There are few things as relaxing as curling up with a cup of hot tea. But tea isn't just a great relaxer; it could also work wonders for your skin. Let's look at a few types of tea and their skin health benefits.
Green Tea: the Natural Skin Enhancer
Green tea and good skin go hand in hand. Numerous studies – including recent research published in Experimental Cell Research – have discovered that green tea guards the skin from damaging UV rays. When applied topically with sunscreen, green tea reduces damage caused by the sun.
The natural brew has also shown to reduce inflammation, tone the skin's surface and even reduce rosacea redness. This has been attributed to high levels of antioxidants in green tea. In fact, the green tea leaf apparently has the highest levels of polyphenols – powerful antioxidants.
Green tea may also reduce wrinkles. Again, antioxidants have been proven to improve the effects of ageing. The more antioxidants you consume, the less chance you have of developing wrinkles and other age markers.
And if you have acne, a green tea mask placed on the face could reduce their redness and clear up bumps and lumps.
Chamomile to Soothe the Skin
Chamomile is another anti-inflammatory wonder. As well as reducing redness and dry skin, chamomile has been found to reduce eczema break outs and greatly improve digestive health – which is linked to many skin conditions and ailments.
To benefit, you can drink chamomile as a tea or apply an infusion topically to the skin. And if you have puffy eyes, placing a chamomile tea bag over each eye can reduce redness and draw out redness.
Dandelion Tea for Healthy Skin
Dandelion is a known skin cleanser. It's also been shown to eradicate acne.
Rooibos Tea for Wrinkles
Like green tea, rooibos tea is packed full of antioxidants. So as well as being an anti-inflammatory, the tea acts as an anti-aging weapon, warding off wrinkles.
Other Teas for Great Skin
There are many other teas to try for glowing skin – rosehip, ginger and lavender are particularly helpful in clearing up skin conditions, purifying the skin and providing a healthy glow.
Drink up!
Originally published on Jul 18, 2014
