Remember a time when juicing was the answer to every wellness woe in the book?
Our Instagram feeds seemed to be overloaded with health and beauty boosting elixirs that fitness pros and celebs alike swore by, and we all dutifully followed.
Despite continuing new wellness trends, it seems we are reverting back to age old methods of wellness and one particular way we are all drinking our way healthy is with a good old cuppa.
Tea, naturally rich in antioxidants and low in sugar, is currently undergoing a fashion and beauty revamp and looks set to become the new green juice.
Tea culture is at its peak and we may have the recent quarantine period to partly thank for that. During uncertain times we turned to self-care to help us through and what better way to boost your mood and your health than with a comforting cup of tea.
As our favourite models profess their love for the likes of Kusmi Tea’s BB Detox, Supermodel Elle Macpherson’s brand WelleCo creates specialist blends for a whole host of issues and personalised wellbeing tea brand Herby Box lands at Selfridges, we take a look at the benefits of wellness teas and why they are becoming increasingly popular.
Tea Culture
Despite its most recent return to the spotlight, tea culture is nothing new. In fact, it dates back to 2737 B.C. in ancient China, where, as legend has it, the mythological emperor Shennong discovered it when the leaves from a nearby Camellia sinensis plant fell into his pot of hot water. For centuries, it has been considered a medicinal herb, and it first became a popular beverage in the Tang Dynasty. It then spread around Asia, and was eventually brought to Europe in the 17th century.
Herbal teas, otherwise known as tisanes or essentially a tea made with plants , have their roots in early civilizations, too. Chamomile was highly regarded in Ancient Egypt and ginger is utilized in both India’s Ayurvedic tradition and Chinese Traditional Medicine.
Before the development of modern medicine, herbalism was a key practice across the world. In 2014, a study conducted by the World Health Organization showed that 75% of the world’s population was using herbs for basic healthcare needs.
Now it seems that tea is enjoying a kind of makeover, it is now not only the kind that comes in a bag and is favoured by grandparents everywhere. Trendy teas, niche specialty stores and influencer endorsed wonder ingredients are taking over the tea world and if they are as effective as they claim, it sounds like our cup of tea.
Benefits of wellness teas
Before taking a single sip of tea, there are an abundance of benefits we can take from settling down with a good cuppa. The calming aromas and comforting warmth of a cup of tea can instantly relax the mind and create a calming environment for self-care.
Wellness teas also have the ability to cleanse and detox our bodies. Ingredients such as stinging nettle, peppermint and ginger work to cleanse our bodies throughout and ease digestion. Rich in polyphenols and various other nutrients that come from the herbs, wellness teas can also help to boost our immune systems, protecting us against a number of viruses. This is key during the winter months and flu season when we could all use a little pick me up.
For those of us that struggle to get a good night’s sleep, you guessed it, there’s tea for that too. Exotic herbs such as chamomile and passion flower can help to naturally ease you into a peaceful night’s sleep, an effective natural swap from sleeping pills.
We could not list the benefits of wellness teas without acknowledging its beauty benefits too. Many swear by the benefits of teas containing herbs such as cinnamon, hibiscus and turmeric for maintaining clear, supple skin and strong, healthy hair.
With such a myriad of benefits of wellness tea it is easy to see why it has become so popular. These, besides the various other benefits of wellness tea can be taken full advantage of by developing a habit and making tea part of your everyday routine.
Key ingredients
Tea is an excellent way to supplement your daily health and beauty regime. However, with such a vast selection to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The best place to start is often with ingredients and understanding what each herb can do for you.
“I always go back to ginger,” says registered holistic nutritionist and wellness blogger Hannah Schmitt. “It’s really nice for increasing your internal warmth and strengthening both your digestion and immunity.”
While drinking a cup of ginger tea after dinner can help boost digestion and leave you feeling good, if you’re trying to protect your body during winter’s coldest months and immunity is top priority, the experts typically recommend drinking three to four cups of a targeted tea containing echinacea a day, starting as soon as you feel cold or flu-like symptoms starting up, and ending when you feel back to normal.
For so many of us, sleep and stress are an ongoing issue and something that quite often go hand in hand. Start off with a sleep-supporting tea once a night before bed. The kinds of herbs found in stress-relief or sleep teas like lavender, chamomile and valerian are relatively fast-acting and will help to naturally ease you into a better sleep routine.
Finally, if glowing skin is your goal, look out for a Rooibos tea. Containing aspalathin and nothofagin, two chemical compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. The flavonoids in rooibos have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory functions, which makes it useful for treating skin conditions like rosacea or acne. Turns out you really can drink your way to better skin.
Get the kettle on!
Wellness teas are back in a big way and it has never been easier to find a tea that works for you. As the cold nights draw in, here are some of our favorites to add to your shopping list now.
Sleep Welle Calming Tea is a blend of herbs traditionally used to help calm, relax and ease into a deep restful night’s sleep. Bringing together the calming effects of hops, valerian, lemon balm, passionflower and skullcap to ease stress, soothe the mind and allow you to drift off naturally. The combination of powerful medicinal herbs alongside notes of mango and lemon make this tea a welcomed addition to your nighttime ritual.
The Hera Box expertly blends herbs for their benefits to aid women’s health. Hera provides a 7 day tea course to realign and balance yourself, giving you a healthy boost and rejuvenating week which in turn helps with your cycle.
Bringing together, stinging nettle, yarrow, cramp bark (a natural cramp reliever) and more to naturally balance hormones, boost mood and relieve the pain of menstruation.
This loose leaf tea wonderfully blends cleansing herbs to help promote skin purity from within. Containing burdock root, red clover, chamomile and marigold flower, this tea helps to soothe inflammation, calm skin and promote a supple, glowing complexion one cup at a time.
A balancing ayurvedic blend for those feeling heavy, depleted, weakened or low. With fortifying ashwagandha, antioxidant-rich turmeric, detoxifying manjishtha, digestion soothing nagarmotha and nutrient-dense moringa; this blend helps power metabolism, strengthen immunity, stabilise blood sugar levels and uplift the senses and keep you feeling on top of your game.
