The 14 Best Teas for Skin Health: Sip Your Way to a Glowing Complexion

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Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no denying that tea offers up a number of health benefits.

Even better, this is an ingredient that can improve the look and feel of your skin too. Just about every tea out there is beneficial in its own way, but if you’d like to mix things up a bit, here are 14 skin-boosting teas to try.

How Does Drinking Tea Benefit Skin Health?

Before any of you tea haters click away, here are a few reasons to keep scrolling.

To start with, tea is incredibly hydrating. It adds an extra source of water to your diet, which keeps your skin cells functioning optimally.

It’s true, water does this too, but water doesn’t also contain the polyphenols, catechins, tannins, and other powerful chemical compounds that tea is rich in.

Whether you choose to sip on a traditional tea or prefer to apply herbal tea extracts topically, the antioxidants in this classic beverage are what set it apart, making it a game-changer in the quest for healthy skin.

Young woman drinking a healthy tea

The 14 Best Teas for Skin

This list is in no particular order – each tea that we’ve featured is extremely powerful in its own way, making each one worth trying.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is famed for its ability to relax the mind and improve sleep quality, but it has a number of beauty benefits too. For starters, better sleep means that you’ll be waking up without dark circles and puffy eyes.

Chamomile tea is also packed with quercetin [1], a powerful antioxidant that can protect your skin from sun damage.

You can double up on the benefits of chamomile by applying it topically too – this is a popular skincare ingredient due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It can effectively reduce redness and soothe irritated skin.

Green Tea

green tea for skin

Another tea that’s revered by the health and beauty world, green tea is packed with antioxidant properties.

However, there’s one in particular that sets it apart from other teas – EGCG.

This catechin not only prevents oxidative stress and free radical damage, but it can also lower your chances of developing skin cancer.

If that wasn’t enough, green tea can also reactivate dying skin cells and repair skin damage.

For these reasons, green tea is an ingredient that you’ll commonly find in skin care products. However, drinking green tea will boost the ingredient’s effects even more.

There are a few different green teas out there to choose from, but you don’t need to get fancy – regular green tea will provide all of the above skin health benefits.

That said, consider matcha tea too. It’s a more concentrated form of green tea, and can contain up to 137 times more antioxidants [2].

Peppermint Tea

Not only is peppermint tea extremely refreshing, but there are two groups of people in particular who could really benefit from this herbal tea; those with acne-prone skin and those with eczema.

Peppermint contains menthol, an ingredient that controls oil production. Less sebum means oily skin becomes a thing of the past. Peppermint also has antibacterial properties, enabling it to destroy acne-causing bacteria. All of this helps to prevent acne breakouts.

When applied topically, peppermint tea is extremely cooling. It’ll soothe any itching or irritation caused by eczema and other similar skin conditions, leaving your skin calmer and happier.

It will also speed up skin cell turnover, which means that dull-looking dead skin cells are naturally shed at a faster rate.

Rooibos Tea

Rooibos tea for health

Also known as Red Bush Tea, rooibos is a herbal tea that comes from South Africa. It’s naturally caffeine-free, as well as sweet and nutty in flavor.

Rooibos tea has been traditionally used to treat a number of health and skin conditions, including allergies, asthma, and eczema.

Experts believe that its healing effects come down to its potent polyphenols, particularly aspalathin and nothofagi.

These powerful antioxidants also fight free radicals to prevent premature aging.

It’s also worth noting that rooibos tea contains natural alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) – exfoliating compounds that you’ll find in many skincare products.

When used topically, the AHAs in the tea will brighten skin, leaving you with a glowing complexion.

White Tea

Because white tea is made from uncured tea leaves, and is therefore the least processed of all the teas, it contains the most antioxidants – yes, even more than green tea!

Research has found white tea to be extremely effective at fighting free radicals, therefore minimizing the signs of aging. It’s also an anti-inflammatory that can restore immune system function. By balancing gut health and the digestive tract, white tea can give you healthy skin.

There have also been several studies carried out on the topical use of white tea extract [3]. The way in which it protects collagen and elastin fibers helps to boost skin elasticity, reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

It’s a great skin brightener too, which is why more and more brands are incorporating it into their formulas.

Black Tea

A favorite tea for many, black tea contains caffeine, although not to the same extent as coffee. In addition to giving you a kick of energy, the caffeine in black tea promotes blood circulation.

This means that your skin cells receive more nutrients and oxygen, and any toxic waste is carried away at a faster rate. The result? Glowing skin.

Black tea is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. Use black tea extracts topically and they’ll soothe delicate skin.

Jasmine Tea

If you have dry skin, give jasmine tea a try. It’ll provide relief while also reducing inflammation. It dilates the blood vessels too, meaning increased blood flow and a radiant glow!

If jasmine tea is new to you, it’s worth understanding that this tea is more of an infusion. It makes use of a base made from either white, green, or black tea, with jasmine flowers then infused into this.

Jasmine tea with jasmine flower

As a result, not only will a cup of jasmine tea treat your skin to all of the benefits that jasmine offers, but you’ll also be reaping the rewards that come from whichever tea you choose as your base.

Hibiscus Tea

While not as well-known as some of the others on this list, hibiscus tea is just as worthy.

Research shows that it’s loaded with antioxidants, to the point where it can neutralize free radicals by up to 92% [4]. This then means that the signs of aging are reduced, making it a popular anti-aging skincare ingredient.

Interestingly, hibiscus extract has also been found to have antibacterial properties [5], potentially positioning it as an anti-acne ingredient too. However, all of the studies so far have been carried out on animals – human studies are needed to really confirm how hibiscus leads to healthy skin.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is loved for its distinct flavor, along with its high antioxidant content. These antioxidants are able to boost skin health in a number of ways, from relieving eczema [6] to fading dark spots and pigmentation [7].

This is another tea that’s revered for how it improves quality of sleep – a cup of oolong tea before bed will have you waking up to glowing skin.

Ginger Tea

Hot Ginger Tea

Ginger tea has been consumed for centuries, but has recently become more popular again.

It’s a great one for strengthening the immune system, which not only keeps the body healthy, but the skin too.

Drinking ginger herbal tea will also increase blood flow in your body, giving your skin a healthy glow.

It’s an anti-inflammatory too – try adding lemon balm in with the ginger to maximize these benefits.

Burdock Tea

Another one that you may not have heard of, burdock tea is made from the roots of the burdock plant.

These roots are brimming with antioxidants and vitamins, including vitamin C, enabling the tea to promote blood flow to bring a glow to the skin.

Studies have found burdock tea to be effective at improving skin texture, while also having the ability to treat eczema [8].

Dandelion Tea

If you’ve ever looked into detox teas, then dandelion tea will be one you’re familiar with. However, it’s not only your body that benefits from a detox – your skin does too!

Clearing your body, and therefore your skin, of toxins will prevent congestion in your pores, saving you from dealing with inflammation and breakouts.

Rosehip Tea

If you love herbal teas, then rosehip is one that you need to try. It has a floral but delicate flavor – it’s a deliciously enticing mix of sweet and tart.

Not only does it taste good, but rosehips are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. They’re a fantastic source of vitamin C, which you’ll benefit from even more if you use the ingredient topically too.

Even better, rosehip extract can counter the negative effects of sun exposure, giving it powerful anti-aging properties.

Kombucha Tea

Kombucha has been all the rage lately, and for good reason too. Since it’s made from fermented black and green tea leaves, it offers up all of the same benefits as both of those teas.

However, its probiotic content means that this fermented tea is great for balancing the gut, which, in turn, will clear up your skin.

Beautiful woman drinking hot tea

FAQs

What tea makes you look younger?

Just about every tea has anti-aging effects, but green, white, and rooibos are great for giving the skin a younger appearance.

What tea is good for wrinkles?

Green tea is one of the best teas out there for reducing the visibility of wrinkles.

Does drinking tea improve skin?

Yes! If you start to regularly drink tea, you’ll notice an improvement in your skin in no time. 

Summary

If you’ve been looking for a way to achieve both healthy skin and a healthy body at the same time, tea is your answer. When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter which type you choose – they’re all full of antioxidants.

So long as you make tea a regular part of your life, be it in your diet or in your skincare routine, you’ll be able to experience its many skin benefits.

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
[2] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/matcha-green-tea
[3] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810085312.htm
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21314460/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27104041
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11176659/
[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17690471/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20981575/

Avatar for Megan Foley

Megan has been a freelance writer and editor since 2016. In that time, she’s penned a diverse collection of articles for online publication, with a focus on skincare and beauty. From in-depth product reviews to concise marketing content, Megan is passionate about developing content that informs, entertains, and inspires.