Season of Tea

Most people know chrysanthemums as the colorful, fluffy flowers that mark the transition from summer into fall. These flowers are more than pretty, and ancient traditions have used them in tea for their medicinal properties, including helping suppress a cough and clearing your skin!

 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, chrysanthemums have pungent, sweet, bitter, and slightly cold properties and are associated with the liver and lung meridians. (Whenever we deal with the liver, we are dealing with our skin and hair!)

Chrysanthemum’s Actions:

• Pacify the liver
• Release toxins
• Dispel wind and clear heat

“Wind” is associated with common cold ailments, like stuffy nose and cough, while heat is associated with a variety of ailments that can show up as anything from dry mouth to breakouts, to even a reddish complexion. Overall, chrysanthemum tea provides balance and harmony to our bodies as we move from warmer months to cooler months.

If you need a reason this fall to cozy up to a warm cup of tea, chrysanthemum tea can help you with these:

• Feelings of stress and anxiety
• Breakouts and redness in skin
• Improve a sluggish metabolism
• Assist in reducing high blood pressure

What’s great about this tea is you can get it straight from the garden (we recommend) or you can purchase it dried. If dried, make sure to look out for closed buds, as that signifies fresher buds. However, if you are using fresh flower buds, it’s safe and customary to use them raw. Steps to Chrysanthemum Tea: Take 3-5 fresh buds or 2-3 tablespoons of dried buds in a large mug or teapot. Boil water. Pour boiling water over flower buds and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Sip, and enjoy! Add goji berries for sweetness, as well as more skin clearing benefits!