ingredient focus: tea

the bottom line

Put the kettle on and sit back. Tea doesn’t just keep us cozy as the weather turns cooler, it’s an ingredient that possesses both medicinal and spiritual properties. The perfect brew is considered a national treasure in China - where a kilo of rare Da-Hong Pao tea leaves is valued at $1.2 million. In Britain, ‘a nice cuppa tea’ and the more formal ‘afternoon tea’ are national institutions. It’s safe to say that this herbal potion is cherished far and wide - but with so many different teas and tea-infused products available, which ones should you choose and what are their beauty boosting properties? Read on…

first layer: white tea

Not actually white in appearance, this delicate tea is the least processed and made from the buds of the tea plant and harvested early in the season. While it can only claim to possess a small amount of caffeine, this tea wins on anti-aging defenses, with high levels of antioxidants to fend off nasty free radicals. (They’re the ones that can attack the collagen in your skin, leading to wrinkles, dryness, and lackluster skin.)

second layer: green tea

Green tea is slightly more oxidized than its pale sister and is packed with catechins and polyphenols (these are the bits responsible for all the antioxidant activity in tea). As well as soothing the skin, green tea can encourage healing of cells and fight free radicals– making it a kickass weapon against age spots, wrinkles, and sun damage. Matcha tea is a green tea powder from Japan which contains the whole tea leaf. As a result, one glass of matcha is considered to be equivalent to 10 cups of brewed green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content. Talk about packing a punch.

third layer: black tea

Despite being totally different in flavor, black tea is a fermented variety of tea derived from the same Camellia sinensis plant that produces green tea. This little black number tends to have the highest caffeine content and can help mental clarity and memory. Not to mention those signature antioxidants to defend against free radicals while softening and brightening the skin.

fourth layer: red tea

Unlike the other teas on this list, redbush tea (also known as rooibos) comes from a South African plant. Rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free, but what it lacks in caffeine, it makes up for in vitamin D and an array of minerals including zinc, calcium and magnesium. Not forgetting our favorites - the antioxidants. Rooibos boasts antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties that can lend a helping hand to irritated skin or acne.

fifth layer: a bit of beauty

Tea is beautiful, too. Use it to de-puff your peepers by placing chilled, soaked tea bags over your eyes to help alleviate swelling and puffiness. Soothe sunburn by placing a towel soaked in a brew over your burnt bits. Tone your skin; the tannins in tea are astringent and are great for mattifying shiny skin. Swipe a cool pad soaked in tea over your skin. Shine your hair with a green tea rinse left on for ten minutes. Finally, you can calm shaved skin with a cool, black tea bag pressed onto areas of razor burn.

All this and more at www.anokhaskincare.com .

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