The world is overflowing with tasty elixirs that not only boost your health but also contribute to glowing skin and luscious locks! From India’s spicy masala chai to Egypt’s golden Helba tea, these 10 delicious drinks are not only about quenching your thirst but also about nurturing your body and enhancing your beauty. So, grab your favorite mug, because we’re about to sip our way to health and beauty!

10 Drinkable DIY Health-Beauty Elixirs

1

Masala Chai (Masala Tea)

A spicy, aromatic Indian tea made with black tea, milk, and a blend of warming spices like cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. It’s not just a drink – it’s a comforting ritual, often shared with friends and family. This spicy, aromatic tea is a powerhouse of antioxidants, thanks to black tea and warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. It boosts digestion, regulates blood sugar, reduces inflammation, and keeps skin radiant with its antioxidant content. Masala chai is a cozy immune booster that’s perfect for chilly days.

Masala Chai Health Benefits

Packed with antioxidants from black tea and spices, masala chai boosts immunity, aids digestion, and helps regulate blood sugar levels. The ginger and cinnamon are especially beneficial for calming an upset stomach and reducing inflammation.

Masala Chai Beauty Benefits

Thanks to its antioxidant-rich ingredients, masala chai promotes youthful skin by combating free radicals. The ginger in the tea also helps increase circulation, giving your skin a healthy, radiant glow.

Masala Chai Most Common Recipe:

Simmer 2 cups of water with 1 tsp grated ginger, 2-3 crushed cardamom pods, 1 stick of cinnamon, and a few cloves. Add 1 cup of milk and 2 tsp of black tea leaves. Boil for 2 minutes, then strain and sweeten with honey or sugar. Enjoy hot!

2

Tulsi (Holy Basil) Tea

Tulsi, or holy basil, is revered in Ayurveda for its powerful medicinal properties. The tea has a refreshing herbal taste with slightly peppery undertones. It is a natural adaptogen that reduces stress and supports respiratory health. It also purifies blood, resulting in clearer skin and increased vitality. Its slightly peppery taste makes it a refreshing choice for holistic wellness.

Holy Basil Tea Health Benefits

It’s known to reduce stress, support the respiratory system, and enhance mental clarity. It’s also packed with adaptogenic properties, helping the body adapt to stress.

Holy Basil Tea Beauty Benefits

Tulsi tea purifies the blood and flushes out toxins, leading to clearer, acne-free skin. Its antioxidants also fight aging signs, keeping the skin youthful and bright.

Holy Basil Tea Most Common Recipe:

Boil 2 cups of water, add 1 tbsp of fresh tulsi leaves (or 1 tsp dried tulsi), and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain, add honey if desired, and enjoy.

3

Green Tea (Matcha and Steep Tea)

Green tea is rich in catechins, a type of antioxidant that promotes weight loss, heart health, and better metabolism. Matcha, a concentrated form, offers even more of these benefits. Both types improve skin elasticity and delay signs of aging.

• Matcha: A finely ground powder of specially grown green tea leaves, matcha has a rich, earthy flavor.
• Steep Tea: Traditional green tea leaves steeped in hot water, offering a milder taste.

Health Benefits

Both types of green tea are rich in EGCG, a powerful antioxidant that boosts metabolism, aids in fat burning, and supports heart health.

Beauty Benefits

Matcha and steep green tea improve skin elasticity, reduce inflammation, and can help with acne. Matcha, being more concentrated, gives an extra dose of beauty-boosting antioxidants.

Most Common Recipe:

• Matcha Green Tea: Whisk 1 tsp of matcha powder with 2 oz of hot water until frothy. Add more hot water or milk to taste.
• Steep Green Tea: Steep 1 tsp of green tea leaves in hot (but not boiling) water for 3-4 minutes. Strain and serve.

4

Sbiten – Russian Hot Honey Drink

An ancient Russian beverage made from honey, spices, and herbs, sbiten is like a cozy hug in a mug, traditionally enjoyed during chilly winters. Infused with spices, herbs, and honey, sbiten is great for immunity, digestion, and blood circulation. The honey’s antibacterial properties promote clear, hydrated skin, while the spices add warmth and vitality.

Sbiten Health Benefits

Loaded with honey’s natural goodness, sbiten is an immune booster, helps soothe sore throats, and fights cold symptoms. It’s also warming and great for improving circulation.

Sbiten Beauty Benefits

Honey keeps skin hydrated and glowing, while the spices like cinnamon and cloves provide antibacterial properties that promote clear skin.

Most Common Recipe:

Simmer 4 cups of water with ½ cup of honey, 1 tsp each of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, and a handful of mint leaves. Stir well and serve hot.

5

Maghrebi Mint Tea (Moroccan Mint Tea)

A refreshing tea from North Africa made with green tea and fresh mint, Maghrebi mint tea is both cooling and invigorating. This blend of green tea and fresh mint aids digestion and soothes the stomach. Its purifying properties lead to clearer, more youthful skin, while its calming effects promote relaxation.

Maghrebi Mint Tea Health Benefits

It aids digestion, soothes stomach issues, and has a calming effect on the body and mind. It’s also a great source of antioxidants.

Maghrebi Mint Tea Beauty Benefits

Mint promotes clearer skin by purifying the blood, while green tea keeps skin firm and youthful.

Maghrebi Mint Tea Most Common Recipe:

Steep 1 tbsp of green tea leaves in hot water for 3 minutes. Add a handful of fresh mint leaves and sweeten with sugar or honey. Let it steep for another minute, then strain and serve hot.

6

Horchata

Being a super-nutritious and delicious, horchata is a drinkable beauty elixir with tiger nuts. Tiger nuts are a tuberous vegetable that have been around for thousands of years. It’s a documented fact that the ancient Egyptians used drinks with tiger nuts for medicinal and culinary purposes as early as 4000 BC. Tiger nuts are very rich in probiotics, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamins C and E, that help protect your skin from dehydration and improve its elasticity, make your hair shiny and your nails beautiful.

In Latin America, horchata is made from soaked rice, milk, cinnamon, and sugar. It’s also popular, where variations may include almonds, tiger nuts, or coconut. This creamy rice-based drink is hydrating and filled with calcium and iron. It’s known for its cooling effect, making it perfect for hot weather. Horchata also strengthens nails and hydrates skin, giving it a plump, soft appearance.

Horchata Health Benefits

Horchata is hydrating and contains essential nutrients like calcium and iron. It’s also cooling, making it perfect for hot days.

Horchata Beauty Benefits

Rich in calcium, horchata supports strong nails and healthy hair. It’s also hydrating, helping to keep your skin soft and plump.

Horchata Most Common Recipe:

Blend 1 cup of rice with 4 cups of water and let it soak for 3 hours. Add 2 cups of milk, 1 tbsp cinnamon, and sugar to taste, then blend again. Strain and serve over ice.

7

Egyptian Helba Tea

Since ancient times, Helba tea is drunk all over Egypt. It’s made from fenugreek seeds, crushed and mixed and brewed in hot water. Helba tea has a nutty, slightly bitter taste. The fenugreek seeds contain many vitamins and minerals such as protein, dietary fiber, healthy fats, folic acid, vitamin A, B, C and D, zinc, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and iron. Sotolon is the biochemical responsible for the distinctive maple syrup smell of fenugreek. All your health and beauty benefits are in a cup of Helba tea.

Helba Health Benefits

Fenugreek is great for digestion, helps balance blood sugar levels, and is rich in iron, which is beneficial for anemia.

Helba Beauty Benefits

Fenugreek is a hair health booster, promoting hair growth and reducing dandruff. It also improves skin hydration, making it look dewy and fresh.

Helba Most Common Recipe:

Boil 1 tbsp of fenugreek seeds in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Strain and add honey or lemon for taste.

8

Banana-Strawberry Milkshake

A classic combo, smoothie made with bananas, strawberries, and milk (or a dairy-free alternative). This milkshake is packed with potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. It offers quick energy, promotes muscle function, and boosts collagen production for youthful skin. It’s both a tasty treat and a beauty booster! It’s sweet, creamy, and loved by all ages.

Health Benefits

Loaded with potassium, vitamin C, and fiber, this milkshake is a quick energy booster. It supports muscle function and is great for a post-workout treat.

Beauty Benefits

Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, which boosts collagen production, while bananas hydrate the skin from within, making it supple.

Most Common Recipe:

Blend 1 banana, 1 cup of strawberries, 1 cup of milk, and a handful of ice. Sweeten with honey or sugar if desired.

9

Kefir

A tangy, fermented raw cow milk, kefir is similar to yogurt but thinner in consistency. Kefir is probiotic-rich and a staple in Eastern European diets. It’s a unique food that Mother Nature created for your health and beauty. Kefir is not only a probiotic powerhouse, but also packed with many essential for your inside out beauty nutrients such as proteins, B vitamins, including B12, biotin, calcium, and folate.

Kefir Health Benefits

It’s excellent for gut health, improving digestion, and boosting immunity. It’s also packed with vitamins and minerals, including B12 and calcium.

Kefir Beauty Benefits

The probiotics in kefir promote clear, glowing skin by balancing gut bacteria, which has a direct effect on skin health.

Kefir Most Common Recipe:

Most probably, what you buy in a supermarket is not kefir, even if they called it kefir. It’s because kefir is extremely difficult to commercialize. Don’t panic! You can do it yourself. It’s easy: buy kefir grains at a grocery or health store or online – they are commonly available nowadays. Add 1 tbsp of kefir grains to 1 liter of 3.5% organic milk. Cover by gauze and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours. Then strain out the kefir grains – the resulting liquid is kefir.

10

Chicken Stock

Made by simmering chicken bones with vegetables, chicken stock is a hearty, savory elixir that’s as comforting as it is nutritious.

Chicken Stock Health Benefits

Rich in collagen, amino acids, and minerals, it supports joint health, boosts immunity, and aids in recovery from illness.

Chicken Stock Beauty Benefits

The collagen in chicken stock promotes plump, firm skin and strengthens nails and hair, making them grow faster and healthier.

Chicken Stock Most Common Recipe:

Simmer chicken bones with onions, carrots, celery, and herbs for 4-6 hours. Strain and season to taste.

*****

From spicy and savory to sweet and creamy, these 10 drinkable elixirs are not only delicious but also filled with benefits that promote both inner health and outer beauty. So, which one will you try first? Whatever your choice, your body (and your skin) will thank you!