PROS: Teas protect skin from harsh environment pollutants, keeping skin looking youthful and healthy
CONS: The teas often have strong herbal, floral or citrus smells that might not be for those with sensitive noses
TAKEAWAY: Herbal tea skin care is great for those who want their products to multitask by protecting and soothing, brightening or tightening
If there’s one thing the world can learn from England, it’s that tea should be the most important part of every day. A steaming cup of Earl Grey is sure to get you caffeinated in the morning or push you past the midday slump, but the grooming industry is proving that the best use for tea actually isn’t as a complement for mini sandwiches and biscuits. It turns out that tea is actually a skin care superhero. Who knew?
Teas are packed with antioxidants that act like bodyguards for your skin, protecting it from nasty pollutants in the air and from free radicals (unstable atoms that cause premature aging). The three main types of teas used in skin care – white, black and green – all provide unique benefits that keep your skin healthy and looking flawless.
White teas are best known for their strengthening properties and for being the most protective of the three. Black teas not only hydrate dry skin but also prevent sagging and wrinkles. And the soothing green teas calm irritated skin and even skin tone. It doesn’t hurt that they all smell so delicious too.
So pour yourself a steaming mug and settle in because we’ve put together a list of some of the best tea skin care products on the market, just for you.
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1. Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask
This hyper-moisturizing combo of antioxidant-packed fermented black tea, black tea extract, lychee seed extract and blackberry leaf extract tightens skin, prevents damage and improves elasticity. The mask also includes belle de nuit extract, which rebalances and soothes skin. Much like black tea packs an energizing punch in a mug, this mask restores skin’s youthful appearance overnight for a full day of a bright, firm face.
2. Origins A Perfect World SPF 40 Age-Defense Moisturizer With White Tea
White tea is one of the best barriers for skin, protecting it from damaging agers (think pollution, UV rays, and other environmental dangers) all day long. This particular oil-free moisturizer utilizes edelweiss, a mountain flower, and white birch to strengthen skin, in addition to SPF 40 protection. It works particularly well for those with dry, oily or normal skin types and is silicon-free.
3. ARCONA White Tea Purifying Cleanser
Arcona’s Purifying Cleanser performs triple duty by cleansing and toning skin while protecting from free-radical damage. The cleanser is a blend of two teas: strengthening white tea that protects the skin, and mild green tea to soothe it. It also includes white cranberry enzymes for exfoliation, yucca for clarifying and Vitamin E and aloe to maintain pH levels in the skin.
4. Odacité Mint + Green Tea Hydra-Purifying Treatment Mist
For anyone with oily or breakout-prone skin, green tea just might be your savior. This mint and green tea facial mist restores skin’s pH levels, minimizes pores and quickly hydrates to reduce the appearance of acne or facial redness. The mist can be used throughout the day for a little skin pick-me-up, to set makeup or as a face lotion replacement.
5. COOLA Suncare White Tea Sport Face Moisturizer SPF 50
Any dermatologist will tell you that protecting your skin from the sun is one of the most important things you can do. COOLA’s SPF 50 sunscreen, which is water-resistant for 80 minutes, not only protects the skin from damaging UV rays but also utilizes white tea to moisturize, even tone and reduce redness.