New Product Friday: Teaonic
New Product Friday: Teaonic
"I Love My Skin" Glow
Teas are known to be a healthy drink due to their high antioxidant content. And tea brands like Snapple or Honest Tea are staples. But what would happen if functional ingredients were added? These new teas would be able to deliver new benefits ideally customized to a specific condition. Enter: Teaonic. Teaonic created several different types of “wellness” teas that support liver, skin, gut, and overall body health; and one to combat stress. Here, we will be looking at the “I Love My Skin” tea to see how effective it would be for overall skin health.
Water: Self Explanatory
Organic Hibiscus Flower: Hibiscus flower is known to be high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, both of which help the immune system and reverse oxidative damage (oxidative damage is responsible for the effects of aging). Please note that this beverage does not claim any amount of Vitamin C.
Organic Burdock Root: Burdock root is high in antioxidants. A study has shown that burdock root removes toxins and helps improve circulation to the skin, enabling the skin to heal properly. Although burdock root has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for years, there is not a lot of scientific data behind it. Currently, there is no effective dosage recommended.
Organic Rooibos Leaf: Rooibos is high in antioxidants. Unfortunately, studies have shown that there is a low absorption rate of the antioxidants in rooibos. Studies have shown that it does reduce oxidative damage, but to a minor degree (and only for a certain amount of time).
Organic Dandelion Root: Dandelion (root and leaf) is high in antioxidants. Animal based studies have shown that dandelion aids in digestion, liver detoxification, and boosts immune health. Several studies have shown that topical use of dandelion leaf prevents skin damage, but no studies show that oral ingestion is just as effective. There are little to no human studies on dandelion (leaf or root). There are no studies that differentiate between the efficacy of the root versus the leaf.
Organic Lemongrass: Lemongrass is high in antioxidants. Animal-based studies have shown that it aids in digestion, weight management, and is a diuretic. There are very few human-based studies on lemongrass to suggest an effective dosage.
Organic Nettle Root: Nettle (root and leaf) is high in antioxidants. The most robust studies show that nettle lowers inflammation in the body and decreases allergies and nasal congestion. There are no studies that differentiate between the efficacy of the root versus the leaf. Also, there are no studies that show a positive effect on skin health (other than antioxidant content).
Organic Dandelion Leaf: See explanation for Dandelion Root.
Organic Nettle Leaf: See explanation for Nettle Root.
Final Evaluation
Ingredient Quality: A. This product is Certified Organic, non-GMO, and made with all natural, plant-based materials.
Ingredient Clarity: A. All ingredients are functional and provide high amounts of antioxidants, which are critical for healthy skin care. There are no ingredients added in here that are not functional.
Functional Benefit: B+. To improve skin health, it is essential to consume high antioxidant ingredients (to counteract the effects of stress, the sun, and the environment) and drink plenty of water. All ingredients here are high in antioxidants. However, there are no studies that show a difference between dandelion leaf and root or nettle root and leaf. Additionally, all these ingredients have little to no human studies for oral ingestion that prove that they are effective for healthy skin (other than the high number of antioxidants). And they do not have any effective dosage established to promote healthy skin.
Nutritional Value: A. At zero calories, this certainly is a low-calorie tea that provides a high amount of antioxidants (although the amount is unknown).
Overall Score: A-. All the ingredients in this product are functional and are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential in fighting off signs of aging and inflammation both in the skin and throughout the body. Additionally, all ingredients are organic and plant-based. However, these ingredients (except for burdock root) do not have any human-based studies that support skin health and healing, let alone any clinically studied dosage amount. There is no indication on the label or the website about the amount of each functional ingredient or what type of antioxidant power they provide (typically stated as an “ORAC” value). At $4/bottle this is on the pricier side, especially since it would need to be consumed consistently over a few weeks (or more) to notice any results.
Do you typically drink ready to drink tea? If so, would you buy this product?
This product was evaluated purely based upon the perspective of a food scientist. The writer’s opinions are purely her own without influence or affiliation with the brand.