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Red tea, or rooibos tea, is native to South Africa. This caffeine-free tea, now widely available in its purest form, is known for its nutritional elements and high vitamin content. Drinking red bush tea can benefit the skin when substituting it for your morning coffee routine. And the beauty payback can soon make you forget your coffee craving. In addition to internal consumption, the leaves of this bushy shrub are being integrated into skin care products, creams and acne serums. To experience a vibrant complexion, steep a cup or seek it out on the ingredients list of your favorite creams.
Acne Benefits
Pimples tend to surface at the most inopportune times. To combat these destructive beauty flaws, try integrating rooibos teas into your morning routine. Although scientific studies are yet to be confirmed, Dr. Ray Sahelian, a Los Angeles physician and medical writer on natural supplements, suggests that the high amount of flavonoids contained in the leaves consume unwanted pathogens in the body. Topically applying the tea to the skin is said to reduce the amount of facial breakouts. Additionally, it diminishes inflammation on the already-existing sore spots, speeding the healing process and lessening the wound.
Anti-Aging Effects
Pimples may be temporary, but wrinkles and age spots are permanent. You can head them off at the pass with red tea's unique ability to ramp up the body's anti-aging enzyme production. Scientists have identified the enzyme superoxide dismustase to contribute to the production of healthy skin cells by neutralizing free radicals. What this provides for you is reinvigorated cells that regenerate themselves, allowing for a plumper, perkier complexion. According to Dr. Jane Tiedtke and Dr. Olaf Marks, co-authors of "Rooibos – The New 'White Tea' for Hair and Skin Care," using red tea as an after-sun serum tightens the skin and adds gloss and smoothness.
Antibacterial Properties
Drs. Tiedtke and Marks go on to boast about the antimicrobial properties found in red bush tea. Although the study is a work in progress, polysaccharides isolated in the leaves inhibit and destroy microbes. This is a promising study for the makers of first-aid ointments, deodorants and baby products. For this reason, rooibos tea is popping up as an ingredient in products such as natural acne creams and makeup. Drinking the tea and slathering it on your skin can give you a "double whammy" of protection.
Free Radical Scavenger
The most amazing thing about red tea, and its consumption, is its ability to scavenge free-radicals. By ramping up the body's production of superoxide dismustase, Drs. Tiedtke and Marks suggest it as, "the body’s way of 'mopping up' excessive quantities of these free radicals which, if left, will cause irreversible cellular damage, resulting in lipid peroxidation, protein denaturation and DNA mutation." Great news for those concerned with the environment's effects on their skin and body. Not only can red tea contribute to beautification, but it can help rid the body of toxins that can lead to health problems down the road.
