Ingredient focus

Why you need to incorporate black tea into your skin care routine

Although we love a beauty innovation as much as the next maven, sometimes the ‘old faithfuls’ can’t be beat. Already a firm fixture in your morning routine, why not look to the multiple benefits of black tea in your skin care routine – as well as your morning brew.

Tea, in all of its forms – black, green, and white – has long been used as an energising and healing ingredient in skin care products thanks to its high antioxidant levels however, unlike younger white and green teas, black tea is the most mature type and contains the highest levels of caffeine too, making it great for eye formulas. We recommend trying fresh’s {Black Tea Firming Eye Serum} or {Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Concentrate}.

This under-the-radar yet Holy Grail ingredient is jam-packed with skin-friendly antioxidants that are an absolute must in any skin care routine thanks to their ability to fight off free radicals and protect from environmental damage like UV rays from the sun or pollution. To get the best out of this ingredient why not try applying it in a serum or mask form? Lovinah’s {Black Tea Purifying Thermal Mask}, fresh’s {Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask} or Zelen’s {Tea Shot Urban Defence Serum} are all beautifully hardworking.

Furthermore, when fermented, black tea turns into a probiotic-rich kombucha – which has gained notable popularity over the last few years – but has also caught the eye of beauty formulators too. When applied topically, kombucha feeds the skin’s microbiome with good bacteria, saturating skin with much-needed nutrients to keep it happy, healthy, and balanced. This has resulted in a host of fermented toners popping up on the market from Youth To The People’s {Kombucha +11% AHA Exfoliation Power Toner} to fresh’s {Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence}, which have all amassed a legion of fans.

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Emmie Thornhill

Emmie Thornhill

Deputy Content Editor

Emmie is Cult Beauty’s Deputy Content Editor. Her love of skin care began in primary school when she first learned the term “hormonal acne” and has been in a love-hate relationship with tea tree oil ever since. She lives in East London – where you can normally find her baking, tending to her plant jungle or planning her next tattoo or hair cut/colour appointment – and is known to start DMCs with you about your birth chart placements, the importance of wearing SPF every day and the difference between a vagina and vulva.