Many people have heard of expensive and often painful wrinkle-reducing treatments such as Botox, dermal fillers, dermabrasion, and chemical peels. But there’s a way to reduce the appearance of deep facial wrinkles in a way that’s easy, inexpensive and painless. It is a simple tea made of anise, a spice that’s easily found in many supermarkets and can even be grown in a pot on the windowsill.
What Is Anise?
Anise is an herb that’s native to the Mediterranean and is now grown in warm climates all over the world. It’s an annual, which means it lives for a season then dies after putting forth seeds. The plant grows to about 2.5 feet tall and is covered with fine hairs. The leaves are feathery, and both the leaves and the seeds have a distinct, sweet, licorice-like flavor. All parts of the plant can be used, including the oil and the roots.
The herb is not only used medicinally but in foods, where the fresh leaves are added to stews, sauces, salads, meats, and soups. Anise seed is also used in baking, liqueurs, and condiments. Vermouth, ouzo, and anisette are spirits that are famously flavored with anise seed. Anise is also used to flavor candies and cookies.
The most important compound in anise is anethole, which has estrogen-like effects and is used to treat reproductive problems in both men and women. These effects are most likely what allows the anise tea to smooth away facial wrinkles. Anethole also has antimicrobial, antifungal and insecticidal properties. This also supports the health of the skin.
Anise is easy to grow from seed, and the blooms appear in about two and a half months.
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How to Make Anise Seed Tea
Making tea is very easy. For medicinal strength tea, use one small tea ball packed with anise seeds, three cups of water and a teapot made of glass, earthenware or ceramic. Metal teapots should be avoided. Though tap water is acceptable, herbalists claim that distilled or pure spring water increases the strength of the tea.
Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat, add the tea ball full of anise seeds and steep for about 10 to 15 minutes. The teapot should be tightly covered so the volatile oils don’t escape.
Let the tea cool, then strain it into a glass jar or other container. The tea can also be drunk while it’s still hot. The hot water releases the volatile oils in the anise seed, including the anethole. Hot herbal tea loosens toxins and makes them available to be flushed out of the body. Anethole also promotes the function of the liver, which is the organ responsible for removing toxins. Anethole treats the symptoms of stress and inflammation in the skin, which can lead to the dryness and loss of elasticity that can lead to wrinkles.
The tea should be used to wash the face in the mornings, with special attention paid to fine lines and facial wrinkles. The user should see the wrinkles decline over some weeks and leave the skin smooth and supple.
This simple, inexpensive way to banish wrinkles should be part of the daily routine of every woman and man.
