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Rooibos, or Red Bush in Aficans, is rapidly growing in popularity throughout the world due to it's great taste and the amazing health benefits.  The source of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) is a native of the Western Cape of South Africa.  The needles of this shrub turn red when when fermented, and the brewed needles were first drank by the native Khoi people of the Cape.

The Khoi's magic cup of tea is no longer a secret.  There is currently a boom in the popularity of Rooibos that is spreading around the world.  This naturally caffeine-free cup is most popular in Germany, the UK, the US and Japan with more than 15,000 tons of Rooibos leaves brewed each year.  The health conscious world has made this simple red bush a 23 billion dollar a year industry and still growing.  Where else can you get the antioxidant equivalent and possibly even more so than green tea in a caffeine-free, smooth cup?  

Here are the top 5 benefits of Rooibos:

1)  Rooibos contains quercetin.  A powerful antioxidant that helps prevent heart disease, many forms of cancer and is an anti-inflammatory.

2)  Rooibos contains aspalathin.  A rare antioxidant that reduces stress and helps regulate blood sugar, protecting against diabetes and slows fat production.

3) Rooibos contains nothofagin.  Another rare antioxidant that is an anti-inflammatory that helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

4)  Rooibos is very popular with pregnant women as it is an anti-spasmodic.  Drinking Rooibos while you are pregnant soothes the stomach and lowers stress which is key for proper neurological growth for the fetus.  It is also given to infants with colic to help reduce symptoms.

5) Recent studies in Japan show that drinking Rooibos help reduce the symptoms of many seasonal allergies.

Rooibos has a delicate, sweet taste.  We've found that it blends very well with spices and preserved fruits and we use Rooibos as the base of several of our super popular tea blends such as Gingerbread Chai and Lemon Meringue Pie.

Introducing the first ever tea for dogs, Machu's Blend.  An all-natural, herbal tea blend formulated to keep your best friend healthy, happy and lower the stresses that shorten the lifespan of urban dogs.  We have a Great Dane named Machu Picchu who has become a bit of a mascot here at California Tea House.  Machu spends most of his time laying around on his enormous day bed, soaking up the sun and welcoming guests while we scramble around blending and tasting new teas.

Like all dog lovers, we want only what's best for Machu.  We feed him all-natural, grain-free dog food, he sleeps on an organic mat and we use only herbal, topical treatments to prevent ticks and fleas.  So naturally, when we needed to treat a skin condition that was causing Machu to shed, we sought a healthy, organic alternative to the chemical, traditional treatments that, until now, were the only option.

After consulting with numerous veterinarians, and compiling research on herbal treatments for canines, we put our tea blending skills to work for our canine companion.  Machu's Blend is a once-a-day herbal tea comprised of Chamomile, Ginger Root, Fennel Seed, Skullcap and Calendula that not only promotes healthy skin and coat for your dog, but also lowers stress and aids digestion of dry dog food, easing the stomach and reducing gas.  In addition, Machu's Blend is great for treating dogs that suffer from seizures as well as motion sickness caused by car rides.

Brew up some Tea for your Dog today, and enhance your best friend's quality of life.  Click here to go to Machu's Blend.

 When it comes to relaxation, there is only one thing better than settling down with a hot cup of green tea to calm th nerves... making yourself a green tea facial to relax and rejuvenate your skin.   

Green tea is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to help reduce stress lines and wrinkles on the face, making skin more taught and youthful looking.  If this isn't enough to convince you to slather some green tea on your face immediately, green tea facials have also been proven to help reduce the risk of sun cancer in animal tests!  Are you slicing the cucumbers for your eyes yet?   

If you're looking for a great green tea mask, you can either buy one at the store or attempt to make one yourself!  A DIY project is a fun idea for a Friday or Saturday night in with a book, so here's a recipe to get you started! 

To make the mask: 

• 1 teaspoon of Moroccan Mint green tea, steeped lightly and strained
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons ground green tea

A couple of days ago I had small accident.

We'll just say that I was perhaps a little too tired to be slicing an apple and in addition to a couple of ounces of beautiful, crisp, sweet gala apple slices, I wound up with a beautifully sliced thumb as well. It was almost like a surprise holiday bonus. Almost.

Anyway, since I use my thumbs quite a bit as a primate, writer, student, and assistant office manager, my first reaction after suturing myself up (thank you, Girl Scouts) was to scour the Internet for information on how I could help my injury heal as quickly as possible. 

And lo and behold! Green tea evidently reactivates dying skin cells (source). Because compounds found in green tea help keep skin cells alive, green tea may help to minimize or prevent scarring. That is good news for me, because the length of the tip of one's thumb is an odd place to have a scar.

I also found that chamomile tea, when poured into a bath, may reduce inflammation and thus help increase the speed of healing (source).

Armed with my new knowledge, I soaked in a chamomile bath and prepared a pot of green tea, drinking one cup and soaking several cotton balls in what was left over. I have no similar injury with which to compare the results, but the wound healed quickly and cleanly. Of course I would have gone to a doctor at the first sign of infection or had I suspected for a moment that I needed stitches or medical attention, but it was a relief to be able to use a low-cost herbal remedy in this instance!

Tea lovers, rejoice: you can use tea to give your locks extra luster this winter!

How, you ask? Well, the tannins found in tea can thicken the shaft of the hair, which of course makes hair appear thicker. Although there's no science to back it up, I have also found that my hair appears much smoother following what I call a 'tea rinse.' 

The method couldn't be simpler.

Brew three to four cups of your favorite green, white or black tea. (I have not tried herbal teas so while it's possible they may work as well, I can't vouch for it!)

Cool the tea until it's at least room temperature, if not a little colder.

Shampoo, condition, and rinse hair as usual. Allow hair to dry: it doesn't have to be totally dry, just not dripping wet! 

Pour tea into a large bowl and flip your hair into it, being sure to get the tea all the way to your roots. Gently flip your hair back up and wrap it in a towel; allow it to sit for thirty minutes or so (the longer the better in my experience) and then rinse it out. Rinse with cold water for the shiniest results.

As a bonus, if you're like me and sometimes brew more tea than you can drink, you can always use the leftovers to treat your hair!