When it comes to natural beauty and health, we Westies are extremely slow on the draw. It’s places like China and Tibet that really have this whole thing figured out; they’ve been using the natural remedies we all love so much for centuries. We’re just now catching on to what those secret gems have to offer, but so many of us are still uninformed.
If you know anything about Eastern natural remedies for beauty and health, you probably know about teas. They’ve become almost a symbol of Eastern society, particularly China (tea ceremonies and all that).
But why are they so popular? What makes up those bold claims you see on clickbait websites? Do they actually work? And, more importantly, where do you even start with it all?
Well, my friend, that’s quite a lot of questions, and we’re going to answer them very shortly. In fact…we might as well get it done now. If you’re looking for the best teas for skin and overall beauty – we’ve got you covered. Here’s a roundup of the best beauty teas for improved health and beauty, the natural way.
8 Best Teas to Drink for Clear, Glowing Skin
1. Spearmint Tea for Clear Skin and Less Hairiness
As you’d probably expect, spearmint tea contains spearmint. Found in five continents across the globe, spearmint is used in everything from food to toothpaste. What makes it good for toothpaste isn’t just its ability to freshen up your breath, but to protect your mouth and throat from harmful bacteria which could cause infection. Spearmint is a strong anti-bacterial agent, which means it can fight infection from the inside.
Which is why spearmint tea is also an excellent anti-inflammatory. That means that not only can it help to soothe inflammatory afflictions like sore throats and congestion, but it can also do the same thing for spots and blemishes. This makes it really effective for treating acne and breakout-prone skin.
For the ladies (and men – we don’t judge), spearmint tea can help take the edge off of vigorous shaving. Spearmint’s been shown to reduce production of the hormones androgen and testosterone, both big factors in hairiness (spearmint tea’s a proven, effective natural remedy for hirsutism in both men and women!). Having too much testosterone is also a leading cause of acne, so more points to spearmint as an acne treatment and possibly the best tea for clear skin.
Get some here!
2. Matcha Tea to Combat Age and Boost Metabolism
Matcha is most readily available in the form of green tea, and is said to be possibly the highest quality grade of green tea we have access to. Drinking just one cup of green tea is said to be the same as drinking ten normal cups. Green tea is already loaded with anti-oxidants that offer a wide range of benefits for both health and beauty, so matcha green tea just amps it up – way up.
In fact, the jump is so big that matcha green tea scores the highest on the ORAC scale, a scale designed to measure anti-oxidants and their free radical fighting potential. Free radicals, you’ll remember, are those pesky little rogue molecules that go around smashing everything up- damaging skin cells, speeding up the process of aging, you name it, these little buggers probably do it. Like green tea, matcha can speed up metabolism (thanks, EGCG!) and is therefore great to add into your diet. Because of its high chlorophyll content, matcha also works as a detoxifier, working to remove harmful toxins from the body before it can do any more damage.
Get some here!
3. Rooibos Tea for Cell Turnover and Clear Skin
Rooibos tea can be topically applied to the skin as a lotion to give acne-sufferers some relief. Nobody knows for sure, but some well-esteemed scientists point to the tea’s wealth of flavonoids as an explanation for the effects.
Flavonoids are sort of like a really demanding boss for your body; they kick processes into gear which can find and destroy dangerous chemicals on the skin. This means they’re great at routing out those dastardly inflammatories which were responsible for your last breakout.
Like many of these teas, rooibos has a tonne of beneficial anti-oxidants- but there’s one in particular that might set this tea apart from the others. Superoxide dismutase is responsible for helping the body to make new cells, so it’s obviously fundamental in keeping those cells from going all old and wrinkly. If you’re worried about wrinkles a few decades down the line, you’re going to need as much of this stuff as possible.
Get some here!
4. Pu-erh for Improved Digestion and Skin Health
Never heard of Pu-erh? No worries, most of us haven’t. Which is a shame, considering it is probably China’s best-kept weight loss secret. But since pu-erh isn’t one of the modern superstar teas, it doesn’t get the attention that green tea or oolong tea does – yet.
We think Pu-erh’s time is coming soon, though. It’s still regularly consumed with meals in China for the distinct purpose of aiding digestion and helping the body metabolize fat. And ‘though Pu-erh is one of the most scientifically neglected teas (there are a lack of studies showing how it does what it does) – regular Pu-erh drinkers can testify to its ability to, um, keep you regular. Very regular.
And this is the main reason why Pu-erh is a damn good beauty tea – our digestive system is where we absorb crucial beauty nutrients from our foods and where we get rid of toxins through elimination. By keeping our digestive functions in tip-top shape, we help our skin steer clear of dullness as well as irritations like breakouts and eczema.
Extra health perks? Pu-erh tea stimulates the production of a statin called lovastatin which is responsible for keeping cholesterol at a healthy rate. This effect only increases the longer the tea is aged, and with a fermentation process of 30-40 days, it packs a powerful punch to high cholesterol and blood pressure.
Get some here!
5. Rosehip Tea for Vitamin C’s Cell Regeneration Properties
Rosehip is a bit of a nutrition buffet; it contains protein, calcium, magnesium, and our old buddy vitamin C among loads others. Asides from keeping everything running smoothly on a base level so nothing gets overwhelmed, rosehip tea carries a wealth of anti-oxidants that can bust free radicals all the while protecting against cell damage.
Obviously, this has a lot of implications for your skin – anti-aging properties, healing damaged skin and what not – but it also decreases the strain that your whole body is put under during the day. What’s more, rosehip has what we call astringent qualities – it has the ability to boost the cell regeneration process (and, like, this isn’t medically proven or anything but it can totally turn you into a Time Lord- just saying). Because so much of the cell regeneration process is healing, it can amp up your body’s ability to fix cuts, wounds and even acne.
No doubt one of the best beauty teas around (and delicious, too)!
Get some here!
6. Burdock Root for the Best Detox Tea
Burdock roots are especially heavy in potassium, a vital mineral that aids in the processes of controlling heart rate and blood pressure. It’s also a strong diuretic agent, which means that it can help your body pump out some of the nastier toxins through your urine (this also means that it will make you pee a bit more, so watch out for that).
It’s especially good for dispelling uric acid- the substance which plays a large hand in a wide range of nasty illnesses like gout and metabolic acidosis to name a few.
Burdock root is used in numerous different treatments for skin conditions like acne due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant contents. By helping your body dispel toxins, burdock root makes the best tea for clear skin from within.
Get some here!
7. Licorice Root for Gut Health
Licorice is probably more well-known as a food flavouring and a sweet than anything, but if it’s taken in root form it actually does wonders for your digestive system. Its anti-inflammatory properties help to soothe strained stomach linings as well as healing stomach ulcers.
When your digestive tract is struggling to make ends meet, it immediately relies on help from other parts of your body- including your skin. That means that if your digestive system isn’t working right, your skin will become drained and dull, as well as being unable to keep up the same level of protection. Hello, acne!
Get some here!
8. Passion Flower to Get Rid of Skin-Destroying Stress
Passion flower is widely known as a natural remedy for anxiety and stress. It helps your body to make more production of a chemical called GABA, which quietens your mind. If you’ve ever spent the day before a big exam or presentation screaming internally at your head to just shut up, you know what I’m talking about.
Anxiety and stress also has a big negative impact on your skin. Typically, if your body is overwhelmed and stressed, things tend to misfire or just slow down. This can lead to improper secretion of natural oils, break outs due to a flawed protective barrier, and overall dullness of the skin.
Get some here!
