DIY Self Decoration

The Beauty Benefits of Bathing in Tea [in Australia]

03/25/2009
Bathing in Tea

Have you ever loved a food or drink so much that you wish you could bathe in it?

I’m a huge fan of tea: the immune boost, the antioxidants, the warm fuzzy feeling of a hot mug on a cold night. I think my ultimate evening consists of curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a box of cookies for dunking. In short, I truly do love tea so much that I could bathe in it… and last year, I did.

The time: early spring. The location: Lennox Head, Australia. I had the amazing opportunity to visit my sister at her work abroad location there and her camp was located just steps away from Lake Ainsworth, a freshwater lake made entirely out of tea.

Surrounded by tea trees, Lake Ainsworth’s waters absorb tannins from surrounding tree roots and fallen tea leaves, transforming the waters into a deep, dark brew. The locals believe that the water has healing properties and that a quick swim can do wonders for the skin. Personally, though my skin did feel a bit softer that day, it’s my mind that has never felt more at peace than while floating in a bath of tea.

Want to try it yourself?

If you can’t make the trip Down Under, don’t worry, just run yourself a hot bath, drop in several tea bags, lay back, and relax.

Feeling crafty?

You can also create your own concoction with loose tea leaves and dried flowers. Once it’s ready, wrap your personalized mixture in muslin or cheesecloth (or pantyhose — thanks, Wendy!) and you‘re ready for a long, relaxing steep.

Other Drinks to Soak In

  • Sake: A Geisha secret, pouring a cup full of sake into your tub is said to soften your skin and speed up your metabolism.
  • Milk and Honey: Milk dissolved dead skin cells to make your skin baby soft, while honey has antibacterial properties to help heal wounds. It worked wonders for Cleopatra, so why not you?
  • Red Wine: Teri Hatcher of Desperate Housewives breaks out the vino for her bath to make her skin lush and glowing…just don‘t use too much or you might stain your tub!

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21 Comments

  • Reply rkinkoph 03/25/2009 at 7:39 pm

    This is cool! I had never heard of tea… I did read a girl’s blog that told how to make a scrub from coffee and cinnamon. It’s supposed to get rid of cellulite and make your skin radiant.

  • Reply Insider Information On How To Buy Skin Care Products | Skin Rash Information 03/25/2009 at 11:24 pm

    […] Miseducated » Blog Archive » Bathing in Tea […]

  • Reply wendyrgould 03/25/2009 at 11:33 pm

    Tip: If you don’t have cheesecloth/muslin, I’ve found that pantyhose work very well! ^^*

  • Reply michelleshea 03/26/2009 at 12:12 am

    good tip, wendy! 🙂

  • Reply wendy 03/26/2009 at 1:32 am

    Haha, NP!
    Great article! I love tea!

  • Reply Scabies Effects on Skin | Skin Rash Information 03/27/2009 at 5:15 am

    […] Miseducated » Blog Archive » Bathing in Tea […]

  • Reply Ashley 03/29/2009 at 7:13 am

    I soooooo would love to do this tea bit right this second- except baby is sleeping and it’s 3am. I often wondered about doing this but thought maybe it was just weird of me to want to try. I do LOVE Epsom salt baths especially since being a mommy and having Fibromyalgia-I also love using FEW drops of tea tree oil in the tub, it smells so soothing (although an acquired smell).
    I am thinking the tea and other dried goodies and oils tied pretty in muslin may just be this years homemade Christmas gifts for my ladies 😉 .

  • Reply Courtney 09/09/2009 at 6:38 pm

    Is there any way that this will stain my skin? I’m interested in trying this but i would rather not come out looking like i have a spray tan two shades too dark! lol Plus idk if i can do this right now because i’m pregnant and i’m not sure if the caffine from the tea will be too much.

    • Reply Alice 11/03/2016 at 6:19 pm

      I’m not sure if you can do this while pregnant but what I do know is that is won’t stain your skin and if it does maybe just try taking a regular bath after

  • Reply michelleshea 09/09/2009 at 6:46 pm

    Courtney,

    I have had no problems at all with stained skin during tea baths and I am quite pale myself. What I would be most concerned about is perhaps your tub. I’ve never had tub stains be a problem either, but then again my last tub was blue so it wouldn’t have been that noticeable. If you’re really concerned about staining, I would suggest a green or herbal tea bath rather than black tea.

    As for the pregnancy/caffeine question, I would think you are safe, but I am not a doctor [nor have I ever been pregnant] so perhaps you should check with your physician first.

    Happy soaking! 🙂

    michelle

  • Reply Diana 09/14/2009 at 3:34 pm

    Too bad I can’t take a bath; I only take a shower every day..:(

  • Reply walter e. 04/19/2010 at 12:55 am

    it sounds cool and realaxing, if i only have bags do you recomend a certain brand?

  • Reply michelle 04/19/2010 at 12:40 pm

    any brand will do, darling. however, if you’re talking the small single-use bags, the kind that are triangular in shape [as opposed to flat and square] usually steep easier.

  • Reply Carolyn 04/19/2010 at 1:42 pm

    This is a fun, easy, indulgent alternative (I LOVE tea!) that I never heard of. That Aussie lake sounds amazing.

  • Reply Froz3n 02/15/2014 at 12:36 pm

    Well I think I found an affirmation from this site, I’ve been ‘accidentally’ doing a tea bath, when my auntie came from singapore she gave me a dried ‘pu er’ tea nugget the shape was like round plate, when I tried it doesn’t taste so good, then I accidentally throw the tea leaves into the lukewarm water for my bath, then the idea struck my mind that I can use that terribly tasted tea for my bath! eureka!! now I’m doing it frequently 😀

  • Reply abuda 05/09/2015 at 12:55 am

    can i use any kind of tea? please answer 🙂

    • Reply Amber Renee 05/12/2015 at 10:50 am

      Hello! So I hear mostly herbal teas, and even sprinkling flowers into the bath such as roses and I often use dried lavender blossoms and chamomile blossoms.

      Teas for bath:
      Green tea: Detoxifying, refreshing
      Chamomile tea: softening skin and calming, antioxidants
      Peppermint, mint or eucalyptus tea: for rejuvenation
      Lavender tea: de-stressing, relaxing, relieves headaches
      Jasmine tea: soothing

      Also:
      Apple cider vinegar for detox, oily skin, tan fading
      Honey for healing wounds and dry skin.
      Milk for softening skin and dissolving dead skin.
      Coconut oil for softening skin
      Epson salts and sea salts for detoxifying and aches.
      Black tea bags are good to put in cold water and then place over your eyes to relieve puffiness.

      I should add a 2nd article for more details! Thanks for asking.

  • Reply Sylvia 11/08/2015 at 5:51 pm

    I’m in love with the idea of loving tea so I usually buy a lot of different teas only to realize that I really don’t love drinking tea as much as I love smelling tea. I wish I did. I just cleaned out my cabinet and discovered that I probably have hundreds of tea bags for various uses — metabolism booster, cold & flu season, joint relief, smooth move, headache relief, etc…. My question is, will I get the same health benefits from the tea if I soak it rather than drink it?

    • Reply Amber Renee 12/11/2015 at 1:11 pm

      I went to a health convention recently and learned that your body absorbs what is ON it just as much as what is IN it.. so bathing in tea and drinking in tea both absorb into the body but they have different affects. For instance we have some teas for sore throat and breathing but I can imagine soaking in it would make my body burn from the minty-ness AND wouldn’t be soothing my throat. As far as joint relief I would believe so.. I believe one of the nicest parts of tea is the aroma. I have a similar problem though. My tea collection is quite large.

  • Reply Meg 04/05/2016 at 10:21 pm

    I am soaking in a bath full of tea. Heard it was wonders for sunburn(layed by the pool a little too long today) and warning you tea has caffeine in it. I have a bad sunburn so I put 10 tea bags. And my heart is racing. Sooo much caffeine I’m guessing. My chest feels heavy so word of advice. Use like 4-5 bags instead of 10.

  • Reply The Beauty Benefits of Bathing in Tea [Part 2] | Miseducated 03/03/2023 at 9:11 pm

    […] still get messages from readers about our “The Beauty Benefits of Bathing in Tea [in Australia]” post by Michelle Walker and I decided it was finally time to do a beauty update! For one, […]

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