4 Teas to transform your skin

Think about how you feel when you sip on a lovely cup of tea. Doesn’t it sooth and calm you from the onset?

Breathing in that herbal aroma does lift my spirit. This had me wondering that if herbal tea can do such good things for me on the inside then surely it can give my skin a little magical transformation too.

Benefits you cannot ignore

Herbal teas are essential when it comes to maintaining good health. Packed with anti-oxidants and ant-inflammatory super powers, don’t just drink it add it to your skin care kit. Also, what is so terrific is that each tea is unique and can work on problem areas you didn’t even know you had:

• It can unblock pores
• It can hydrate
• It can stop irritation
• It can strengthen and heal

The major compound in tea that brings about all the good changes to your health and skin is known as catechins. This is an anti oxidant produced by plants and tea leaves normally contains high levels of it. As you know if you have plenty of anti-oxidants in your system you can be safe guarded from the sun’s UV damage, fight off allergies and microbials, repair and renew skin cells and keep skin hydrated.

Let’s explore these benefits further and discover how your skin can be transformed by tea!

4 Top teas you should give a try

1. Rooibos

This caffeine free tea is my all time favorite and here you will read why. Not only does it have a refreshing and delicious taste but it is packed with medicinal properties. The Khoisan tribe were the custodians of this amazing plant and will attest that the healing will occur almost instantly from the inside out. The tea is grown in South Africa in an area known as Western Cape and is fast becoming popular on a global scale.

The South African Rooibos Council has entered into an access and benefit sharing agreement with Khoi San tribe of South Africa. This agreement will ensure the indigenous people being the rightful traditional knowledge holders of Rooibos, are rewarded and fairly included in all rooibos trade activities. It will have a positive impact on communities who grow the tea, the environment and conservation thereof and of course the actual protection of the biodiversity. Read more about this agreement and farming of rooibos here.

For skin care you can use it to help with the following:

• Anti-inflammatory thanks to all micronutrients
• Heal damaged and burned skin
• Removes bacteria
• Hydrates and keeps skin strong

Watch this informational video below for more about the rooibos story.

2. Green

This tea needs no introduction as it must be the most popular out there. When you need a boost from nature and need to rid your body of all this nasty toxins green tea is your go to. But for those of us who are still not sure how it can help and especially for skin lets take a look. The anti oxidants in green tea are more potent and the fact that it contains caffeine it will naturally flush toxins from your body which has a glowing effect on your skin! Apparently you will need to zoom in on which green teas are available as certain ones will help your specific skin conditions:

• choose a tea high in catechins for fighting acne or inflamed skin
• choose a tea high in polyphenols to keep skin protected from the sun and other environmental stresses
• choose a tea high in EGCG if you wish to keep skin hydrated and elastic

Read more about catechins / polyphenols and EGCG here to know more about the benefits.

To use green tea topically is easy and hardly any side effects if any. The beauty industry has been using this ingredient for decades and why not try your own natural skin care recipe at home. Read further down in this article on best ways to treat your skin with this super tea.

3. Chamomile

Another gentle & calming way to transform your skin is by using chamomile tea. It has ability to bring your mind, body and soul into peaceful harmony and promotes calm from all stress. Besides being a great cup of tea for those nights when you can’t sleep it also brings peace to some chaos your skin is undergoing. Thanks to the antioxidants, anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties  helping your skin with these common nuisances:

• If you have dark spots on your skin or dark circles under your eyes this tea is known to help lighten these areas.
• Don’t worry too much about acne anymore it will help with ridding bacteria and fading the scars.
• A day on the beach can cost you but thank heavens chamomile is there to calm, sooth and heal those burns.
• Dry , itchy skin or those suffering with eczema & psoriasis can rely on chamomile to heal.

 

4. Black

I have saved one of the best for last as black tea is the super star to help you get rid of wrinkles and age spots. The reason being it has much higher levels of polyphenols and antioxidants than the other teas. It  renews tissue cells quickly and protects against the free radicals that causes aging. This tea is so effective in removing dark spots and blemishes you can apply it directly to the area using a cotton ball.

Now that you know which 4 teas can transform your skin lets hit the lab and make our own recipes using these super stars!

 

Get steeping

Any one of the above teas you can apply directly to your skin by just dipping a cotton pad in the teas and dabbing on the areas that need extra love.

Whether the black or green choose your tea and swap around to see which one gives you a more transformational glow. They all have similar benefits but we know that black tea is best for at anti aging. Rooibos is best of you want to curb inflammation & increase hydration. Chamomile is best to sooth any damage caused by the sun or other dry skin conditions. Green tea if you need to rid your skin of nasty toxins.

However , if you need some more intense tea therapy here are some transformational recipes 🙂

Refreshing Face wash or rinse

• steep two tea bags of your choice or two tables spoons of the tea leaves in 3 cups of boiling water.
• cool it to a lukewarm state and then rinse your face with it.
• You can replace a cup of boiling water with aloe juice as this will give the skin a good cleanse while keeping it moist.

The tea you use is up to you as all these recipes are interchangeable. So keeping the specific benefits of each tea in mind you will soon find your own tea angel.

Renewing Face scrub

• two teaspoons of tea leaves ( tear open the bags if you don’t have loose leaves) and two table spoons of honey.
• gently rub the mixture into your a=face in a massaging circular motion.
• the leaves act as the exfoliant and you can also add 2 drops of essential oils like lavender or rose for an extra botanical boost!

Tea time Toner

Sometimes when I run out of my favorite toner I find tea always saves the day. Ok so I will make me a pot and then pour off a half a cup and set aside to cool.

• 1/4 cup cooled strong tea of choice.
• 1/4 lemon juice.
• mix it all up in a spray bottle and store in a cool place.

This toner can be spritz onto face and left to dry just like that or spray onto a cotton pad and dab onto skin to remove excess oil and dirt.

Healing and hydrating face mask

2 tbs honey

2 tbs cup plain yogurt

2 tea bags of choice

Steep the tea for 8 minutes. Remove tea bags from water, let it cool to the touch, and squeeze out excess. Open tea bags and mix well with honey & yogurt. Apply to a clean face & leave on for 15 minutes. Wipe off with a cloth, and rinse well with some remaining tea water you squeezed out 🙂

Tips to sip on

As with anything new you introduce to your skin care routine it is important to a patch test. Tea in general does not cause any harmful reactions but it is wise to consult a dermatologist if you are being treated for a serious condition before using. Another word of caution or rather common sense is that when you are working with any hot liquid topically, please wait for it to cool down. Also, consider the intake of your herbal teas and keep it moderate as sometimes it has been noted to affect menstrual cycles and here I suspected the moon 🙂 Read more on a study done here.  But yet again, I will say when in doubt consult your doctor.

You can place your used tea bags on your eyes when they feel puffy and sore. The anti inflammatory properties will bring down any swelling and redness to give you back that sparkle! Also, you can run a warm bath ( of you have water to spare) and add a few tea bags to lay in it and soak all the stress away! You can even just save all your used bags and cut them open to use as a facial or foot scrub next time you need a home spa treatment!

You are invited to the tea party

So there you have all the great ideas to start adding tea to your skin care kit. Chamomile, Rooibos, Black & Green Teas will totally transform your skin for the better. The best part is you don’t have to spend a fortune and you can enjoy these treatments in peace at home. You will also in some cases be contributing to the survival of an indigenous community and the plant life that has brought healing to so many worldwide!

I’m off to put on the kettle, anyone care to join me ?

Real Skin Angel

Love Your Skin Naturally!

Feel free to leave any comments or questions below.