We all know how delicious a warm cup of tea can be. Many of us may also be familiar with the medicinal benefits of drinking herbal tea. But less known are the countless and diverse benefits of using tea topically in skincare.
Keep reading to learn what teas are good for the skin and why tea is crucial for any skincare routine.
Let’s start by covering what we mean by “tea” in skincare.
Tea in Skincare
Tea encompasses a large array of plant ingredients. Tea can contain flowers, leaves, spices, bark, or roots.
Many teas are made up of a single plant, like peppermint tea is only peppermint leaves. However, some are a mix of ingredients, like the beloved English breakfast tea or chai tea.
Incorporating several skin-beneficial teas into our routine is best, yet deciding which ones can be difficult. While each tea has unique properties and benefits, below are some of our favorite teas for keeping skin healthy and vibrant.
Lavender
Lavender has long been loved for its healing properties. The Greeks used it to treat burns and wounds. Lavender’s anti-inflammatory compounds help heal scars, cuts, bruises, and insect bites.
Lavender is also antiseptic by nature, which fights bacteria on the skin (including acne bacteria) and prevents microbial growth.
Lavender is wonderful at calming inflamed skin conditions while being oh-so-gentle on sensitive skin.
Our top lavender picks: Lavender Fields Soap Bar, Sereni-Tea Lavender Lotion Stick, & Passive-Tea Lips Lavender Tea Lip Scrub
Calendula
If you’ve ever gone wildflower picking, perhaps you came across calendula flowers. These bright florals are a skincare gem.
Calendula flowers contain linoleic acid, which is found in our natural skin barrier. When used topically, linoleic acid hydrates and strengthens our skin, helping it maintain collagen and protect against environmental stressors.
Like lavender, calendula packs a healing punch and is wonderful for reducing inflammation and irritation.
Our top calendula picks: Blue Calendula Herbal Salve & Wild Calendula Infused Tea Soap Bar
Peppermint
The peppermint plant makes a delicious cup of tea, but it delivers some amazing skin benefits too.
Peppermint’s many antimicrobial qualities make it one of the best natural soap ingredients. It cleanses while providing a lovely cooling sensation.
Peppermint is well known for its soothing quality and is often used in soaks or scrubs. It eases sore muscles, stimulates blood flow, and encourages healthy skin production.
The delicious and refreshing scent is surely a bonus!
Our top peppermint picks: Peppermint Tea Heel Balm, Fresh Fee-Tea Peppermint Foot Scrub, & Peppermin-tea Lotion Bar
Rose
Another skin-gifting tea is rose.
Roses are full of antioxidants that protect against free radicals (what break down skin cells).
Roses are also a natural humectant, which hydrates the skin and helps with water retention. They are high in vitamins A and C and assist in tissue regeneration, both keeping skin healthy and bright.
Our top rose picks: Divini-Tea Rose Lotion Bar, Sof-Tea Lips Rose Petals, & Wild Honey & English Roses Soap Bar
From Tea to Product
Plants are potent, while our skin can be sensitive and delicate. For example, using pure peppermint oil on the face would be too strong. So how exactly do we reap these tea-granting gifts?
The most effective way to use tea in skincare is with thoughtfully formulated products.
In body and bath goods, teas are often extracted through steam distillation or infused into carrier oils to make them more palatable for our skin. They are then blended with plant oils, butters, and botanicals, creating ultra-moisturizing, renewing, and repairing formulas.
Of course, different products serve different purposes, so we should mix and match for best results.
Creating A Tea-Rich Routine
A tea-rich routine is only one step away. Let’s cover some Tea-Licious skin-loving goods to incorporate into your everyday!
Lotion bars: Our lotion bars are a skin saver! They provide day-long moisturization and are aromatic tea heaven. These are wonderful to use full-body after a shower, or any time on needed areas.
Soap bars: Our bar soaps combine antibacterial teas with moisturizing oils, so your hands get cleaned without being dry.
Lip balms: Our tea-infused lip balms are velvety smooth, soothe chapped lips, and contain only natural ingredients.
Salves: Salves may be the holy grail of healers due to their high concentration of fatty acids and medicinal plant properties. Our salves are unmatched when your skin needs some extra love or repair.
As you can see, tea time can be more than a warm mug on a rainy day. It can be self-care moments spent taking care of your body.
Whatever the ritual, tea can support us as we live fully, age gracefully, and act kindly towards our bodies and each other.
Enjoy our Tea-Licious collections here!
Written by Sariah Vilate