22 Healthy & Beauty Uses for Tea

Many naturals use tea as part of conditioning treatments, including henna, but apparently tea has many beauty uses! Check out this interesting article from Networx. I pulled out 22 uses, but you can click here for the full 49.

Via NetworX

I get through the sleepless days of being a stay-at-home dad, freelance writer, and DIY remodeler with copious quantities of tea. I drink Celestial Seasonings Morning Thunder tea in a big beer stein, which I believe to be quite manly.

I also hate to throw out anything I could reuse or recycle. So I scoured the Internet to find uses for used tea bags and tea, other than the primary functions of keeping me hydrated and awake. With thanks to “Reader’s Digest” and “Mental Floss” magazines, the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House, Chinaculture.org, and several bloggers and Web forums, here is the definitive list of other uses for tea.

We can’t vouch for all these home remedies, so let us know how they work. Also tell us if we missed anything.

Shine dry hair

Brewed tea makes a good conditioner for dry hair. Rinse with (unsweetened) tea and leave to dry for a while, then rinse again with water.

Dye hair

Brewed tea also is a good natural hair dye. Mix rosemary and sage into dark black tea and let the mixture stand overnight. Strain the mix and thoroughly work it into your hair. Repeat as needed for the desired color.

Improve skin

To protect and beautify skin, try bathing in green tea. Another widely recommended skin booster is chamomile tea in a facial steamer.

Cure acne

Some acne sufferers swear by washing their faces with green tea to cure or reduce their acne.

Make soap

Tea is a useful addition when making glycerin soap. The texture and scent can help make the soap smell and cleanse better.

Soothe tired eyes

Warm, wet teabags can reduce puffiness and soothe pain around tired eyes — and teabags on your eyes look a little less ridiculous than cucumber slices.

Soothe a sunburn

Wet teabags can soothe sunburns and other minor burns. For a full-body sunburn, soak in a tea bath.

Make mouthwash

Toothaches and other mouth pain can be soothed with a rinse of antiseptic peppermint tea mixed with a little salt.

Help recover from injections

A wet teabag on an injection site can be soothing, for babies or adults.

Soothe pinkeye

You can also use warm, wet teabags as a compress to soothe the pain of pinkeye.

Soothe razor burn

A wet tea bag can also reduce and soothe razor burn.

Drain boils

Cover a boil with wet tea bag overnight, and it should drain painlessly.

Save a broken fingernail

To salvage a partially broken fingernail, use a piece of mesh tea bag to create a splint of sorts between the nail and the broken piece. Coat in nail polish.

Soothe blisters

Hot teabags are also rumored to draw out infections when left on fever blisters and canker sores.

Dry poison ivy rash

Dry a weepy poison ivy rash with strongly brewed tea. Simply dip a cotton ball into the tea, dab it on the affected area, and let it air-dry. Repeat as needed.

Soothe bleeding gums

For an older child who loses a tooth, try putting a cold, wet teabag in the mouth where the tooth was lost. It can reduce bleeding and soothe pain.

De-stink feet

Soaking your feet in strong tea for 20 minutes per day may be a relaxing and effective way to reduce foot odor.

Heal warts

To help plantar warts on the feet heal faster, press a warm, wet teabag onto the wart for 20 minutes per day.

Improve breath

Gargling with strong tea can help reduce halitosis.

Get smarter

Caffeinated teas have proven effects on mental alertness, but some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners swear that tea leaves in pillows can also help improve mental alertness. They say after sleeping on tea leaf pillows, people can wake up more clear-headed and quick-thinking.

Cure the common cold

The same Chinese traditionalists also swear by tea as a time-tested remedy for many cold symptoms. Of course, others maintain that a cold will last seven days with tea treatment, or one week without.

Prevent dizziness

People drink tea for a variety of health reasons, but many older adults do not realize that black tea could reduce their dizziness when standing up. The tea boosts blood pressure, reducing the threat of dizziness. WebMD also lists a litany of other health benefits of black tea, including reduced risk of heart attacks, kidney stones, Parkinson’s disease and ovarian cancer.

Who knew tea was so versatile?? Ladies, have you tried any of these uses? Are there additional ways in which you use tea?