Look beyond green tea, black tea and matcha. Butterfly Pea flower is rich in antioxidants, great for overall health, and keeps your skin glowing and your hair healthy. Known in Ayurveda to enhance memory and boost brainpower,Butterfly Pea is also renowned throughout Asia for promoting dark, healthy, thick hair.
You’ll findButterfly Pea all over Thailand. It’s trendy not only for shampoos and beauty products but as a regular drinking tea.
Here’s what you need to know aboutButterfly Pea and its benefits.
cl*toria ternatea(butterfly pea -อัญชัน in Thai),is a plant species native to South East Asia and has been used for medical treatments in folk medicines for centuries. Butterfly pea tea is quite famous for its hue colour, and its earthy flavour said to be a mood enhancerand anti-stress.
Butterfly pea extract is very useful in Skin and Haircare, thanks to a high concentration of naturally occurring polyphenols(Proanthocyanidin or condensed Tannis) andflavonoids, a potent antioxidant.Specifically, proanthocyanidin, which stimulates the natural production ofcollagen and elastin.
Flavonoids are antioxidants that help reducing inflammation, redness, stress and, therefore, skin ageing.
Butterfly pea flower hasanti-glycation properties, a potent ally to slow down skin ageing.(Glycation is a chemical reaction mainly caused by the excess sugar we ingest and oxidative stress, pollution and UV radiation -sugar molecules attach themselves to other molecules such as Collagen and Elastin, causing loss of elasticity, uneven skin tone and ageing).
Recent studies have confirmed that lactic acid fermented Butterfly pea flower has a particularly strong free-radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory ability. It inhibits redness,itching, allergies, and irritation to the skin.
- Antioxidant
- Collagen and Elastin booster
- Anti-inflammatory
- Skin-soothing
- Astringent
Butterfly Peaextract boosts hair growthas it contains a potentbioflavonoid, anthocyanin, which increases blood flow in the scalp, strengthening hair follicles.It is considered one ofnature’s mosteffective ingredient for promoting hair growth and darkening hair naturally.
There are mainly three types of Butterfly Pea extracts used in skincare:
- Dried Power (beautiful purple-blue colour) used for masks
- Glycerin extract (dark brown) used for serums, moisturisers, hair care.
- Fermentation(dark brown)used for serums, moisturisers, hair care.
You can get your dose of antioxidant orally as well:
- Tincture in Alcohol(beautiful purple-blue colour)
- Herbal infusion with hot water (beautiful purple-blue colour)
Butterfly Pea is not oil soluble.
Fun Fact: Butterfly Pea is very PH sensitive. Try adding a slice of lemon to your butterfly tea and the blue colour will turn into ... pink!
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