The Best Teas For Skin Health (You've Probably Never Heard Of)

If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I am a big tea drinker, probably thanks to the fact that I grew up with a Japanese grandmother who always had a fresh pot on the stove. I hardly go a day without enjoying a mug of some sort of hot tea, whether it's green tea with breakfast or peppermint tea to wind down before bed in the evening.

While tea is a very popular drink in other areas of the world, I've noticed that more and more Americans are also beginning to consume tea on a regular basis, no doubt due to the fact that scientists and healthcare experts alike have been singing the praises of tea for years now. Tea is full of antioxidants and minerals that are great for the body, and you may have heard that tea is great for skin health as well.

In particular, there are a few specific types of teas that provide a wealth of benefits for the skin, as I learned from an article by Women's Health Magazine. You may not have heard of these teas before, but you'll want to try a cup for yourself after reading about their health benefits.

When it comes to teas that are made from the traditional tea plant, white tea is renowned most for its effects on the skin. In fact, if you ever look at the ingredients of a jar of high-end face cream, you will more than likely find "white tea" in the list. That's because white tea has the highest levels of antioxidants when compared to green and black teas, and is also extremely high in vitamin E content. I would recommend sampling a cup of Silver Needles tea at your local tea shop if you can. If you like the mild flavor, you'll love what it can do for your skin.

Another super skin-healthy tea is called Yerba Mate, and it's a traditional beverage from South America. Mate has an equal amount of caffeine as coffee does, but it does not produce anxiety or jitters, which makes it an ideal replacement for your morning pick-me-up. Mate is also loaded with antioxidants that fight free radicals that would otherwise damage the cells of the skin, and even have the possibility of promoting the growth of cancerous cells. Yerba Mate used to be hard to come by, but you can now find bagged versions of this tea in many major grocery stores.

Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of A Girl With Tea