Serums are some of the most popular skincare formulas available on the market. Formulated to deliver a healthy dose of potent ingredients to the skin, serum formulas can incorporate a variety of active ingredients. Some brands charge thousands of dollars for their serums, but we will teach you to make a beautiful antioxidant serum for a fraction of the price charged by the big players! Let’s look at the star ingredient for this formula which is green tea.
Today, green tea is a popular ingredient in many skincare formulations. It’s frequently used in serums, moisturisers, masks, scrubs, and toners. Today, you will use green tea extract in this skin-loving serum.
There are several types of tea are made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds. Their differences are based on processing methods, pH, type of soil, and where the camelia bushes are grown. The altitude of the location and exposure to the sun or shade also impact the plants.
Green tea is also known as “unoxidised” tea. Harvested leaves are immediately steamed to preserve the green colour and prevent oxidisation.
As a result, green tea has more chlorophyll, polyphenols and antioxidants than in other tea types.
Green tea benefits
For centuries, young, fresh leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant have been used in the food industry. They’ve also been used for thousands of years as a skin treatment in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine.
Green tea has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, and antibacterial properties that calm the skin and reduce the feeling of oiliness.1
Green tea’s components include caffeine, tannins and saponins, amino acids, lipids, and antioxidants, which are beneficial to the skin.
The leaves are a source of polyphenol antioxidants. They include flavanols, flavandiols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. These compounds may account for up to 30% of dry matter.2
Adding green tea extract to skincare or body care formulas enhances antioxidant benefits. It helps protect the skin from free radicals, environmental pollutants, or extreme weather conditions. The antioxidant properties also support the skin’s natural ability to restore itself.
Since this plant is so rich with benefits, let’s put it to use to nourish, soothe, hydrate, and protect the skin. We’ll give the skin some love.
This simple formula lets you create an emulsified green tea serum that can inspire future formulations. Serums are fun to make, popular to use, and very beneficial for the skin.
Serums are lightweight skincare formulas designed with a purpose. Formulators often target specific skin concerns like acne, hyperpigmentation or signs of ageing.
It’s recommended to apply your serum to cleansed skin and top it off with your favourite SPF protection for the day or rejuvenation formula at night.
Our Key Ingredients
If you’re new to formulating, you might want to explore our
Lemon hydrosol –is beautifully scented yet offers gentle toning, regulates sebum production and can promote skin brightening. It does this by reducing the appearance of blemishes, dark spots, and hyperpigmentation.
Green tea hydro extract – has a dark brown colour that will affect the final appearance of the product. Keep this in mind if you want your product to be a lighter colour. In this formula, we used 5% of the green tea extract, and the final colour is medium beige. This extract has strong antioxidant, astringent and antibacterial effects on the skin.
Learn more about the benefits of green tea in this guide:
Formula Botanica Leaf to Lotion: The Benefits of Green Tea in Cosmetics
Panthenol – is one of the most popular and affordable humectants. It adds a pleasant skin feel and helps the skin feel soft and smooth. For more information about humectants, refer to:
Siligel –is a modern patented blend of natural thickeners with a silicone-like skin feel. It will help stabilise the serum’s oil phase without the risk of separation over time. If you cannot source Siligel, there are similar alternatives to this ingredient, including Ecogel. Both these ingredients can work nicely in the formula. Using Solagum AX is also possible, but the final texture, colour and skin feel will be different.
Siligel, is a gelling and stabilising blend of natural ingredients and gums with a pleasant skin feel. It can be difficult to achieve a non-tacky, pleasant skin feel using only natural gums. So, manufacturers have innovated to make natural thickening agents like Siligel that are pleasant to the skin and easy to use.
To learn more about gums and their uses in formulating, review this guide:
Opuntia seed oil – (prickly pear) is a delicate oil extracted from the seeds of the prickly pear cactus. It has a light skin feel and is rich in fatty acids, vitamins, and phytosterols. Seed oils are excellent additions to your formulation. The Formula Botanica blog on Why use seed oils in your haircare and skin care explains their benefits.
Rosehip seed oil – is a delicate natural plant oil extracted from the seeds of Rosa canina, which are rich in fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins.
Tocopherol is a powerful antioxidant that protects natural plant oils from premature rancidity and prolongs the formula’s shelf life.
Preservative ECO– a broad-spectrum preservative suitable for natural skincare. It has a full-spectrum efficacy and maximum efficiency at a pH range of 3-8. To better understand natural preservatives, explore this guide:
Formula Botanica’s Guide to Natural Preservatives.
Now that we’ve gotten acquainted with the key ingredients let’s formulate a skin-loving green tea serum.
Our formulation: Green tea serum
Basic formula composition: beginner/intermediate formula to personalise and adapt
Recommended batch size – 100g (or 50 grams)
Time to make: 20 minutes
| Phase | Ingredients | INCI | Weight Grams |
| A | Distilled water | Aqua | 40.9 |
| A | Green tea hydro extract | Camellia Sensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Water, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate | 5.00 |
| A | Lemon hydrosol | Citrus Limon Peel Water | 40.00 |
| A | Panthenol | Panthenol | 1.00 |
| B | Glycerine | Glycerin | 4.00 |
| B | Siligel | Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan | 1.60 |
| C | Opuntia oil | Opuntia Ficus Indica Seed Oil | 2.00 |
| C | Rosehip seed oil | Rosa Canina Seed Oil | 2.00 |
| C | Grape seed oil | Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil | 2.00 |
| C | Tocopherol | Tocopherol | 0.50 |
| D | Preservative ECO | Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Sorbic Acid | 1.00 |
| E | Lactic acid | Lactic Acid | q.s.* |
| Total: 100.00 |
*q.s. stands for as needed.
Equipment:
Scales
Glass beaker
Watch glass
Stainless steel spoons
Glass rod
Silicone spatula
Homogeniser or mini homogeniser
pH strips or pH meter
Suitable container
Method of Manufacture: Green Tea Serum
- Preparation
Ensure you have your formulation notebook handy to make notes as you formulate. Keep in mind our mantra, “if you don’t write it down, it didn’t happen.” Sanitise your utensils and work area, wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and follow Good Manufacturing Practice.
- Measure
Start by measuring each of the following by weight. Make sure to tare your scales each time you are ready to add a new ingredient. Measure the water, hydrosol, green tea extract and panthenol into a clean glass beaker and mix well. After the addition of green tea extract, the solution will turn dark brown.
- Glycerine & Siligel
Measure the glycerin and Siligel onto a watch glass and stir to make a slurry out of it. Then, add it to the mixture of water-based ingredients
- Homogenise
Next homogenise the blend until smooth. If you do not have a homogeniser, you can use a mini whisk with an attachment that will work with small batches.
- Add oils
Now add the opuntia seed oil, rosehip seed oil, grapeseed oil, and tocopherol. Then, continue homogenising until completely smooth.
- Add preservatives
Next add the Preservative ECO and mix well.
- Measure pH
Measure the pH of your formula. You are aiming for a final pH of between 5-5.5. If necessary, add lactic acid to lower the pH. If you need to raise the pH, you can use a sodium bicarbonate or L-arginine solution for the adjustment.
- Decant
Your formulation is complete, and it’s time to decant it into a suitable container and label.
Suggested suppliers
Many of the suppliers below ship internationally. We indicate their country or regional base.
Aromazone (EU)
Aromantic (UK)
Alexmo Cosmetics (EU)
Manske (EU)
Soap Kitchen (UK)
Elemental (EU)
Lotioncrafter (USA)
Essential Wholesale (USA)
Go Native (New Zealand)
Naturally Balmy (UK)
O&3 – The Oil Family (UK, EU)
Soap & More (Canada)
Handy Made (Slovakia/EU)
References :
1.Robert L. Pastore, Patrick Fratellone. (2006). Potential Health Benefits of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis): A Narrative Review, EXPLORE, Volume 2, Issue 6, 531-539,
2.McKay, Diane & Blumberg, Jeffrey. (2002). The Role of Tea in Human Health: An Update. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 21. 1-13.
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Miroslava is a grading tutor at Formula Botanica. She has a Ph.D in neuroscience, expertise in biology and chemistry, and a lifelong passion for natural cosmetic formulation.
