Women of the Khoikhoi tribe have the most beautiful skin in the world. Young women have flawless complexions, and the elders have few lines or wrinkles.
The Khoikhoi live in a mountain range just north of Cape Town, South Africa. They live in very primitive conditions compared to the life you’re used to.
So, imagine what it must be like for a young woman in the tribe to take care of her skin.
You’d see the village medicine woman. And, most likely, she’d reach deep into her medicine bag and pulled out a handful of dried, red herbs.
“Rooibos…” she’d say, as she poured the herbs into your palm.
Medicine women have used this red herb for centuries. They make an extract out of the red leaves to treat serious skin conditions and allergies. It’s also called “Red Tea.”
Women in the village saw the healing power of the extract when they used it on their children’s skin. So they began using it themselves. And they still use it today.
Red tea is a member of the legume family and not a true tea. Red tea is a storehouse of antioxidants, vitamin C, and quercetin.1
Vitamin C and quercetin soothe, refresh, and protect your skin while increasing collagen and fibronectin beneath the surface.2,3
Collagen forms the mesh beneath your skin that keeps it wrinkle-free in appearance. Fibronectin increases your collagen. It helps to tighten your skin and heal any imperfections.
The rich combination of antioxidants mops up free radicals.4 Free radicals cause the damage you see from being exposed to pollution, toxins, and smoking. They make you age before your time.
You can find red tea at most grocery or specialty tea stores. It comes in tea bags and as a powder that you mix into water. You can use it to make your own skin-refreshing face mask:
- Mix red tea powder in water or steep a cup of tea until it’s strong.
- Mix the tea with ground oatmeal or potato flour to make a paste. You can add yogurt, honey, blended avocado, strawberries, or other ingredients to get the consistency you like.
- Apply the mixture to your skin for 10-20 minutes and rinse with warm red tea.
But if this seems like too much work, don’t worry. We’ll do the work for you. We’re going to put this red tea leaf extract into our body wash and body lotion for you to use.
They’ll be out soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD