Summer is just around the corner, which means lots of outdoor fun, including barbecues, pool parties, and time spent in the canyons or at the lake. Unfortunately, annoying bugs and insects are part of the picture. What if I told you that drinking a special type of tea could make you inhospitable to mosquitoes, ticks, and other flying creatures you’d rather not deal with while enjoying the great outdoors? Make yourself naturally repellent to pests by brewing up a batch of cistus tea.
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What Is Cistus Tea?
Cistus Incanus, also called Mediterranean rock rose, hails from Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy. It also grows in Greece and Turkey. Cistus is an evergreen shrub that is bursting with gorgeous purplish-pink flowers against greenish/gray leaves. The tea is popular in Europe, but is only recently gaining notoriety here in the United States.
It’s a great alternative to caffeinated teas, has a mellow, pleasant flavor, and is safe for pets to ingest. The tea is used as an affordable and simple remedy to treat a host of chronic illnesses. Studies have shown it to be effective against some of the worst retroviruses, including HIV, Ebola, influenza, and borrelia. It’s also used to treat persistent bacterial infections and mold.
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How Does Cistus Tea Repel Insects?
Cistus tea, which can be used as an all-natural insect repellent, is loaded with bioactive compounds, including bioflavonoids, polyphenols, catechins, rutin, proanthocyanadins, and gallic acid. Because it grows in the dry, arid, harsh climate of the Mediterranean, the plant protects itself by increasing its levels of polyphenols, powerful constituents that fight oxidative stress, and free-radical damage.
Polyphenols are naturally-occurring phytochemicals that act as antioxidants to improve health by impacting gene expression and favorably influencing the microbiome and immune system. Aside from protecting you from annoying insects, the tea also reduces inflammation, breaks down viruses and biofilms, and stimulates detoxification.
Cistus tea is a powerful non-toxic remedy for urinary tract infections, PCOS, and leaky gut, along with being a potent remedy for treating Lyme disease, which is renown for being difficult to treat. This multi-tasking tea is beneficial on so many levels, and it certainly beats using synthetic repellents, such as DEET, that are full of toxic chemicals that go directly into the bloodstream when applied to the skin.
Cistus tea contains components that insects find irritating in terms of how it smells. And since they’re sensitive to the smell, (humans don’t detect the odor) they’ll steer clear of YOU. This will protect you, not only from irritating mosquitoes, but from potential tick bites and the diseases they cause, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and even tick-borne encephalitis.
Cistus Tea Whitens Teeth
Cistus tea is able to break down biofilms, which are colonies of slimy micro-organisms that encase themselves in a protective covering or shell.
This outer encasement protects the organisms, which is one reason infections can be difficult to treat. This is why biofilm busters are often used before a treatment protocol is initiated.
Biofilms can form on the teeth as dental plaque, which causes yellowing. Follow the instructions below to use cistus tea to restore your teeth back to their original whiteness:
- Take a couple of sips of tea, swishing it back and forth for a minute or so to begin breaking down biofilms that have formed on your teeth
OR
- Using a dropper, place a few drops of the tea on your toothbrush, and brush for a minute to gently break down plaque
Repeat this process until all plaque is broken down, and your teeth are brilliantly white again. Use the tea once a week to maintain whiteness.
How To Make Cistus Tea
Traditionally, the tea is brewed three times. If you want to circumvent having to brew it multiple times, simply follow the recipe below.
Directions:
- Boil 1 liter of filtered water (water temperature should be between 170 -190 degrees Fahrenheit). Pour water into a 1-liter glass jar.
- Add 1 tablespoon of cistus tea to a tea bag and fold over two or three times. Add tea bag to water.
- Steep for at least 35 minutes – make sure the lid is kept on the brew to preserve the volatile oils from escaping
- Drink two cups of tea a day – for a minimum of 7 days – to make yourself insect-repellant. Add a little lemon, whole leaf stevia, or honey to the tea if you prefer a splash of sweetness.
- Store the tea in the fridge. You can heat it up and drink it warm or enjoy it as an iced-tea beverage.
To provide additional protection, you can pour the tea into a spray bottle and spray it directly onto your skin or clothing. Alternatively, you can also spray it directly into the air around you if you’re actively being attacked. If you’ll be using the tea in this way, use less water during preparation so the concoction is stronger.
Cistus tea is safe to give to pets. Providing protection to your pets indirectly protects you and your family. As we all know, animals often bring unwanted guests into the house, which exposes the entire family to whatever they bring in. To protect cats and dogs from ticks and other insects, you can mix a little tea in with their water or crush the tea into a fine powder and sprinkle it on their food. Approximately 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds of body weight should do the trick.
Cistus tea is also available in capsules.
Key Points
Cistus tea is definitely a multi-tasking, medicinal tea, that will not only repel all those nasty insects that can ruin your outdoor fun this summer, but will also strengthen immunity, break down biofilms, quell inflammation, and promote detoxification.
The tea is retroviral, meaning it contains numerous antiviral compounds that prevent viruses from attaching to the surfaces of cells. This is of particular importance during this time when we’ve lost so many people to COVID-19. Don’t wait to brew up a batch of this magical potion to protect yourself and your family.
Have you heard of Cistus tea? Let me know in the comments:)
References:
(1) Medical News Today: Why are polyphenols good for you?
(2) NCBI: Potent in vitro antiviral activity of Cistus incanus extract against HIV and Filoviruses targets viral envelope proteins
(3) NCBI: Cistus incanus from Stradja Mountain as a Source of Bioactive Antioxidants
(4) PubMed: Antioxidant and Cancer Chemopreventive Activities Of Cistus And Pomegranate Polyphenols
(5) Cleveland Clinic: Is DEET Bad for You (and Your Kids)?
(6) Klinghardt Institute: Sardinian Cistus Incanus: A simple treatment of many – if not most – chronic illnesses?
Never heard of cistus tea before. This is my first time hearing the word, but I have to tell you that it sounds awesome – a very wonderful tea indeed. The fact that it also whitens teeth and helps to repel bugs is amazing. I will get this tea and make it one of my preferred beverages. Gracias.
Many people haven’t heard of Cistus tea. It’s definitely more popular in Europe that it is here in the states. It’s an incredible tea with so many beneficial properties, two of which are whitening teeth and repelling insects. Do give it a try. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you so much reading and commenting:)
Hi Holly,
I am SO glad I came across your article. I had absolutely no idea what Cistus tea is, but I will definitely find out, and get myself some of that!
Awesome! I’ve learnt so much about certain health issues from your article. Having been in natural health products a while back, I do prefer products that are non-toxic.
A lot of insightful articles on your web site, which I’m definitely bookmarking for future reference.
Thank you!
Hi Andre,
Thanks so much for reading my article on cistus tea. It’s really a great product that treats a variety of conditions, not to mention being a great bug-repellant and teeth whitener. I’m like you and prefer non-toxic products, as well. I appreciate you bookmarking my site and for leaving a comment:)
I had no idea that cistus tea could repel ticks, and this is the first time that I have even heard of cistus tea. The plant itself is so pretty. I love this tea already, I will drink it all day just to repel all the bugs since I love outdoor activities but boy do I hate bugs. I am so happy that I no longer have to carry the mosquito repellents around me anymore. They are so toxic for you and I can taste it on the tip of my tongue every time I spray it.
So it takes 7 days for it to work? Will the repellent effect last all day? I would definitely get it from your link 🙂
Yes, isn’t that crazy that a tea can repel insects? There’s something about the smell that bugs don’t like. Mosquitos and other pests can definitely ruin outdoor festivities so do give the tea a try. It’s inexpensive, easy to make, and it works. Also, try it on your teeth to break down the plaque. It’s one of the best whitening remedies out there.
Yes, it should take about a week to work and last for the duration of the time that you’re outdoors. Thanks so much for reading my article and for taking the time to comment:)
This is a very interesting and informative post. It is amazing what Cistus Tea can do for you. I stumbled upon your post while looking to buy tea for the immune system. I think I got more than what I bargained for! Can we drink this tea cold, like make it an ice tea? Is there a certain dose a day that you can drink, like no more than once a day?
Hi Carole,
Thank you. I’m happy you stumbled upon my post. Cistus tea is amazing for building up immunity and fighting infections. You can most definitely drink the tea cold. I should have mentioned that in my article. I keep the tea in my fridge and most of the time I drink it cold.
Two cups a days is a good amount of tea for making yourself inhospitable to bugs. If you’re treating conditions, such as viruses or Lyme disease, you’ll want to aim for six cups per day. Thanks for you comment:)
Hello there, thank you so much for this very informative post on Cistus tea, the review on this tea is really mind blowing seeing that it has so much functionality in the human body like boosting the immune system, and also whitening the teeth and repelling insects. Thank you for sharing this – I can see that it’s really worth purchasing.
Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment. Yep, cistus tea is beneficial on so many levels. It’s worth it’s price in gold. Grab some to take advantage of all it has to offer:)
Heloooo, thanks for sharing this amazing article on how to use cistus tea to repel ticks. I can see that it is really special with a lot of great features and attributes, I love it because it will also strengthen immunity, break down biofilms, quell inflammation, and promote detoxification. In this time of pandemic, cistus tea is going to be so so advantageous. Thanks!
Thank you for reading. Yes, the tea is pretty awesome because it does so many different things. It’s great for the immune system and incredible for breaking down biofilm. That’s what makes it so effective for whitening teeth because it removes plaque. And because it’s retroviral, it’s a great tool to have in your arsenal to combat viruses, including the coronavirus.
Thank you very much for this article! Before I came across it, I didn’t have any idea whatsoever about what cistus tea is or its importance. But now, I have discovered the many benefits of this little-known tea. Sounds like I should be taking it frequently now, thank you…
I will use it this summer so that insects don’t bother me. I also like that it can whiten teeth, which I need. Thanks again!
Thanks for reading. You’re not alone, many people haven’t heard of cistus tea, which is a shame because it’s therapeutic for a broad range of conditions and diseases. Do brew up a batch. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.