6 teas you must try for healthy, glowing skin before your big day

What better way to kick-start your morning or relax in the afternoon than a warm cup of tea? In the run up to the big day, you want to be able to avoid the pre-wedding jitters and steer clear of strong, caffeinated drinks. Not only is tea delicious, but as many long-time tea drinkers know, it also has a medley of health benefits. However, what might surprise you are some of the wonderful effects tea can have on your skin. 

Tea does a great job to rehydrate and moisturise the skin, plus there are a variety of ingredients in tea leaves which are great for your skin, such as tannins and polyphenol antioxidants.  Here are some teas to add to your kit for that healthy glow. 

Ashwagandha tea

Ashwagandha has been trending as a superfood and for good reason. An ancient Ayurvedic herb, it is now increasingly making its way into our skincare. Ashwagandha is particularly good to combat inflammation. And a cup of ashwagandha tea can help you get rid of acne, redness, sunburn and spots, leaving you with clear, smooth skin. 

VAHDAM makes an exceptionally good ashwagandha tea blend.

Green tea

A classic choice and liked by almost all tea drinkers, green tea also has great antioxidant properties for your skin. It’s not a surprise that many skincare products include green tea. This particular tea not only helps in reducing inflammation but also in decreasing excess oil production. When applied topically, green tea helps in protecting your skin from harmful UV radiation from the sun. 

For an extra boost, try this matcha green tea. 

Rooibos tea

Rooibos tea is a herbal tea that contains a compound called Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), which is used in many skincare products due to its anti-aging effects. Earthy and low in caffeine, this delicious and sweet tea can also help protect your skin against free radicals which lead to premature ageing. It is also rich in antioxidants which promotes overall skin health and helps in reducing acne, pimples and stubborn blackheads. 

This tea by Karma Kettles is a personal favourite. 

Chamomile tea

Herbal teas like chamomile are wonderful relaxants which can help you get a deeper and more fulfilling night of sleep. As we all know, a good night's rest is absolutely vital for healthy skin. Skipping that much-needed sleep doesn’t only lead to dark circles, but also leads to dry skin, wrinkles and increased inflammation (not to mention all the other negative health effects). Chamomile tea helps in letting your skin heal naturally and reduces puffiness and redness. If you find it hard to sleep at night, try adding a chamomile tea bag to some hot milk and let it steep for a few minutes. Add a teaspoon or two of honey, if you’d prefer. It’s delicious, and a wonderful way to get some restful sleep. 

SAN-CHA tea boutique makes a really good chamomile tea. 

Peppermint tea

Apart from its lovely mint flavour, peppermint tea is also a great cure for irritation to your skin caused by allergies and inflammation. It has cooling properties, which means you can also mix it with some water to apply to your skin topically. Additionally, it works wonders for oily skin because it contains menthol - a substance which can help reduce oil secretion by the sebaceous glands under your skin. 

We love Typhoo's peppermint tea blend. 

White tea

As white tea is made from uncured tea leaves, it is richer in polyphenols. This antioxidant can help the body fight inflammation and kill harmful cells. Because of this, white tea is an amazing choice if you’re looking to boost skin luminosity. Because of its effectiveness in fighting bacteria, this is often recommended to people who suffer from frequent acne breakouts. In addition, it also helps protect your skin from UV rays when applied topically. You can also spritz it on after you apply sunscreen (similar to green tea) for added protection. 

We love this lavender white tea blend by Tea Trunk.