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Every morning, Emperor Shennong would enjoy a glass of boiled water, believing that heating the drink would bring good health. One day in 2737 B.C on a journey to a distant region of China, the emperor and his army stopped to rest. A servant began boiling his water, but a stray leaf fell from a wild tea bush into the pot. Although the water turned a brownish color, the subject served the drink to the emperor anyway. He drank the concoction, found it very refreshing, and tea came into being.
Thousands of years later, people enjoy drinking tea the world over as a social custom, for pleasure, and its medicinal benefits, from the strong yerba mate in Argentina to spicy chais made in India. If you drink tea often, you probably wind up with a lot of tea bags or leftover leaves after brewing. When you read about the little known uses for used tea, you’ll never throw out your tea bags again!
1. Place Tea on Eyes to Reduce Dark Circles
After brewing your tea, place warm tea bags on each eye to reduce puffiness and dark circles. You can also store the tea bags in the fridge and hold the bags against the skin under-eyes for a few minutes to feel cool and refreshed. The caffeine will help to reduce puffiness and shrink blood cells around the eyes so you look more awake and revived.
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2. Add Tea Leaves to a Face Mask
The next time you brew tea, save the tea bag or leaves to add to a DIY facial treatment. The anti-aging and anti-inflammatory benefits of tea help to cure acne, reverse damage from the sun, and lowers the risk of skin cancer.
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3. Use Tea Leaves to Soothe Sunburn
If you accidentally spend too much time in the sun, you can soothe burns with tea leaves. Boil a pot of black tea then dip a soft rag into the brew before dabbing on the sunburn. Black tea contains tannic acid and theobromine which help remove heat from the sunburn. Meanwhile, the compound catechins found in tea helps repair sun damage and prevents peeling.
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4. Infuse Bath Water with Tea
We’ve already mentioned some of the amazing benefits that tea has for your skin. You can enjoy an all-over skin treatment by placing one or two tea bags in a hot bath. The infused water will make your skin feel soft. Plus, soothing teas like chamomile or jasmine will help you relax.
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5. Steam Pores with Tea
You can create your own at-home facial with just water and tea. Place the tea bag into a bowl of steamy water. Then lean over the bowl for 5-10 minutes to open pores. The antioxidants in the tea will also help tone and hydrate your skin.
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6. Strengthen Hair with Tea
Tea can help hair look shiny and smooth. A study even found that green tea extracts prevent hair loss! Make a strong tea brew and allow it to cool. Before showering, pour the tea into your hair. Let the tea sit for 10 minutes then shampoo and condition hair as you normally would.
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7. Treat Rashes and Bug Bites
Tea bags provide soothing relief from bug bites and rashes. Place cooled tea bags on the area to reduce inflammation and itching.
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8. Soak Tea Bags to Clean Dirty Dishes
You can use tea bags to help dissolve the greasy mess on the bottom of pans after cooking. Place the bag on the pan and add hot water. Then let the pans sit overnight. The tannins in the tea will help dissolve the mess so it’s easier to clean the next day.
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9. Dried Tea Bag to Spark a Campfire
Old tea bags make a great firestarter when camping. Take dried tea bags and dip them in melted candle wax. Arrange the wax-dipped bags on tin foil to harden. Now you have miny firestarters perfect for getting a campfire going.
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10. Tea Bags Provide a Natural Air Freshener
Tea leaves absorb unpleasant odors without adding unnatural scents. Place a dried, used tea bag in the fridge, closet, or even your shoes as a natural air freshener.
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