Skin Care's Newest Ally - Red Bush Tea from South Africa

• Core Facts

If you’ve read Alexander McCall Smith’s books on the lady detective in Botswana, you’ll know all about red bush tea. It’s still pretty obscure – if you’ve read the books, you’ll know about it, otherwise it’s not likely – but, nevertheless, it’s starting to show up on health food store shelves. As a natural skin care and general health tonic, red bush tea might even surpass green tea’s exalted position.

Red bush tea, aka red tea, bush tea, rooibosch or rooibos (pronounced royboss – which means ‘red bush’ in Afrikaans), is grown only in a small mountainous region of South Africa not far from Capetown. In fact, red bush tea is the area’s primary export. The flavor resembles black tea but it’s naturally sweet (which means you don’t need sugar) and tastes both nutty and smoky with a slight touch of something similar to Earl Grey.

What’s so amazing about this tea, and why is it threatening green tea’s position? It is naturally caffeine free and has 50% more antioxidants – which is saying quite a bit – and it’s packed with iron, potassium, zinc and manganese and polyphenols.

In England, tea is the universal tonic. If you’re not feeling well, you have tea. If you’re stressed, you have tea. Had a long day at work? Have some tea! But red bush tea truly has all the ingredients of a tonic. It’s calming, relaxing and really does everything tea is supposed to do.

What does that have to do with skin care? It helps you get a good sleep; an essential element of good skin care, it relaxes muscles, boosts the immune system and helps manage allergies that may manifest as skin problems. It also soothes the skin when you apply it topically. You can rinse your face with the tea directly, soak a washcloth and place it on your face, or put the tea bags on your eyes. However you use it, your skin and your overall health will benefit. It’s also perfect for anti-aging. Expect to see it soon on the cosmetics and skin care products shelves in health food stores.

In many places where red bush tea is traditionally used, the environment is relatively free of pollution. If you live in the city, or near an industrial or high traffic area, it might be a good idea to apply a shielding lotion after you’ve used red bush tea on your face or body. A good shielding lotion will keep out chemicals so the benefits of your red bush tea treatment will last even longer.

You would think that with the hundreds or thousands of skin care products available, it would be hard to come up with something new. But, red bush tea is just that. And it deserves a place of honor among your natural skin care treatment products.

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