By Peggy Alaniz
Spring and summer happen to be my two favorite seasons. I enjoy spending time playing in the dirt. My herb and flower gardens are my happy places and I have been known to spend hours out in my garden rearranging plants to a better location and even mowing the lawn. Unfortunately, too much time in the sun results in a nice sunburn. I know of nothing more miserable in the summer than being burnt to a crisp. While sipping a nice, iced glass of sun tea doesn’t help you cool down the sting, the wet tea bags will.
Tea is not just for drinking. After brewing your sun tea, save those tea bags and use them on your sunburn. If you are into the loose-leaf tea (which is really the best) you can also make a cooling bath. Black, Green, and Chamomile tea are the most beneficial in helping to reduce the sting and inflammation.
Green and black teas contain antioxidants, and their benefits go beyond drinking and digestion. The tea can be used topically to help reduce the inflammation of a burn. The antioxidants will help to support the natural healing process.
Chamomile tea not only has a calming effect on the body when you ingest it but will help to calm the inflammation of a nasty burn. However, if you have an allergy to pollen, I wouldn’t suggest using it since it can actually aggravate your already inflamed skin.
Read related article: Tea Time With Peggy: Stressed? Drink Tea!
In order to treat the burn, you can use your tea of choice and make a small bowl of tea. Once cooled, wet a washcloth with the tea then place it upon the affected area. You can also take a bath in the tea, but keep in mind that most tubs are porcelain or fiberglass—both are porous materials and, like your teeth, can stain easily.
I also suggest using the tea bags that you made the tea bath with as a cold compress upon the burnt area. Once the tea bags have been used allow them to cool. You can even place them in a bowl in the fridge, just remember to leave some of the water in the bag so that they stay moist. Some tea bags are compostable. If they are not, you can always cut them open and use the tea from inside. Loose leaf tea drinkers will be a step ahead because you just need to empty the infuser. So, what can you use all those loose tea leaves for? Remember the garden I mentioned at the beginning of the article? Guess what I fertilize it with?
Since spring and summer tend to be iced tea season, here are my recommendations for my fellow tea drinkers. First, hibiscus tea infused with a fruit flavor makes terrific, sweet tea. I am not a fan of sugar in my tea unless it happens to be hibiscus tea. The tart flavor of hibiscus pairs well with a sweetener such as sugar or honey. I would even go as far as suggesting that you use it to make ice cubes and add them to a glass of regular iced tea or lemonade. It will add a bit of summer flavor to your favorite drink. Second, make a simple syrup infusing it with hibiscus tea and then pair it with a tart fruit flavor like raspberry. To make a simple syrup use equal parts water and sugar. For a nice alternative to canned soda, take a quarter cup of the simple syrup, some of those tea ice cubes, a little bit of lime juice (about half of a fresh squeezed one) and some sparkling water. Good luck staying cool this summer and remember your tea is good for more than just a refreshing beverage!
Peggy A. Alaniz is a tea enthusiast and former employee of Celestial Seasonings Tea in Boulder, Colorado.
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There is nothing better than reading an enjoyable book while sitting outside soaking up the sun. I delight in sitting on the back patio overlooking the lake, listening to the boats go by, and hearing kids laugh as they tube across the water. It is also a fun time to drink a glass of iced tea which can help keep you hydrated in the warm weather.