You already know what a beneficial beverage tea is. The health benefits of the brewed beverage are outstanding. I’ve also shared with you about eating tea leaves and using tea in your baking. But, what about using tea as a soap? Oh, I’m all in. I have friends who use tea leaves in their baths. But, is using tea in your soap healthy? I’ve used tea leaves in my foot baths as well. So now let’s learn about tea soap. Why we would want to use and I’ll even share with you a few recipes to make your own!
Why put tea in soap
Drinking a cup of tea is very beneficial and crucial to many areas of the body. From brain activity to your microbiome, tea is beneficial. Thinking about topical use for tea there are many. So, why put tea in soap?
What we are not talking about is tea tree oil. While tea tree oil is very beneficial, today we are focusing on tea leaves, those from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
There are a few reasons to enjoy tea in a soap.
Beneficial – Tea leaves have many benefits. Adding tea leaves to a soap bar or liquid adds healthy and helpful ingredients. These ingredients stave off bacteria and germs and give the soap a bit more of a boost in germ fighting.
Medicinal – There can be no doubt about the medicinal benefits of tea. So adding brewed tea, tea leaves and herbs to soap enhances the medicinal benefits of the soap.
Meditative – Those friends that use tea in their bath all talk about the meditative time that’s spent soaking in the tub. That short time you spend with your tea-infused soap is going to meditate. Maybe you will just spend that extra few moments enjoying the soap massaging your skin. Inhaling the tea essence is so relaxing.
Abrasive – You can put dry leaves inside a soap mixture to add a scrub feel to the soap. The dried leaves act as an abrasive to the skin. The tea leaves are not hard like coffee grounds so the use on the skin is light and not as abrasive. The tea leaves act as a scrub to remove toxins, dead skin, and debris from the body.
Tea also adds color and scent to the soap. You can brew the tea extra strongly or as light as you like. An added benefit is when the tea is used instead of the liquid part of the ingredients.
Benefits of tea soap
Tea is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids. These benefits are nothing new. The benefit of tea goes back for hundreds of years. Your skin is the biggest organ you have. Taking care of your skin is not always easy. The more help you have the better. Adding tea to your soap and soap products will only increase your skin’s healing and well-being.
Skin protection – Giving the skin a healthy glow and removing dead skin allows the beautiful skin to glow. Fights against and restores aging skin.
Reduce puffiness under the eyes – the tannins and caffeine in the tea reduce blood vessels that then reduce the puffiness.
Anti-inflammatory – helps soothe the attack of acne, blackheads, and pimples. Reduce redness and inflammation. There is a study that shares the significance of using green tea in acne treatment.
Anti-bacterial – helps fight against bacteria and prevents damage to the skin. The sun can wreak havoc on our skin. Have the powerful antioxidants and the caffeine fight against those damaging radicals.
Vitamin and Mineral rich – Tea is rich in vitamins like B2, C, E, and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
Softens and smooths – adding tea leaves to the soap adds a soft exfoliant property. Adding more leaves the soap can turn into a scrub.
Natural – Tea is a natural ingredient. In a world full of toxins it’s a wonderful benefit to have ingredients that are natural and beneficial.
Free radical protection – Tea is amazing. The tannins, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, Catechins, and flavonoids are a powerhouse to work wonders on your skin.
Let’s make your own soap
When you make your own tea soap you may think the tea is the most important part. The base is actually the most important. You have to choose a good base. That base needs to be oil. You can choose a vegetable oil or a healthier choice would be coconut oil. You can add lye as well. While most soaps ask for distilled water you can substitute the brewed tea.
- Mix up and Melt your tea base. The choice is yours.
- Once mixed and heated add your tea
- Add essential oils for scent
- Continue to cook for up to 5 minutes
- Hopefully, you have some molds 😉
- Pour into molds and allow to cure (dry)
- Now the fun part – top with tea and herbs
You’ve just created your own tea-infused soap!
Liquid or foamy soap is even easier to create. There is a soap out there called Castile Soap.
Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soaps are made with over 90% organic ingredients.
But it is so simple…
- Get a foamy soap bottle, I still use the old Dial one I have had in the bathroom.
- Add one part of your Castile soap (you can use scented as well)
- Pour four parts of water
- Make sure you have about ½ inch at the top of your bottle
- Put the lid on
- Shake a little
ENJOY
Now to make this into a tea soap and get some added benefits to replace either some of all the water with brewed tea.
Conclusion
I love nature, natural and healthy. There is nothing like taking care of your body by nature. Adding tea or tea leaves to your daily skincare is one of the best ways to care for yourself.
Making your own (because it’s super easy) is so rewarding. But if you are not into making your own there are always small businesses that are willing to fill that void. Etsy is your friend.
Skin issues? Check out your tea benefits and go with it. Find a tea soap that works and be amazed that it just might make your skin issues 120% better.
