• Green tea can be added to lye soap.green tea image by Ragne Kabanova from Fotolia.com
  
  The strong flavor and health benefits of green tea have been praised for centuries. The effectiveness of green tea when used in soap depends on the amount that is actually in it. Still, the combination of green tea's skin-treating properties and lye's cleaning power makes it a refreshing way to lather up.
  
  

Sun Protection

• An estimated 30 to 35 percent of the dry weight of a single green tea leaf is made up of polyphenol cells. Polyphenol is a chemical that acts as a powerful antioxidant. When absorbed into the skin, it can provide protection against UV rays and help prevent signs of photo aging, especially when used as a supplement to sunscreen.
  
  

Redness Reduction

• Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties. Using green tea soap can help reduce skin redness and swelling. These properties, along with its antioxidant properties, can help treat acne as well. A traditional Chinese remedy for acne is green tea mixed with honeysuckle, though this treatment has not been clinically proven.
  
  

Aromatherapy

• Green tea has a bold, grass-like scent that can create an energizing shower or bath when added to soap. The smell of green tea alone can be overpowering if it is too concentrated, but in soap, the aroma can be much more subtle depending on how much is used.
  
  

Dirt Removal and Oil Control

• The lye in drain cleaner is not the same as the lye in bath soap. During the soap-making process, lye (sodium hydroxide) combines with tallow, fat or oil. Sodium hydroxide is a base and tallow contains fatty acids. When combined, they produce a neutral salt that can effectively dissolve oil and dirt on the skin. The reason soap dissolves oil, even though it can be made from it, is that the sodium hydroxide/fatty acid reaction turns it into a different substance.