Use the leftovers in your tea pot for a skin-brightening, pore-tightening, redness-calming mask.

Rich in antioxidants, green tea extracts are often used in skincare products.

So why not just slather on the real stuff?

What you need: just leftover tea and cotton pads.

Of course, the better quality the tea, the better the results.

I use Singapore’s TWG Geisha Blossom Tea. The wonderful aroma calms the senses too.

After you’re done with drinking your green tea, steep the loose tea leaves in hot water and wait for about 30 minutes to ensure that you get a rich tea.

Soak a cotton pad into the tea then squeeze out the excess; make sure it is thoroughly wet but not dripping.

Spread out the cotton pad and lay it on your face.

Repeat until the entire face is covered with tea-soaked pads. Make sure tea does not drip into your eyes or they will sting.

If the pads start to feel dry, soak up another pad, ball it up and use it to dampen the other pads on the face.

Relax.

If you feel a tingling sensation on the skin, remove the pads.

Or wait 15 to 20 mins.

Afterwards, pat the remaining tea into the skin like a serum or lotion.

Then use your regular serum and moisturiser.

Do this at night as it can be a little time consuming. And it’s nice to relax and soak in the scent of the tea as a pre-bedtime treat.

Alternatively, you can make ice green tea cubes. Then rub them all over your face in the morning to cleanse it instead of using your regular cleanser.
The cool cubes will tighten skin too.

My face always looks clearer and the pores finer after I’ve used green tea all over my face.

I’m sure red rooibos tea would work wonderfully on the skin too.

Images from The Secret Tea Society and Cobble Hill Puzzles.