We’re sharing the skincare benefits of black tea skincare benefits along with the clean moisturizers that will get your skin glowing.
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There’s a reason beauty brands look to nature to solve some of our most pressing skincare concerns- puffiness, dullness, dehydration, and dark spots to name a few. Nourishing your skin with plants and herbs can depuff, soothe, hydrate, and even out your skin tone. One of nature’s most powerful skincare ingredients is herbal teas, which have been used medicinally for centuries for their antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory activities.
Integrating herbal teas into your daily skincare routine can hydrate, soothe, and protect your skin. In particular, black tea is rich in tannins and polyphenols, specifically theaflavins, thearubigins, and catechins, which are responsible for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The antioxidative properties of black tea are manifested by its ability to prevent and neutralize free radicals, which help to improve skin tone, promote skin cell renewal, and guard against premature aging.
One way to incorporate black tea into your skincare routine is by steeping a pot of it and adding the infusion to your bathwater. Alternatively, you can open a tea bag and mix the leaves with 2 tablespoons of honey for a gentle exfoliating face mask. Leave it on for 15 minutes before rinsing off and applying a moisturizer. And, of course, you can purchase a product like a moisturizer from a clean skincare brand.
Black Tea Skin Benefits
Enjoy a warm cup of black tea at home.
Republic Darjeeling Black Full Leaf Tea is a loose-leaf tea packaged in a recyclable tin canister. $14.75
All teas- black, green, white, and yellow come from the same plant Camellia sinensis. What initially sets each tea apart are the varieties used. In the case of black tea, it is comprised of two different forms of the camellia sinensis plant: camellia sinensis sinensis and camellia sinensis assamica. Another difference between black tea is the production process. The tea leaves are allowed to fully oxidize before they are heat-processed and dried. During this process, oxygen interacts with the plant’s cell walls resulting in a rich brown or black color and the nutty, strong flavor that it is known for.
For those who enjoy a cup of tea in the morning, it’s good to know that black tea has numerous health benefits thanks to powerful antioxidants and polyphenols. These have been shown to remove free radicals from the body, decrease cell damage, and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Likewise, studies also show that topically applying tea extracts on the skin offered a host of positive benefits. Polyphenols improve microcirculation, strengthen blood vessels, and protect against the loss of hyaluronic acid and collagen. And similarly to drinking the tea, applying it to the skin also protects against free radicals, which improves elasticity and strengthens the skin.
Tea Essence
Byroe English Breakfast Tea Treatment Essence
You’ll Love: Although, technically, this is not a moisturizer, it does hydrate and nourish the skin with squalane to hold in moisture for a plump appearance. Black tea and kombucha work to de-puff and protect the skin with nutrients and antioxidants.
Environmental Impact: Byroe is built on a food-first approach to skincare. Extracts from fruits, vegetables, herbs, and grains are star ingredients. Each product is free of phthalates, phenoxyethanol, parabens, and mineral oil.
Anti-Aging Ceramide Moisturizer
Fresh Black Tea Anti-Aging Ceramide Moisturizer is a high-performance cream that visually reduces deep-set wrinkles. $156
You’ll Love: This Fresh face moisturizer has a light texture that is ideal for wearing every day and under makeup. It features a blend of black tea and rambutan leaf extracts that visually reduce wrinkles and improve firmness and elasticity. Some studies show that it has a retinol-like strength at correct visible signs of aging.
Environmental Impact: Fresh partners with the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), LVMH Research and Innovation Center, and local organizations to ensure that 100% of their ‘hero ingredients’ are traceable and to improve the sourcing methods. To date, 100% of the company’s paper packaging is from responsibly managed forests.
Black Tea Enriched Cream
Pyunkang Yul, Black Tea Enriched Cream is a rich cream formulated with ginseng and fermented black tea. $50
You’ll Love: Fermented black tea and ginseng increase hydration and minimize the appearance of dark spots. Some studies have shown that ginseng can protect the skin against UV radiation-induced skin damage.
Environmental Impact: Pyunkang Yul is considered a clean beauty brand that focuses on minimal ingredients and some of its products have an EWG safety grade. The brand hasn’t published information about its packaging so if you do use one of these products, we suggest that you recycle it through Terra Cycle programs by dropping off empty containers at retailers like Nordstrom.
Body Créme
Le Prunier Plumbody Body Créme is clinically proven to hydrate, firm, and smooth skin thanks to tea extracts and vitamins. $80
You’ll Love: Show love to your body with Le Prunier Plumbody Body Créme, which is suitable for sensitive skin types. Plum extracts relieve the skin of dryness and flakiness, while free radicals improve the appearance for a more supple, hydrated appearance.
Environmental Impact: Sold through the retailer Credo, Le Prunier meets the Credo Clean Standard and features several organic ingredients. To reduce packaging waste, Credo partners with Pact to offer drop-off bins for customers to recycle their empty containers.