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While white tea is prevalent in China, it is far less common in the U.S., and its sales do not come close to more well-known teas such as green and black tea. Like those other teas, white tea applied to your skin may not work miracles overnight, but it does have benefits. And it tastes better than many things you put on your face or other body parts.
Soothing
White tea, like green tea, has soothing properties, which work to fight irritation, redness and itchiness. Apply white tea to your face when it feels tired, irritated or after you’ve been wearing heavy makeup for a long time.
Toning
To use white tea as a toner, put a little in a spray bottle and keep it in the refrigerator. When you feel like you need a little pick-me-up, your skin probably does too, so spray a little bit on your face and just let it dry naturally.
Clarifying
White tea has clarifying and mild antiseptic properties, which can help to soothe acne- and breakout-prone skin, especially if hormonal changes seem to be a trigger. To use white tea as a clarifying tonic, put a little in a spray bottle and add a few drops of apple cider vinegar and natural tea tree oil. The acidic triple-team will quickly zap blackheads and blemishes.
Buying and Storing
When you are buying white tea to put on your face, choose high-quality loose-leaf white tea and brew it in disposable filter bags or in a reusable tea ball. Store the loose stuff in a dark kitchen cupboard and keep brewed tea in a glass jar or bottle in the refrigerator. Don’t make more than you are going to use in the next few days – brewed white tea should be thrown out after 48 hours.
Considerations
White tea can be drying on your skin, so you’re going to want to test it out before you start applying it to your body. If you have combination skin, try it out on a typically oily part of your face first, like your T-zone. If you’ve got dry skin that is prone to flaking, test the tea on a discreet part of your body, like the back of your knee.
