Tea for Skin

 Since some food for skin has already been covered here, I thought the natural progression would be to write about drink for skin. Herbal teas and blends have been used for centuries to improve people's health and subsequently skin conditions. 

Green Tea
Green tea is made from Chinese Camellia sinensis plant leaves. Main benefits of green tea boil down to its antioxidant properties. This helps getting rid of free radicals  in our bodies that can lead to premature aging of the skin. Green tea is particularly rich in an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This powerful antioxidant has been shown to help lower cholesterol, and even to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.  

The processing of green tea leaves sets it apart from other teas that come from the same camellia sinensis plant (black tea, oolong tea). The fact is, the leaves that make up green tea are steam-treated, which preserves the EGCG antioxidant's properties, unlike black tea, where the leaves are fermented. Fermentation results in EGCG being broken down into other compounds, which are not as effective as EGCG in its original form. 

Green tea is great for clear and healthy skin not only because of antioxidants, but also due to its antibacterial properties. Green tea helps fight bacteria, which was found be great in decreasing inflammation of acne, and even fighting gum disease.  

Green tea has lovely gentle taste, which most people can enjoy. There are many varieties of green tea, it is possible to enjoy it with various flavours such as lemon, jasmine and elderflower to name a few. 

Rosehip Tea
Rosehip tea is made from the pods that form at the base of rose flower. One of the most well-known health properties of rosehip tea is its high content of Vitamin C. There is about 1.7 grams of Vitamin C in 100 grams of rosehips, which is far greater that in an orange. The high content of of Vitamin C makes it a great warm drink to fight off colds and flu. 
Apart from Vitamin C, rosehip tea also contains many other vitamins, such as A, B, E and K. Rosehip tea is known to combat many internal infections, and help flushing out the kidneys and the urinary tract. In addition, rosehip tea contains minerals, tannins, pectin and beta-carotene. All of these lovely ingredients make rosehip tea so effective in preventing and fighting off infections and inflammations. For example, pectine is known to bind waste such as various fats and cholesterol in the intestines, before they are absorbed in the blood, aiding their removal from the body. 
Rosehip tea is of beautiful ruby-red colour and has a tingly sour taste, which nevertheless is very enjoyable and can always be sweetened with some honey. 


Dandelion Tea
Yes, dandelions are those annoying plants that everyone tries to get rid of in their garden. However, the great benefits of dandelion tea are slowly but surely becoming known. The leaves and roots of the plants are known to contain vitamins A, C, D and B complex, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium and calcium. 
 Dandelion tea helps to reduce inflammation and to reduce high cholesterol. It is great for detoxing your system, cleansing the liver, which in turn produces better blood circulation. Because of all of these benefits, dandelion tea helps cleanse the complexion, improving skin clarity. 

Nettle Tea
This tea comes from that annoying plant all of us probably had the misfortune of brushing against in the country or a park. However, the nettle herb has numerous health benefits beneath its stinging surface. 
Nettle tea can be made from the whole of nettle plants: roots, stems and leaves, meaning nothing goes to waste! Nettle tea leaves are super rich in Vitamins A, B1, B5, C, D, and K as well as iron, potassium, calcium, zinc and magenesium.  All of these minerals and vitamins make nettle tea  great drink for clear skin, it has also been found to relieve eczema. Nettle tea has great cleansing and antiseptic properties, making it useful for facial steams and rinses. It has been known to improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure because of high iron in the tea. It is a great help to an organism suffering from mental and physical exhaustion. So when you come home after a tiring day, instead of reaching for a coffee, try a cup of nettle tea instead to truly regain your strength!


Chamomile Tea
Camomile is a daisy-like flower plant, native to Egypt. It has a delicious and soothing taste, which corresponds to its main function: to sooth and calm. One of the main active elements in chamomile essential oil is bisabolol, which has many anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. This makes chamomile tea a great drink to help sooth a stomachache. Chamomile tea can also help with insomnia if taken before bed.  Another great use of chamomile is to place cooled organic chamomile tea bags on your eyes to help soothe tired eyes and reduce under-eye bags.