I’ve never been a coffee drinker. Tea has always been my morning drink of choice. Earl Grey to be exact. But it wasn’t until I spent two years in London that I really discovered the magic of what a properly steeped cup can do. Not only is it a liquid pacifier –calming nerves and warming cold limbs –but it’s a social gatherer too. And, as it turns out, it also protects your skin. Black tea, akin to its more vibrantly coloured cousins, green and red, is rife with antioxidants. According to The International Journal of Cosmetic Science, the protective qualities of black tea are actually twofold: it prevents skin damage and sunburn by absorbing UV rays and additionally repairs UV induced damage to the skin cells (this is where its potent antioxidant components come in to play). Rigorous trials on its sun absorbing qualities have yet to be conducted but it seems that Mr. Earl Grey may be a shoe-in as an alternative to conventional sunscreens, which simply block UV rays by absorption (and, which new research has informed us of, actually creates free radicals instead of destroying them). Regardless, these tea-infused formulas are sure to work their antioxidant-magic on any time and sun-ravaged complexion.