I love tea and I often drink herbal teas for their holistic uses and how many different kinds there are. Chamomile helps sleep, lavender eases stress, eucalyptus opens clogged sinuses, raspberry tea can help ease period pain, and there are still many more with practical uses just like these. Those who drink herbal tea often know multiple uses for teas and will get the most they can out of the brew itself, but the teabag which has just as many uses is often thrown away. Today I will tell you tea lovers out there about five ways you can "teacycle" (reuse your teabags) to get the most you can out of the drink and the bag afterward.

1. Use the Leaves for Plant Food

Think of used tea leaves as an open-air aged cheese (bear with me). When a cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano is aged in the open air, the protein content in that cheese crystallizes from rising closer to the surface and forms a kind of salty layer on and within the cheese. The fermentation aided in making the protein that was already there more prominent. Similarly, when tea is brewed and has been sitting in a scalding hot mug for a good while, the fiber, minerals, and antioxidants within the leaves have been brought to the surface as they were heated and opened up to steep your drink, but they have not been fully expelled yet. This makes them an amazing food for your houseplants. By simply cutting a teabag open and scattering the grounds on the dirt in the pot, the plant's photosynthesis instincts will be kicked in because of the energy it takes to break down the leaves so it will grow and eat at the same time which reinforces the plant's new growth.

2. Chew On the Leaves to Promote Gum Health

A way to expel the final bit of what the leaves have to offer is to chew on the teabag for a minute or two. Green tea is recommended for its mild taste and the fact that it already promotes oral health. Only chew on the leaves, do not swallow. Chew on the bag for no longer than 2 minutes because it is still strong to your teeth.

3. Condition Your Hair

Tea can be used as a natural hair rinse that will get rid of build-up on your hair and promote growth. Take 2-4 tea bags (depending on your hair thickness) and heat a pot of water until it boils, then take it off the heat and put the tea bags in, and let the water steep over night. You can pour this over your hair after shampooing and leave it in for 20-30 minutes before rinsing and conditioning as normal.

4. Take a Skin-Nourishing Bath

Tea bags that are weakened by use are perfect for putting in a hot bath to make your skin smell nice and moisturize it, especially in the winter. You can either taken one teabag and tie it to your faucet to let the water run through it or you can throw multiple bags into the water with you for a spa-like experience that is good for the environment!

5. Use for Added Flavor in Sun-Brewed Tea

One reason I am immensely thankful to have lived in West Virginia is the fact that I grew up on sun tea. Basically, sun-tea is what it sounds like. Instead of letting soon-to-be-sweet-tea sit and steep on a kitchen counter, you put a jug of hot water and tea of your choice out in the sun to steep which will sweeten and enrich the flavor. If you use a tea bag a second time, the flavor will be more subtle and it will season it, in a way. For example, if you want only slightly peachy sweet tea, put around 3 used peach teabags in with your black tea and the fruity taste will not be so overwhelming.

I hope this was helpful and it inspired you to prolong the life of your teabags after you use them!