Having healthy skin is the most important when it comes to looking good and radiant. While it is well known that oolong tea is great for health, the benefits of oolong tea for skin remain relatively less explored and unknown. So in this article, we will be talking about drinking Oolong tea for better skin.

What is Oolong tea?

Whether it’s about treating chronic skin issues like Eczema or restoring a youthful look in the skin, oolong tea can help. It even helps with problems related to overall skin tone and colour. Some of the benefits of oolong tea for skin include brighter/improved colour, clearing of dark/age spots, reduction in wrinkles and ageing lines, improved tone and texture and resistance against harmful effects of the sun. Hence, having a few cups of oolong tea every day can be extremely beneficial for your skin’s health.

Before we get into the details, let’s explore what makes oolong tea so different.

The name oolong means ‘black dragon’ and its origins are from China. While oolong tea comes from the same Camellia Sinensis plant that yields black, green and white tea. However, it’s different from the rest because of the time at which they are harvested. The time at which they are harvested is somewhere between the time green tea leaves and black tea leaves are harvested.

The difference in ways of production yield different varieties of oolong tea. Some varieties are sweet and fruity with honey aromas while others are woody and thick with roasted aromas, and still, other variations and styles can be green and fresh with complex aromas.

Oolong tea to prevent skin ageing

Because of this, it possesses almost the same properties as green tea with a somewhat lower amount of anti-oxidants. However, the antioxidants in oolong tea fight free radical formation and reduce the overall oxidative stress, which again makes it really beneficial for skin health. The oxidative stress caused by free radicals is a big contributor to DNA damage and skin ageing. (which shows as dark spots). Breakdown of these skin cells also causes wrinkles as the skin loses its ability to retain itself together and becomes loose. 

It is, therefore, a relief that some research by the University of California had shown that 50 per cent reduction in free radicals happened just after 15 days of consumption of alcohol. The overall antioxidants in the oolong tea can be further increased if it is steeped in hot water for the longest duration of time.

Regular consumption of oolong tea can even help reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Want to know other benefits of oolong tea? Read here.

Oolong tea for eczema

Another notable benefit of oolong tea when it comes to the skin is in treating the chronic disease Eczema, which is characterized by rash, itching, redness, swelling, and sometimes an aggravated infection. According to some research that was conducted with eczema patients, it was discovered that drinking three cups of oolong tea every day for six months resulted in significant improvement and provided with relief from skin conditions such as itching, redness, swelling, and scarring caused by eczema. This is because the anti-allergenic antioxidants in oolong tea can help relieve eczema.

How to drink oolong tea for skin

To steep oolong tea, the general guideline is to use 3 grams of tea per 200 millilitres of water for 3–10 minutes. However, you can vary that. Sometimes, your oolong tea packet might specify this. 

Talking in terms of health benefits, to retain the highest level of antioxidants, you should steep it in water at about 194 degrees Fahrenheit (do not boil) for 3 minutes.

As this tea is already somewhat sweet, the addition of a little honey is usually all you need to bring it to perfection. However, oolong tea is equally delicious without anything added. So it mostly depends on your taste.

Keep it to no more than 2 cups due to the caffeine content. In the case of eczema, 3 cups are fine (you can always consult your doctor for the advisable amount).

Did you know Oolong tea also helps in weight loss? Read more.

Where can I get Oolong tea?

Pure Ceylon Oolong tea is available at teakruthi. 

This low grown blend offers a fragrant, gentle experience. Harvested from a single estate in the Galle District in Sri Lanka, teakruthi's Green Oolong tea is certified ‘ozone-friendly’. Like all of their favourite teas, Ceylon Oolong blend is packed with antioxidants, making it good for both the environment and you. The manufacturing process of this tea demands precision and care in every step, as it is semi-fermented. It is fresh and mild in flavour and orange in appearance. It is distinctive for its aroma, leaf, and liquor.

Our Oolong Tea is in unique in that it is one of the few, if not only, produced outside China and Taiwan, and the only to be certified as ‘Ozone friendly’ and ‘100% Pure Ceylon’.

About the author

Shreya Dalela

Contributing author

Shreya loves to research and write about tea and claims Mythical Green Pure Ceylon Green Tea to be her favorite go-to beverage. She swears that her daily cup of green tea gives her a dose of morning inspiration as she sits down to type 1000s of words every day. To unwind at the end of the day, she reaches for a cup of soothing Ananda Veda Green Tea infusion. You can often find her saying 'Everything is better with a cup of tea' :)

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