry winter days. As I move into Spring/ Summer, I will see how it fares as my skin changes. That said, from the way it’s dealt with my January/ February skin changes, I do think it’ll suit my skin needs all year round.
Available from Dr Botanicals online, priced £47.50.