By now, just about everyone knows the inner health benefits of drinking tea. It’s a wonder for soothing jangled nerves and settling into a quiet, soothing mental state. It’s loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory elements that work to prevent cell damage that causes disease and advances aging. And it’s got vitamins and minerals that boost overall health.

But did you know that tea also has been used for thousands of years as a beauty treatment? Specialty herbal teas, like those from www.BuddhaTeas.com, have extra beauty benefits, but even plain old grocery store tea bags can be used topically for purposes other than drinking. Here are some great ways to use tea in your beauty regimen:

For Glossy Hair

Hair is meant to shine, but if yours is dry and doesn’t reflect the light, use a hair rinse of green or black tea. Just steep tea bags in a quart of boiling hot water and then allow it to cool. Shampoo and rinse your hair as usual, and use the tea as a second rinse, followed by clear water. (If you’ve got dandruff, try a rinse of green tea with lemon juice.)

Instead of Hair Dye

Why use chemicals on your hair when tea can do the trick? A brew of black tea can darken your locks if you’re greying, and can add deep highlights to faded brown hair. Chamomile tea mixed with lemon juice can lighten paler hair. Pour or spray cooled tea all over your hair and leave it on for about fifteen minutes. Repeated treatments will enhance the effect. You can find lots of recipes for do-it-yourself hair coloring on the internet; this site has a variety of them.

To Combat Puffy Eyes

Placing wet tea bags on tired eyes is an oldie but a goodie. Soak two tea bags in warm water and then lie down, close your eyes, and place the tea bags over them. Rest that way for fifteen or twenty minutes while the tannins in the tea work to soothe your eyes and reduce puffiness. Taking yourself out of the fray and away from the digital world for a while doesn’t hurt, either!

To Tone Your Skin

Keep a container of brewed green tea in the refrigerator and use it at least once a day to refine your complexion. Spray it on or apply it with a cotton ball to contract pores and refresh your skin.

To Exfoliate

Green tea is the miracle ingredient in a wide range of beauty products these days. A green tea exfoliator you can make yourself in just a few minutes will slough off dead skin and bring back your natural glow.

Just combine one tablespoon of green tea leaves (for their antioxidant properties), one cup of granulated sugar (for humectant qualities and light abrasion), half a cup of pure olive oil (another antioxidant and to make the mask glide on), and two tablespoons of raw honey (a natural antibacterial.) Apply a few fingertips-full to your clean face and massage gently for a minute or two, then rinse off. Keep the unused portion in a sealed container and someplace cool and dark for the next time.

To Treat Blemishes

Apply a cool compress of lemongrass tea to blemishes daily to reap the detoxifying results that will help clear up your complexion. Lavender tea also helps to reduce all sorts of skin infections.

To Soothe Sunburn or Razor Burn

Wet teabags are magic when it comes to taking the sting out of a sunburn or too close a shave. The tannins in the tea are natural healers. If your sunburn is extensive, you might even soak an old T-shirt in tea and wear it for a while (not a shirt you don’t mind staining).

To Use as a Mouthwash

Just come from the dentist and your mouth needs some soothing? Warm (not hot) peppermint tea with a pinch of salt will make you feel better. The menthol in the peppermint will alleviate pain, while the alkaline properties of the salt make it difficult for bacteria to thrive.

To Keep Feet Smelling Sweet

A day on the run and a round of exercise on top of it might make your feet smell less than delightful. Soak them for twenty minutes in a bath of cooled tea and the tannins will sweeten them right up, along with providing antibacterial and antifungal protection.

And Don’t Forget to Drink Your Tea, Too!

You know that the way you look doesn’t just happen on the outside. All of the hydrating, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other benefits of drinking tea make themselves known in the glow of your skin and your overall well-being.