Herbal tea has long been associated with a healthy diet, thanks to the lack of sugar and the belief that herbal remedies are good for us. With winter fast approaching, we’re suddenly looking for ways to overcome the drying indoor heating and lack of exercise (and the associated lack of water intake) that makes us dehydrated. It’s worth the effort to stay hydrated though, as your body needs water far more than you realise.
Not only does drinking enough keep your skin plump and healthy, it also helps your body to fight illnesses and viruses which are prevalent in the winter months. This is because dry mucus membranes make it far easier for germs to get into the body, lowering your defence mechanisms. However, while it’s very easy to say you’ll drink water more during the winter, when it’s cold you don’t want to swig down a glass of ice cold water. Herbal teas are a great way to overcome this problem, as they offer flavour, warmth and plenty of hydration. It’s also been suggested that many herbs can help to improve the condition of your skin.
Teas with burdock and yellow dock root could help to alleviate dry skin and psoriasis, as well as dandelion root being great for cleansing your liver. Those with rose petal and hibiscus are a natural source of vitamin C which is known to boost the health of your skin, and you can add orange peel to boost both the vitamin C levels and the flavour of the tea. Rooibus tea has increased in popularity in recent years and is a known antioxidant from the African bush.
If you can drink a cup of this a day, you’ll start to notice an improvement in your skin’s condition. Skin-focused teas often include a wealth of ingredients to help improve your skin’s texture and brightness. Those providing detoxifying effects that’s vital in order to give your skin time to recover and heal itself. If you can find a tea that promises to detoxify your skin, you may well notice that it also reduces the signs of ageing and plumps up your skin relatively quickly.
There are many teas on the market which contain milk thistle, burdock, red clover or oat straw – these are worth checking out as they work with the liver to purify it and cleanse. This is where a number of skin problems originate, so they are well worth trying if you are finding your skin isn’t looking its best. You can also add tea to witch hazel and apply it directly to the skin complaint if you need to – this will add a calming effect to combine with the internal healing process. Herbal teas are often overlooked in favour of the more common black tea and coffee, but they can offer some significant skin benefits when consumed regularly.
If you cut back on the caffeine by choosing a decaffeinated variety, you’ll also save your body the dehydration that can cause. Naturally, a cup of tea can’t make up for a poor lifestyle, so these should be combined with plenty of exercise and a healthy diet. And if you smoke, give up as soon as possible to save your skin and avoid premature ageing, among a host of health concerns. But you may find that your skin begins to look plumper and healthier after just a week or two – the benefits make this well worth trying.