Is Rooibos Tea Good for Your Skin?

Partly: rooibos tea can support normal skin hydration if it helps you meet your fluid needs, but its antioxidants have not been proven to clear skin. Plain rooibos tea is a caffeine-free way to add fluid to your day.

Can rooibos tea help your skin?

Rooibos tea may be a helpful part of a routine that supports general hydration, especially if you would otherwise drink too little. It is not an established treatment for acne, dryness, wrinkles or other skin concerns.

The distinction matters: being adequately hydrated supports normal body functions, including those of the skin, but drinking extra tea when you already get enough fluid has not been shown to make skin clear. There is also no proven amount or timetable for a skin benefit from rooibos tea.

If you are comparing everyday options, read more about the best drinks for clear skin. Drinks can complement skin care, but they do not replace treatment for a persistent skin condition.

How might rooibos tea affect skin?

Rooibos contains plant compounds called polyphenols, including aspalathin and nothofagin. These compounds can act as antioxidants in laboratory settings, where they interact with processes involved in oxidative stress.

That provides a reason to study rooibos, not proof that a brewed cup delivers enough of those compounds to change skin. The amount in tea can vary with the rooibos used and how it is prepared; laboratory extracts and isolated compounds are not the same as a drink.

Hydration is the more practical reason to enjoy rooibos tea. If you are dehydrated, getting enough fluid helps your body return to normal function. It does not follow that drinking beyond your needs will erase blemishes or moisturize the skin as a topical product can.

Rooibos tea also does not need to “detox” your skin: the liver and kidneys do most of the body’s detoxification, while the lungs and gut help eliminate waste.

What does the evidence say?

The evidence for rooibos and skin is limited, and the available studies do not establish that drinking rooibos tea improves skin clarity.

In a 2010 clinical trial of anti-wrinkle cosmetics, wrinkle measurements decreased after 28 days of applying a gel containing a mixture of tea and rooibos. Because the product combined ingredients and was applied to the skin, the result cannot establish that rooibos alone caused the change or that drinking it would have the same effect.

A 2021 laboratory study of rooibos compounds found that pretreatment with isolated compounds protected human skin cells from some effects of UVB exposure. Cells in a laboratory are not the same as skin on a person, and the study does not show that rooibos tea prevents sun damage.

Similarly, a 2018 laboratory study of rooibos extracts examined processes involved in wound healing and found effects on oxidative stress and cell death in human skin cells. That is preliminary research, not evidence that drinking rooibos tea heals wounds. None of these findings establishes rooibos tea as an acne treatment.

How can you use rooibos tea?

Enjoy plain rooibos tea as a beverage if you like it, rather than as a prescribed skin remedy. Unsweetened tea lets you choose whether to add any sweetener, and there is no established skin-benefit dose to aim for.

For a simple cold-steeped cup, you will need:

About 2 g (1 teaspoon) loose rooibos tea
240 mL (1 cup) drinking water

Combine the rooibos and water in a clean, covered container.
Refrigerate for 2–4 hours, then strain out the leaves.
Keep the tea refrigerated and drink it within 24 hours for best flavor.

Discard refrigerated tea after 2–3 days, or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Avoid leaving it at room temperature for more than a few hours.

For skin protection, continue using sunscreen and any skin-care treatments recommended by your clinician. Rooibos tea is not a substitute for either.

Who should be careful with rooibos tea?

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your clinician about regular use, especially before taking concentrated rooibos extracts or supplements. Check with a pediatrician before giving rooibos products to a child regularly. Tea blends may contain other ingredients, so read the label as well.

If you take medication or have a medical condition, ask a pharmacist or clinician before using concentrated rooibos products; their safety and potential interactions may differ from those of an ordinary cup of tea. Do not stop prescribed medication in favor of rooibos.

See a clinician for persistent acne, painful or scarring breakouts, or a rash that is spreading or accompanied by fever. Seek emergency care for trouble breathing or swelling of the lips, tongue or throat after consuming a product.