Protective effects of tea polysaccharides and polyphenols on skin

The protective effects of tea polysaccharides (TPS) and polyphenols (TPP) on skin were investigated. TPS1 (92% TPS), crude TPS2 (20% TPS), and TPP (98%) were tested. The abilities of TPS and TPP to protect the skin were assessed in four aspects: moisture absorption and retention, sunscreen, promoting the proliferation of fibroblast cells, and tyrosinase inhibitory effect. TPS and TPP absorbed and reserved moisture perfectly. TPS with higher purity had better moisture absorption and retention abilities. TPS1 hardly protected the skin from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays and had little promoting effect on fibroblasts proliferation. TPP, however, protected skin against UV rays and enhanced proliferation of fibroblast cells significantly. TPP had good tyrosinase inhibitory effects; TPS showed weaker tyrosinase inhibitory effects with the purity increased. The results indicated that TPP and TPS had complementary advantages and they should be appropriately combined to achieve higher performance when applied as active components of cosmetics.