Does drinking tea make your skin darker?

In most Indian families, a day starts with a cup of morning tea and the end of the day begins with a cup of evening tea. Tea is the most famous beverage consumed by Indians since centuries. 

You might have also spent those golden moments with your family or friends with a cup of tea and biscuits with lots of gossip, didn't you ?

Either it's a short break in the office or a freezing evening, the first preferred snack by Indians is tea with some delicious cookies. Tea is enjoyed as a beverage for refreshment as well as for reducing tiredness.  

Tea stalls could be found in each and every colony of India. Undoubtedly, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, tea is the most popular and most drunk beverage in India.

Does drinking tea turn your skin darker ?

Now, the question arises whether drinking tea darkens one's skin ? Being a tea lover, my skin or my neighbours skin never turned dark even after consuming it for years. My bestie, who is a tea lover, still won the title of girl most beautiful skin on our college's farewell day. 

Drinking tea does not darken one's skin. It's a widespread myth with no rationality. Infact, tea is highly beneficial for skin as it has certain nutrients which are essential for a healthy skin. 

To understand this, let's understand the factors which lead to darkening of the skin.  Skin turns darker when the proportion of 'Melanin' increases in one's skin. Tea does not have any components which increase melanin in the skin. External factors like sunlight, hyperpigmentation, pollution or maybe some disease might be accountable for the darkening of the skin. 

About this myth

You might have also heard it from your granny or neighbours that drinking tea turns the skin darker which made you worry and read this article. The reason behind this myth is that tea contains a component named 'caffeine' which may cause dehydration if it is consumed in excess quantities.

Tea helps in hydrating your body as it is prepared with fluid but excess of anything is bad. Similarly, if you drink an excess amount of tea like 8 to 10 cups in a day (1,930 ml or above), then it's likely to dehydrate your skin.

The dehydrated skin may look dull and lifeless which is mistaken as darkening of skin. Drinking tea on a daily basis won't cause dehydration unless it's consumed in large quantities. 

Benefits of tea on skin 

Drinking tea is highly beneficial for your skin as it contains anti-ageing and inflammation fighting components. Black tea provides healthy hair and skin. Green tea helps in curing acne, irritation and redness on skin and premature ageing.

Tea has several antioxidants which makes it a healthy beverage for one's skin. The benefits of tea are as follows:

Anti-ageing :- Black tea contains antioxidants and polyphenols which reduces the ageing of the skin. It also helps in preventing wrinkles from the skin and makes the skin look younger. It hydrates and provides energy to the skin.

Heals the skin :- Tea consists of rejuvenating components which helps in healing the skin and stimulates the production of collagen. Drinking black tea helps the skin in its process of regenerating itself. 

Prevents Sun damage :- Black tea helps in preventing the skin amage caused by sunlight. Its healing properties helps in strengthening the skin in order to fight against the skin damage caused by the Sun.

Prevents skin infection :- Tea has antioxidant and components like catechin and flavonoids which helps the skin to remain free from skin infections.

Brightens the skin :- As tea contains antioxidant properties, it helps in extracting toxic substances from the skin and reduces the blemishes and hydrates the skin. Black tea also has the property of skin whitening which gives a naturally glowing skin.

Conclusion 

To sum up, drinking tea does not darken the skin but consumption of excess amounts of tea in a day may lead to dehydration. Infact, tea helps in hydrating the skin and reducing tiredness when it's not taken in excess amounts like 8 to 10 cups in a day. 

Tea is highly beneficial for one's skin. There's no doubt that tea is still the most consumed beverage by Indians even after certain myths. 

Now, it's the time to enjoy your cup of tea with your closed ones or maybe strangers and make new memorable memories.