External Uses for Tea

You already know that there are so many wonderful benefits that come from drinking tea, but did you also realize that you are able to use tea leaves externally? Why not reuse already steeped tea leaves, or actually use out-of-date leaves to benefit your skin, eyes, and hair? Below, I’ve listed a few ways that you can get utility out of your tea leaves besides just drinking them!

A great way to use out-of-date tea bags or loose leaf tea (in a satchel) is to drop two or three bags in your bath water and bathe. The tea leaves can help soothe a nasty sunburn or just help hydrate, nourish, and make your skin glow. Bathing in tea leaves, like drinking them, helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and can help reduce the pain that comes from razor burn. Different herbs can be used for different things as well. For example if you added a couple marigold flowers in with the tea leaves, it would help to detoxify your skin and reduce any inflammation.

Another external use for teas leaves is to place a soaked (still warm) tea bag on each eye and rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The tannins in the tea leaves will help reduce puffiness and tired eyes and leave them feeling awake and refreshed. Lavender is especially good to help you relax and it even eases headaches.

You could also make a warm tea rinse to help condition dry hair. Just use the last brew from your tea leaves, and do a final rinse after you shampoo. This is especially helpful in the winter with all of the cold and drying temperatures.

Another way to use peppermint or other types of mint leaves is to make a warm mint tea mouth rinse which is a natural antiseptic. Thisfreshens your breath, helps to clear your sinuses and is a great alternative to using expensive store-bought mouthwashes.

Make some of these ideas your own, or come up with some other creative ways to re-use your tea bags and leaves!

Kelley Scruby is the owner of Do You Tea? in Hoboken, New Jersey. As the owner of a small, loose leaf tea business, Kelley is passionate about educating her customers on the benefits that come from drinking loose leaf tea. With a background at a major tea company, she was able to become an expert on the versatility of the beverage and is inspired in her own creations by the changing of the seasons and also desserts. Kelley created Do You Tea? with the confidence that she can help find a tea blend that works for any of her customers’ lifestyle and palate. As Do You Tea? continues to grow, Kelley hosts events and tastings that add a more interactive approach to the expansive world of loose leaf teas. Do You Tea? hopes to have a truck out on the streets of the NYC metro area soon! You are able to purchase her seasonal blends and gift sets online at www.doyoutea.com and follow her on instagram and twitter @doyoutea for updates on tastings and new blends. Please email requests and questions to doyoutea@gmail.com.

Source: http://www.rd.com/home/22-ways-to-use-tea-for-beauty-home-and-garden/

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.