Cheeks that heat up, red patches after a shower, skin that itches at the slightest friction: when the skin is in trouble, we often look for a new miracle cream. What if the first answer was hidden in a simple cup of black tea?
For Dr Patricia Lüdtke, dermatologist, irritated skin can be relieved with simple black tea compresses, prepared at home. And wellness journalist Danielle DeAngelis saw her eye rosacea flare-ups diminish by switching to decaffeinated black tea in the evening.
Redness and black tea: what happens in the skin
When the skin turns red, the small blood vessels dilate, blood rushes in and the surface heats up, with tightness and tingling. This fragile terrain appears in the event of rosacea, overly strong active ingredients or external aggression such as the cold.
Black tea contains tannins with anti-inflammatory properties which slightly tighten the tissues and reduce the dilation of the vessels, which limits swelling, redness and the feeling of heat.
Prepare a black tea compress for the skin
For maximum effect, steep a bag of plain black tea, or a tablespoon of leaves, in boiling water for about 10 minutes, longer than a traditional drink. This time is enough to concentrate the tannins responsible for the soothing effect.
A key step is then left to cool or cool, as applying heat to an inflammation can make it worse. Then soak a clean cloth or sterile compresses and place them on the irritated area for 15 minutes. Dr Patricia Lüdtke recommends organic, natural black tea, without aromas or spices such as Earl Gray or Chai, to avoid pesticides, essential oils and irritating spices.
Drink black tea when you have reactive skin
Diagnosed in 2021 with ocular rosacea, journalist Danielle DeAngelis explains that a more anti-inflammatory diet and a large mug of decaffeinated black tea every evening helped calm her flare-ups. She also says that this ritual helped her rebuild her intestinal flora after several months of antibiotics.
A 200 ml cup of black tea provides approximately 150 to 200 mg of antioxidant polyphenols, capable of modulating certain inflammatory reactions. But black tea can limit the absorption of iron, caffeine must be monitored, and very hot drinks sometimes trigger redness in cases of rosacea: it is therefore better to prefer a lukewarm or iced version and seek advice from a health professional if you live with a chronic illness.
How long to keep the black tea compress?
Sources recommend leaving the compress soaked in black tea for about 15 minutes on the irritated area, without rubbing.
Which black tea to choose for redness?
Organic, natural black tea, without flavorings or spices is recommended to limit exposure to pesticides, essential oils and potentially irritating spices.
Does drinking black tea help with rosacea?
Regularly drinking decaffeinated black tea, as Danielle DeAngelis does, can be part of an anti-inflammatory strategy, but always in addition to medical monitoring.
Sources
- Top Health
“I am a wellness journalist and I suffer from ocular rosacea. Drinking this tea every evening has calmed my inflammatory outbreaks. I live with chronic inflammation and drinking this tea every day”
