“Tea makes everything better.” This quote from Bindi Irwin is so true! Relaxing on the lanai with the trade winds blowing, the sound of the ocean wafting through, and a soothing cup of tea. Just the mental picture melts stress off my shoulders!
The benefits of tea go far beyond the calm and peace of our various tea rituals. Inside and out, healing properties make that morning, mid-morning, early afternoon, late afternoon, and bedtime cups (what can I say, I love tea) a powerful addition to your self-care and health plans. Yes – outside! Just as various teas and herbal teas aid digestion, they also help support glowing skin.
Tea Tips
Before we get into which teas to look for, here are a few tips.
- Buy organic. Just as our other crops have been touched by herbicides, pesticides, and runoff in the water, tea is no exception.
- Use high-quality, filtered water. Providing your body with the cleanest possible water allows it to focus on absorbing the “good stuff” without having to filter out the bad.
- Read the recommendations for a particular type of tea for what temperature and how long to steep to bring out the best flavor and properties.
- Change it up! It’s easy to reach for the same box of tea all day, but our bodies need variety in more than just our fruits and veggies. If green tea is your favorite, drink a cup or two in the morning, then switch to healing herbal teas after 2:00 pm for restful sleep.
- Skip the milk and sugar due to their inflammatory properties and opt for lemon.
- Add a little honey to your cup to absorb all the wonderful enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antibacterial properties of local, raw honey. “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” right?
Choosing Teas for Your Skin
If you like the sound of drinking your healing, but the plethora of options overwhelms, you’ve come to the right blog! You can get personalized recommendations from your acupuncturist, naturopath, or other functional medicine professional, but you can get started right away with a few of these teas.
Here are the benefits of caffeinated teas.
- Green Tea is an antioxidant wonder! It contains catechins (EGCG) that fight free-radicals – reviving dying skin cells, promoting new cell growth, and preventing wrinkles. One of the most studied teas in relation to health, the University of Maryland Medical Center’s recommendation is based on polyphenols (antioxidant compounds). Drinking 2 to 3 cups per day, depending on brand, provides 240 to 320 milligrams of polyphenols.
- White Tea is the least-processed caffeinated tea. With even more antioxidants and catechin levels than green tea, and antibacterial properties to fight skin conditions, it is amazingly healing for the body and skin. One additional benefit is that it can help prevent the increase of MMP (matrix metalloproteinases), an enzyme that can decrease collagen and elastin as we age. Whole leaf tea typically has less caffeine than bagged tea.
- Matcha. A distinct powdered green tea that is grown and produced in Japan (and we know the wonders of Japanese skin care!), this potent tea goes far beyond the traditional tea ceremonies. Matcha Mochi, anyone? No, seriously. This antioxidant-rich tea is nutritionally dense with natural antibiotics, catechin, and chlorophyll, that detoxify the skin and fight bacterial infections. One study found that matcha has 137 times the polyphenols (EGCG) than regular green tea. Reduce inflammation and free radicals one frothy, delicious cup at a time!
Here are just a few of the top herbal teas for a glowing complexion.
- Chamomile Tea. The sweet sleep tea, chamomile has antispasmodic, antibacterial, anxiolytic effects that help with stress and anti-inflammatory properties for a rested glow to your skin.
- Rooibos. An anti-aging powerhouse, rooibos has high levels of antioxidants including SOD (superoxide dismutase) and zinc that can help correct hormonal acne.
- Hibiscus Tea. Yes, our beautiful Hawaii hibiscus flowers can help our skin! A ruby-red tea with a refreshing tart flavor, hibiscus is rich in vitamins that our bodies and skin need, including vitamins C, A, B1, B2, as well as much needed minerals zinc and iron. Don’t forget the alpha-hydroxy acids and omega-3. A powerhouse in a lush flower we see all around our island home!
- Spearmint Tea. With anti-androgenic properties that can help balance hormones, spearmint can also help heal hormonal acne. It also has contains several antioxidants for anti-aging benefits!
These are just a sampling of the benefits from the teas we have available to us. Talk to your natural healthcare provider for more tips specific to your body’s needs. The health of your skin is an indicator of the health of your body. A few well-chosen additions to your routine can reap an abundance of healthy benefits!
A few notes…
- As with all things we consume for health, we recommend that you consult your doctor regarding any potential interactions with current medications or health conditions.
- When it comes to healing the body through food, if a little does well, do NOT use a lot! Too much of a good thing is not healthy either. Seek the balance that is right for your bio-individual needs.
For example, Licorice tea is very beneficial for digestion, but those with high blood pressure should be cautious when consuming licorice as it can raise blood pressure. This is a tea that is recommended only in moderation.
Drink tea & be well! ☺
