Green Tea Extract
Antioxidant botanical · INCI: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Green Tea Extract comedogenic?
No. Green Tea Extract isn't considered pore-clogging, and we read it as safe to use on acne-prone skin. That doesn't make it right for everyone, but congestion isn't the thing to watch for with it.
Why we read it this way
Green tea extract comes from the leaves of the tea plant and is rich in polyphenols, which is why formulas use it as an antioxidant. On a label it reads Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract. It is a leaf extract, not an oil, so we read it as not pore-clogging.
The nuance
The leaf extract is a different ingredient from the oils pressed from camellia and tea seeds, which share the plant name on a label. It is also unrelated to tea tree oil. This reading covers the leaf extract only.
Where it shows up
Antioxidant serums, toners, essences, gel moisturizers, eye creams and sunscreens, and many cleansers and clay masks sold for oily skin.
Names we read the same way
- Green Tea
Related ingredients
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. The acne ingredient checker reads everything in a product at once, and there is more on what comedogenic means. Also in the guides: What acne actually is.