Afrikan Republic Green Tea & Tea Tree Cream Review

There are plenty of skin care products in the market, but when it comes to best choices, natural creams are the best choice. Two of the best natural ingredients to look for in your face cream are green tea and tea tree oil.

Green tea benefits for the skin:

• Contains a great deal of anti-oxidants which fights premature aging
• Blocks the harmful enzyme that causes skin cancer
• Packed with anti-bacterial properties that is great for dealing with acne
• Good for puffy eyes and under-the-eyes circles.

An interesting study published on Allure stats that:

“In a study of 35 people with chronic breakouts, acne decreased by 80 to 90 percent in eight weeks with daily application of a cream containing an antioxidant from green tea (EGCG). “The efficacy was greater than has been found with other acne medications,” including a prescription treatment combining a retinoid with benzoyl peroxide, says Dae Hun Suh, a professor of dermatology at Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea.”

On the other hand, tea tree oil is good for your skin since:

• In a study, scientists proved that tea tree oil is an excellent treatment for acne.
• Helps cure chapped lips.
• Tea tree oil is a natural treatment for various skin problems like corn, warts, and wounds.

What if these two amazing ingredients exist in the same product?

Afrikan Republic sent me Green Tea and Tea Tree cream for review. Here is what the official description stats:

“Made with natural green tea extract and tea tree oil, Afrikan Republic Green Tea Cream with Tea Tree Oil is a necessary addition to your daily skin care regimen. Green tea contains EGCG – an antioxidant 200 times stronger than Vitamin E. Tea tree oil’s antibacterial properties promote natural skin health and fights blemishes and acne. Perfect for daily application over your entire face and body Afrikan Republic Green Tea & Tea Tree Cream contains all the necessary ingredients to lighten, tighten, and tone for radiant noticeable skin.”

Ingredients:

Distilled water, Green tea extract, evening primrose oil, coconut oil, Shea oil, emulsifying wax, grapes seed oil, vegetable Glycerin USP, tea tree oil, citric acid, lemon essential oil, orange, essential oil, preservatives.

 

How did I use Green Tea and Tea Tree cream?

I was very excited to try a cream with a combination of two great skin care ingredients; tea tree oil, and green tea. First, I added it to my day care routine, but it did not work for me; my skin tends to sweat more in hot summer days, and it looked shiny so I had to apply more powder to my oily T-zone. It felt too heavy; I always prefer lotions and light creams in summer, so I decided to use it as a night cream.

This time, I did not like it either, I had to apply it one hour before going to bed because it was absorbed very slowly into my skin, I don’t like that sticky feeling on my face when I go to bed, what about you?

Though I did not like applying thick creams to my face in summer, I noticed that the few naughty pimples on my face disappeared quickly. Therefore, I decided to apply it on pimples rather than on my whole face.

 

What I liked about Green Tea and Tea Tree cream                          

• Paraben free ( though the word preservatives was mentioned in the ingredients)
• Natural ingredients
• Smells like citric, I like that smell, it is light and disappears quickly.
• Pimples vanish after few applications.

 

 

What I didn’t like about Afrikan Republic Green Tea and Tea Tree cream               

• The number one concern is it contains “preservatives”. They did not mention what type of preservatives they use, and that adds up to my concerns, especially that they stated on the label “No Parabens”!
• It is very hard to read what is on the label; the label is in brown color and the characters are in orange, which makes it hard for me (though I do not have vision problems) to read what is on the label. In addition, font size is too small. If I were to buy this product, I would put it back on the shelf because I cannot read the label!
• Most professional beauty experts oppose jar packaging; as soon as you open it, air will reduce the effectiveness of its ingredients. In addition, my jar was not sealed! If I were to buy it from a local store, what would assure me that no one contaminated it by dipping his/her finger in it?!
• Expiration date is not stated on the jar.
• It is too heavy when applied on the skin, as I mentioned above, and my skin stays oily and sticky half an hour after applying this cream, I have a combination skin, so I have enough problems to deal with!
• If you are planning to use this cream as a makeup base, forget about it! It will ruin all your efforts to keep everything in its place! It will look like your makeup is melting, especially in a hot summer day. 

My overall experience

I had big expectations when I started using African Republic Green Tea and Tea Tree cream. However, it looks obvious that this cream is NOT for me, at least not for using during hot humid summer days. I should admit that it helped cure pimples on my face, but still I did not notice any brightening effects of this cream.

While I started using it during the day, switched to nighttime routine, I ended up using it as a topical acne treatment. Even though, I am still not sure if is 100% natural since it contains mysterious preservatives. It is definitely NOT on my shopping list.

 

Over to you now

Did any skin care product let you down? Do you prefer thick or light creams? Tell me about it in the comments.

 

*Though the brand sent me this product for review, all opinions are my own, and completely based on my own experience with this product.