Organic Sencha Tea Powder

Where do we get it?

Lush sources this organic tea from two different Japanese tea gardens, one in Shizuoka prefecture and the other in Kumamoto.

Shizuoka Prefecture is a major tea-producing area, with over 40% of Japan's green tea. Lush buys from a grower who started organic farming in 1993 and has now completely stopped using pesticides and fertilisers. They test their products carefully since the Fukushima disaster to ensure that they do not contain traces of radioactivity or pesticide residues.

In Kumamoto Prefecture, our other supplier grows not only tea but also fruits, rice and vegetables in a high biodiversity satoyama area. They also actively collaborate with environmental groups and raise awareness of satoyama culture. They are on the flyway of the endangered sashiba (grey-faced buzzard), and Lush Japan has long supported their conservation efforts, mainly through the purchase of rice.

What are the benefits for you?

• Antioxidant - gives the skin a healthy glow.
• Anti-inflammatory - calms irritations and redness.
• Antibacterial - clean skin!

What are the benefits for the planet?

Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, is a small evergreen shrub with elliptical leaves and white flowers. Different teas are obtained from its leaves depending on how they are treated after harvest. Green tea, for example, isn’t processed and oxidised as much as black tea, so it keeps a softer, herbaceous scent.

A typical product of Japan, sencha is the most consumed type of green tea in the country. Unlike Chinese green tea, which is pan-fried after harvest, sencha is steamed for 15-20 seconds before being rolled and left to dry. This technique gives the tea a very green taste and colour.