Whisk Taker! Why Matcha Deserves a Place in Your Beauty Routine
July 20 | 4 minute read
Words by Danielle Gay
Iced, oat, or infused with strawberry – your favourite matcha order has quietly become one of beauty's hardest-working ingredients.
A cool-girl café status symbol, the silk-like green tea powder – a centuries-old fixture of Japanese culture – is now finding its way into our beauty bags.
For the uninitiated (is there really anyone left out there who hasn’t strolled around with a very aesthetic strawberry iced matcha in hand?), matcha is favoured as a gentler alternative to coffee, thanks to its combination of caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid associated with promoting a calmer, more sustained sense of alertness. It’s also rich in powerful antioxidants, adding to its appeal as a skincare ingredient.
Below, get whisked away with our favourite matcha-infused formulas...
As refreshing as the first sip of an iced matcha, this soothing gel cleanser is a wake-up call for tired skin. Matcha is rich in polyphenols, aka potent plant compounds known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Translation: the emerald elixir works overtime in this foaming cleanser to reduce redness, calm reactive skin and tackle irritation. Tatcha has also added green clay to the formula to target excess oil and visibly refine pores, all in one gentle lather.
Launching in 2021, Le Labo’s Thé Matcha 26 became an instant cult classic for its earthy, fruit-forward aroma. With notes of fig, bitter orange and cedarwood, the fragrance was intended to capture not only the creaminess of a matcha latte, but also the unhurried ritual of preparing it – slow, grounding and comforting. It’s woody, herbal, sweet and intimate – and with a few sprays you’ll be transported to a cosy Tokyo cafe, fig matcha in hand and nowhere else to be.
Green tea is known as a superfood – and if that isn’t reason enough to add this cleanser to your cart, then consider its remaining ingredients: resilience-supporting kale, soothing spinach and hydrating aloe vera (oh my!). One wash with this juicy gel cleanser and the micronutrients found in matcha (which are preserved by grinding whole young tea leaves) get to work reducing sebum production in the skin. Cue: unclogged pores, more even texture and a clearer, brighter complexion.
Known for translating trending notes into sophisticated modern fragrances, PHLUR is the perfect brand to take on the matcha brief. Layering its earthy sweetness with notes of macadamia and vanilla, this lactonic scent (meaning it evokes creamy, milky notes) is as LA-coded as carrying around a supersized matcha iced latte. Elevated with bergamot zest, musk and black tea, it's a body mist that says 'come closer’ – and smells like the warmth of a lingering embrace.
Matcha – but for your hair. This restorative sulphate-free shampoo boasts a grocery store list of ingredients including the humble apple (rich in procyanidin to support a healthy scalp) and green spinach (delivering essential minerals to nourish strands). So where does matcha come into it? We already know it’s loaded with skin-loving antioxidants to fight free radicals, but science says the same compounds can protect hair, too. It works by sheltering strands from oxidative stress caused by UV exposure, heat-styling and chemical treatments, so parched locks feel hydrated and dull hair is revived with a glossy finish. It’s all in a day’s work for matcha!
