Tea offers so much more than warmth and hydration. Steep the right teas and you’ll relax, be better equipped to fight off a cold, feel more energetic, and, yes, defend against wrinkles! For the biggest beauty benefits, I always recommend tea rather than coffee.
A few of my favorite teas for healthy vanity:
1. Chamomile tea protects your skin from sun damage, thanks to its high concentration of the phytochemical quercetin, and promotes restful sleep and cramp relief during your period.
2. Dandelion root tea is a gently diuretic brew that supports liver function anddigestion, both of which are essential for gorgeous skin!
3. Ginger tea, or an infusion of fresh grated ginger root, chases away colds, helps you digest heavy meals, and works beauty magic as a powerful anti-inflammatory for your body and skin.
4. Green tea has the ability to block wrinkle formation and even reverse UV damage, thanks to its free radical-fighting catechins like EGCG. The catechins in green tea are even more powerful antioxidants than vitamins C and E, and they’ve demonstrated the amazing ability to restore and revive dying skin cells.
5. Rooibos, or red tea, is brimming with antioxidants, including quercetin, the UVB-protectant pigment that’s anti-cancer, anti-aging, and — bonus for allergy sufferers — a natural antihistamine.
6. Tulsi tea helps the body handle stress and balance hormones with its soothing, energizing powers. Some of my favorite tulsi blends combine the herb with ginger, jasmine, and rose.
7. White tea contains anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that prevent the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin, which directly contributes to signs of aging. White tea offers anti-aging effects even in small amounts, so you can feel beautiful about sipping just one cup.
Excerpted from Eat Pretty: Nutrition for Beauty, Inside and Out by Jolene Hart, courtesy of Chronicle Books.
Alfred Locker 