There are a lot of goodies in your pantry that you can uses for your eyes! In today's article, we will go over teas and herbal teas as compresses for various ailments.
How to make a compress?
Boil some water, pour it over your tea or herbal tea bag. Strain the tea bag out, let it cool down a little, and place it over your closed eye. Enjoy for 5 minutes or more, as often as you want.
Why tea is good for your eyes
The caffeine in black and green teas can help reduce dark circles under the eyes (read our article here), and help puffy, swollen eyes. Caffeine constricts the blood vessels and makes the skin appear tighter, potentially reducing fine lines and wrinkles. This is why many cosmetic under-eye creams contain caffeine. But why spend so much money when you can just use a tea bag?
Black and green teas both contain antioxidants called flavonoids and tannins, which both have an anti-inflammatory effect. The tannins help to tighten the skin and draw out fluid to reduce puffiness even more.
Herbal teas that have been shown to reduce inflammation include:
burdock
chamomile, chrysanthemum flower (菊花）
eyebright
echinacea
goldenseal
marigold
red raspberry leaf
rooibos
A tea for each eye condition
Dry eyes
Use black tea, eyebright, or lavender tea bags on your eyes to help retain moisture and alleviate dryness. The soothing properties of these teas can relieve any irritation or sensitivities you may be experiencing.
Read more in our article about Chinese medicine and dry eyes here.
Black eye
If you have a black eye, you can use black or green tea to reduce inflammation. The tannins can reduce swelling and bruising. They may also help to control internal bleeding. Lavender and chamomile may be helpful in soothing any irritated skin, and providing pain relief.
Red eyes
Chamomile, rooibos, and green tea can be effective in treating and refreshing sore or red eyes.
The anti-inflammatory properties of these herbs may help to reduce any swelling or inflammation that accompanies irritated eyes.
Dark circles
Apply cold black or green tea bags
to your eyes to reduce the appearance of dark circles. The caffeine may help to narrow the blood vessels around your eye and constrict blood flow.
Read our article about tips to reduce dark circles naturally here
Styes
Black tea is useful in treating styes due to its high tannin content. Its antibacterial and analgesic properties help to reduce swelling and irritation. Chamomile may be used to soothe and heal irritated skin.
Read here for more Chinese medicine tips on the treatment of sties
Do you have other herbal tea secrets? Share with us !