Tea Therapy for the Skin

A nice cup of hot tea has been a long time home remedy for soothing belly aches and relaxing the body, mind and soul. These days, tea has proven itself to be a true source of therapy for many other health and beauty related issues. Unfortunately, several tea infused creams actually contain nominal amounts of tea extract, which limits it’s effectiveness on the skin. Some of the creams may also contain chemical ingredients that can counteract the therapeutic effects of the tea extract. There are several ways to incorporate tea into your skincare routine, without having to purchase those expensive and sometimes ineffective facial creams.

• Green Tea has become an eminent ingredient in both cosmetics and skincare products. Concentrated with powerful antioxidants and vitamins, green tea provides anti-aging benefits by shielding the skin from harsh environmental exposure and the damaging effects of free radicals. Green tea has also been proven to assist in protecting the skin from sun damage. When applied topically, green tea not only quenches free radicals, but also reduces skin inflammation. Optimal sun protection is best achieved when a green tea skincare product is used in conjunction with sunscreen.Regular ingestion of green tea is beneficial to your health for many reasons, such as it’s ability to reduce cholesterol and it’s treatment of body aches, headaches and poor digestion. But drinking green tea alone, even in large amounts, is not enough to see and feel improvements in your skin. There are some simple ways to turn your green tea into highly potent skincare treatments. Visit Homemade Tea Skincare Recipes for a list of green tea recipes by skin type.

• Yarrow Herbal Tea is not as commonly known as green tea. However, yarrow tea is very helpful to oily skin. One cup of yarrow tea a day will help to control and balance oily skin. When breakout occurs, drinking an additional cup of yarrow tea in the morning and at night will help to clear the blemish(es) by reducing the production of sebum (oil) in the skin. Yarrow tea can also be used in astringent form if you prefer to only use it topically. Either way, be sure to use caution when employing yarrow tea as a treatment for your oily or acne skin. Studies have shown that excessive amounts of this tea can cause skin sensitivity to the sun. As always, be sure to apply an SPF of at least 30 to your skin daily.

• Black Tea (non-herbal) is known to help reduce redness and itchiness of the eyes. Simply moisten a couple of black tea bags with cool water and set them on your eyes for at least ten minutes. Black tea can also help to relieve sunburn. Steep six black tea bags in four cups of boiling water. Let the tea cool and then apply it to the skin with a cotton cloth. Do this repeatedly until the irritation of your sunburned skin subsides.

• Chamomile Herbal Tea is also great when used as an eye treatment. Moistened chamomile tea bags placed on the eyes after being chilled in the refrigerator will help to reduce puffiness. Chamomile tea added to a toner or masque will help to calm inflamed skin. This is a very gentle and natural approach to soothing sensitive and eczematic skin.