A Teatox Is a Real Thing and It Saved My Skin

Full disclosure: I'm a total diet-phobe. Leafy greens? Sure, I eat them—but if you're telling me I can't have my fat and sugar, too, I will laugh in your face. I am, however, forever on a quest to drink more H20. (Yes, I'm that person who never gets enough liquids.) That, coupled with my unabashed fascination by everything Kardashian-Jenner has led me to a teatox. Yes, you read that right. A detox by way of tea.

Kendall Jenner piqued my interest back in September when she confessed that she swears by detoxifying her body with tea, especially during fashion month."I usually start my day off with a cup of detox tea," Jenner told E!. "I have like 12 cups a day."

While cutting a trim figure or achieving mile-long limbs like Jenner would be lovely, I didn't have my heart on losing weight. (Though, let's be honest, a couple of pounds shed would be a nice bonus.) I just wanted to try to get rid of some of toxins, and help my body get back to its happy place—particularly my skin. But I knew one thing: I wanted to do a teatox my way, which simply meant tripling my daily intake of tea.

For seven days, I changed nothing about my diet or lifestyle, except for the fact that I spent my days drinking as much tea as possibly could. I stuck to three types: Bigelow Green Tea, Yogi DeTox Tea, and Stash Double Spice Chai Black Tea (Decaf).

In the morning, I drank two cups of DeTox tea, then another cup of green tea on the way to work. Throughout the work day, I alternated between 4-5 cups of green and spicy chai tea. Before bed, I'd have two cups of chai tea specifically because it's caffeine free. On average, I was drinking 9-10 cups of tea a day.

The results? Besides the excessive trips to the bathroom that were pretty annoying, no lie, overall I found myself totally loving my decision. In a matter of a week, my skin was noticeably clearer and softer, my lips were less chapped, and I never felt dehydrated—something that before was a BIG problem.

In addition to the outside benefits, there was something totally calming about constantly having a cup of hot (or iced) tea at arm's length practically at all times. Plus, each time I got up to brew a new cup, I felt like I had a moment to stop and decompress. (Even if just for a minute or two.)

While I don't plan to drink tea in quite the same volume going forward, I'm aiming for 4-5 cups daily to keep things fluid. If you're interested in giving it a go yourself, there are fancy teatox diet programs you can follow, but I recommend just winging it with your own regimen. That way it's juuust your cup of tea.

You should also check out:

A 24-Hour Drink Menu for the Prettiest Skin of Your Life

The 8 Worst Things You Can Do to Your Skin

Forget a Facialist: All You Need for Flawless Skin Are These 8 Foods

10 Ways to Wake Up Prettier Than You Went to Sleep