Tea-Licious Skincare
After seven grueling years of physical therapy, Lorraine was miraculously able to stand and walk unaided. However, she still experienced neurological deficit and chronic pain, making it difficult for her to return to her work as a muralist. Still, the desire to create and express her creativity was overwhelming, and focusing on her newfound devotion to self-care, she decided to learn how to make soap. She began by experimenting with natural dyes and fragrant oils to create her first few bars of cold-press soap and was instantly hooked. In just a few short years, what originally began as a hobby blossomed into the now successful Tea-Licious Skincare brand.
Inspired by a strong devotion to Lorraine’s homeland, Tea-Licious products incorporate a cornucopia of natural ingredients, many of which signify the tradition instilled in her by her African upbringing. The lineup of more than 80 tea “flavors” features high-quality, natural butters, herbal teas, and exotic oils, many of which are sourced from Africa. “I carefully select ingredients that are ethically sourced, ensuring they are obtained without harming the environment, while empowering the communities they come from,” shares Lorraine.
She also emphasizes the importance of the various elements she uses in her products by affirming that none of them contain fillers, and every ingredient is uniquely valuable. In particular, using real tea offers a multitude of benefits, including powerful antioxidants to promote skin health, reduce signs of aging, and protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals. Tea-based soaps have natural cleansing properties, and the ground rooibos and black tea leaves in her soaps and scrubs act as a gentle exfoliant to remove dirt, oil, and impurities from skin. Tea leaves can also help detoxify skin by reducing inflammation and promoting healthy cell regeneration.
To explain how she uses tea, Lorraine outlines the arduous process that goes into crafting her signature soap bars. To begin, she infuses tea leaves into a nourishing carrier oil, such as olive oil. The tea leaves steep in the oil for four to six weeks to absorb sufficiently the wonderful scents and health benefits of the chosen tea. The infused oil is then strained and mixed into a selection of luxuriously aromatic and nourishing butters and oils, then combined with clays like bentonite or kaolin, along with activated charcoal and fruit extracts to enhance the cleansing properties of the soap and add enchanting fragrance. Once everything is combined, the mixture is poured into a mold and cold pressed to allow the soap to solidify naturally. The soap then cures for several weeks. Though the process for making each product by hand can be extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive, Lorraine is committed to dedicating as much time and effort as possible to ensure her company delivers high-quality products to customers.
“I am committed to creating goods that not only enhance people’s well-being but also protect our precious environment,” she clarifies. Tea-Licious Skincare packages all their products in biodegradable or reusable containers, and their shipping containers are designed to have no waste, ensuring they are as sustainable as the products themselves.
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Love the focus on tea-based ingredients and how they can calm and nourish the skin naturally. Consistent routines and gentle products really make a difference, especially for sensitive or irritated skin. Along with topical care, options like home phototherapy psoriasis can also support better skin management at home and complement a thoughtful skincare approach.