Rooibos Tea for Acne
Rooibos is a legume plant that is native to South Africa. It is also called Red Bush and has been used in the traditional medicine of its native country for centuries. These days, rooibos is fast becoming popular all over the world. It is commonly sold in tea form as rooibos tea, red bush tea or simply red tea. Rooibos tea has a reddish color and is sold like regular tea in some countries especially South Africa. Rooibos has many benefits for acne sufferers and it is backed by great testimonies from users as well as scientific studies. Rooibos tea can be used in acne treatment as a topical remedy or ingested as a regular tea.

There are 2 differences between rooibos tea and other regular teas. These are its lack of caffeine and its low levels of tannins. These distinctions make rooibos tea a healthy alternative to other teas such as green tea and black tea. However, rooibos tea has other nutritional benefits. It contains a high level of antioxidants such as aspalathin and nothofagin. It is also rich in flavanols, flavones and flavanones. Flavonoids found in rooibos tea include luteolin and quercetin. The main uses of rooibos tea in traditional medicine are for relieving colic in infants, for treating allergies, asthma and skin diseases such as acne.

How Rooibos Tea Works for Acne
The properties of rooibos tea that are most useful in acne treatment are its antioxidant, antibacterial and immune-modulating properties. While rooibos tea does not contain the common antioxidant, EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate), which is found in other teas, it does contain high levels of nothofagin and aspalathin as well as superoxide dismutase. These 3 antioxidants provide an effective and broad protection against harmful free radicals and they are active on the skin too. Therefore, they can mop up reactive oxygen species and prevent damage to the skin.

When the skin is damaged by toxins and free radicals, the chance of bacterial colonization is greatly improved. The immune system also tries to heal the injury and instead causes skin inflammation. Therefore, the protective actions of rooibos tea can contribute greatly to the resolution of acne symptoms. Secondly, some plant chemicals in rooibos tea can help regulate the immune system and the detrimental aspects of immune response in acne breakouts. For example, by preventing repeated inflammation, rooibos tea can help reduce the severity and breakout of inflammatory acne lesions.

To get these benefits from rooibos tea, experts recommend drinking at least 6 cups of the tea daily. In a study carried out by Japanese researchers, it was discovered that brewing rooibos tea for more than 10 minutes, instead of the regular duration of 5 minutes, provides the greatest benefit of the tea for acne sufferers. Zinc level in the body is closely related to the severity of acne. Zinc can help correct the hormonal imbalance that triggers acne. It is also useful for killing off the bacteria that cause acne. Alpha hydroxyl acids are common acne remedies. They are mostly effective when rooibos tea is applied topically on the skin. When applied, alpha hydroxyl acids rejuvenate the skin by exfoliation and help break down acne comedones.

When rooibos tea is to be applied on the skin, it should be sufficiently cooled down to prevent scalding the skin with hot tea. Besides the benefits discussed above, rooibos tea can also provide a mild antibacterial effect when applied on the skin. Therefore, it can contribute to the elimination of acne-causing bacteria on the skin. The tea is also hypoallergenic, and can help protect the skin from irritants. Rooibos tea can be used as a cleanser or a toner when applied on the skin. It will help restore the pH of the body, prevent skin dryness and unclog the pores.