Green Tea for Scalp – The Rich Antioxidant Tonic That Soothes
By Charlene Latreuille
Updated
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Green tea for scalp treatment is the ultimate relief for embarrassing dry, itchy, flaky, and oily scalp troubles.
Packed with rich antioxidants and nutrients, green tea boosts the skin cells on your scalp that support and energize your hair.
It helps your scalp renew and rebalance itself when:
- There is too much sebum
- Excess skin cells cause inflammation
- The pH (Potential of Hydrogen) is off-balance
Did you know?
Your everyday hair products can disrupt the natural pH balance and wear out the condition of your scalp!

For example:
Sulfates and salt thickening agents in your shampoos suck up natural oils (sebum) from your scalp to leave it dry and parched.
Sulfates also destroy the protective acid mantle on the skin, the layer of fatty acids that protects your scalp from external aggressors.
And when the skin barrier is compromised, harmful bacteria quickly take up residence at the roots of your hair.
This results in conditions like:
- Dandruff
- Hair loss
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- And Acne
Which can cause more than just embarrassment.
An unhealthy scalp starves your hair from essential nutrients to make it look dull, lifeless, and difficult to style.
If you want gorgeous hair, full of luster and vitality …
The process starts with your scalp.

Just like a plant needs fertile, rich soil to bloom, your hair needs a healthy scalp to grow and flourish.
And there’s no better natural remedy than green tea to restore that healthy balance.
Make your scalp a rich and fertile sanctuary for your hair.
Why You Should Use Green Tea For Your Hair And Scalp

Green tea, also known as Camellia Sinensis, has been used for centuries as an ancient old beauty remedy to treat hair and scalp conditions.
In fact, the use of green tea in Chinese medicine dates more than 2000 years back when it was commonly known as the “green Jade.”
What’s more interesting is …
Unlike black tea, green tea leaves undergo minimal processing. Therefore, they remain highly potent and brimming with:
- Antioxidants
- Caffeine
- Phytochemicals (Non-nutritive plant chemicals with antioxidants)
- Catechins (natural antioxidants)
- Tannins (Anti-inflammatory astringent)
- And epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG – An antioxidant polyphenol)
That’s why, when you use it as a topical application, it delivers maximum impact and noticeable results.
If you haven’t tried a green tea rinse on your scalp yet, let me tell you what you’re missing out.
Green Tea Works As A Gentle Scalp Scrub

When you apply green tea to your scalp, it removes toxins deep from the roots.
Unlike other scalp detox products, it does not leave behind residues or chemical deposits.
You can rinse it away with pure water, and enjoy the soothing sensation on your scalp straight away.
Fancy trying your own green tea scalp shampoo at home?
It’s easy. Just follow the instructions below.
How to make a green tea scalp shampoo:
- Boil 2 green tea bags
- Let it cool down
- Add liquid castile soap to the mixture
- Rub it on your scalp and let it work for 5 minutes
- Feel the cooling and tingling sensation
Green Tea Removes Dead Skin cells And Renews Your Scalp
According to a research done by Dr. Stephen Hsu, a cell biologist in the Medical College of Georgia, the EGCG component in green tea reactivates dying skin cells to make them multiply. [1]
EGCG (a powerful natural antioxidant) scavenges dead skin cells and rejuvenates the dying ones.

These are the dying skin cells on your scalp that would otherwise:
- Peel off
- Cause dandruff
- Block your hair roots
- Or kill the hair they support
Dr. Hsu also highlights the immediate benefits to skin conditions such as psoriasis, Rosacea, wrinkles, and inflammations.
Green Tea Stops Scalp Inflammations

Your scalp feels irritated when there is excess dirt, sebum, or chemicals interfering with its natural flora.
As a result, your body’s defense mechanism reacts by initiating an inflammatory response.
Green tea uses its catechin-rich emulsion to seek out and expel the sources of irritants.
No irritants = No inflammations.
So if you are suffering from dry and itchy scalp …
… boil some green tea, add it to your regular oil, and see the difference it makes after a few days.
Green Tea Fights Dandruff And Psoriasis

Dandruff and Psoriasis are inflammatory skin disorders often characterized by patches of dry, red, and flaky skin that crack and bleed.
The main cause of these conditions: Overproduction of skin cells.
According to research published in the journal of experimental dermatology, green tea polyphenols can reduce Psoriasis-like skin lesions and regulate your skin’s life cycle. [2]
And even better:
Green tea is natural. You don’t need hazardous ingredients like Coal Tar or Sulfides to fight dandruff or Psoriasis!
Read: Why Coal Tar shampoos have suddenly disappeared from the shelves »
Green Tea Protects Your Scalp From Pollutants

Cigarette smoke, dust, pollution, dry shampoos, everything that deposits in your hair become sticky residues when they mix with natural sebum that your scalp secretes.
Working as a chelating agent, green tea breaks down residues to flush them out from your scalp.
According to Dr. Iman A. Hakim, professor of Public Health at the University of Arizona, green tea is rich in polyphenols that induce phase-2 detoxification enzymes. They metabolize toxins to excrete them safely out of your body. [3]
Green Tea Balances Your Oily Scalp

When your scalp is oily, the pores get blocked.
As a result:
- Natural oils cannot travel along your hair shaft
- Hair growth suffers from clogged pores
- Your roots feel extra oily, and your ends dry
- Clogged pores cause inflammations
As a natural astringent, Tannins in green tea regulate excess sebum production on the scalp and dislodge them to let your pores breathe.
How green tea reduced sebum production by 70% in 8 weeks [4]So if your hair always looks like an oil slick, it’s probably due to a lot of stale sebum accumulating.
Use green tea to flush them out and see how it makes your hair sparkle without any greasiness.
Green Tea Fights Hair Loss

Green tea prevents miniaturization of hair follicles that cause hair loss. [5]
Another key reason for hair loss is inflammation on the scalp in the form of:
- Dermatitis
- Psoriasis
- Ringworms
- Seborrhea
- Or Eczema
Again this condition is caused by overproduction of sebum. The result of sebaceous glands inflamed by an imbalance.
Fortunately, the anti-inflammatory properties of green tea stop all this by normalizing the flow of sebum and removing the stale oils that your scalp doesn’t need.
A well-balanced scalp makes way for your weaker hair to sprout and grow stronger.
Green Tea Stimulates Hair Growth

Besides helping your struggling hair follicles to resurface again, green tea energizes each strand of your hair with a caffeine boost.
Caffeine in green tea increases blood circulation in the scalp and stimulates your hair follicles to encourage more and better growth.
It Improves Moisture Retention
Green tea reduces transepidermal water loss on your skin to allow maximum moisture retention.
It relieves dry skin with amino acids and phytonutrients.
In short, green tea is a proven long-term skin moisturizer.
Here’s the study to prove it:
Study: The use of green tea extract in cosmetic formulations
So get plenty of it on your dry and flaky scalp.
Green Tea Makes Your Scalp Smell Good

Many people enjoy the uplifting and energizing effects of green tea aroma.
I use it in my nighttime bath, as the scent relaxes and soothes me all over!
Trust me; you’ll enjoy that green world of freshness that energizes your body and excites your senses.
Let me help you get started with some easy recipes you can do at home.
How To Make A Green Tea Hair Spray
Follow my easy instructions on how to make and use a green tea for scalp treatment:
- Toss 2 green tea bags into 2 cups of boiling water
- After boiling, allow the mixture to cool down
- Pour the mixture into a spray bottle
- Now clean your hair first with shampoo or conditioner
- Leave your hair damp
- Spray the green tea mixture on your scalp
- Make sure you cover as much as you can
- Massage the tonic evenly for a few minutes
- Cover your hair with a plastic cap
- Leave it on your hair for 30 minutes to process
- Finally, rinse your hair with cold water
You can also catch some more inspiration in this Youtube video:

How To Make A Green Tea Hair Mask
To start, you’ll need the following:
- A mixing bowl and spatula
- 1 tbsp of coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp of Matcha green tea organic powder
- And a comb to thread the mask through your hair
How to prepare and use the mask:
- Crack the egg into the bowl
- Add the coconut oil
- Whisk it together
- Add the Matcha powder
- Mix it thoroughly
- Part your hair in many sections
- Apply the mask on your partings
- Slowly massage it and work your way to cover your scalp
- Leave it on for 30 mins
- Shampoo your hair
You may also add honey to the mask for more antibacterial benefits.
If you’re not a big fan of DIY beauty recipes, you can buy ready-made green tea products for your scalp which are super easy to apply and wash away.
Green Tea Scalp Treatment I Recommend
Overall, there is enough evidence to show that green tea is super efficient at reducing sebum and cure scalp related disorders.
So go ahead, and make your green tea for scalp treatment, OR click the link below to buy my favorite ones.
References & Citations
- Medical College Of Georgia. “Green Tea Linked To Skin Cell Rejuvenation.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 April 2003.
sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/04/030425071800.htm - NCBI. Green tea polyphenol induces caspase 14 in epidermal keratinocytes.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17620095 - NCBI. Modulation of human glutathione s-transferases by polyphenon e intervention.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684143 - ResearchGate. Outcomes of 3% Green Tea Emulsion on Skin Sebum Production in Male Volunteers.
researchgate.net/publication/46287318_Outcomes_of_3_Green_Tea_Emulsion_on_Skin_Sebum_Production_in_Male_Volunteers - NCBI – Proprietary Herbal Extract DA-5512 Effectively Stimulates Hair Growth and Promotes Hair Health.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5429933/