Roselle Flower For Beauty
The Roselle flower has gained popularity in recent years due to the boom in bubble tea and some brands incorporate Roselle tea and even Roselle bubbles in their menu. Did you know that the Roselle flower has already been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine? It is commonly used to treat hypertension and high cholesterol and for clearing excess heat and slimming.
Roselle is commonly served as a beverage or made in jams. It’s also used for food colouring. It comes from the hibiscus family of flowers and is bright red and sour in nature. It is a rich source of Vitamin A & C, calcium, iron, niacin and riboflavin. It is packed with anti-oxidants and anthocyanins which act as free radical scavengers and inhibit inflammation and lipid peroxidation. Roselle has been quite well researched to show effects in anti-inflammatory conditions, lowers blood sugar, lowers blood pressure, reverses effects of alcohol, and has even been shown in some studies to be anti-cancer as well. It not only lowers the ‘bad’ cholesterol and triglyceride levels, it also boosts the level of ‘good’ cholesterol.
In TCM, Roselle is considered cooling in nature and sour in taste. It enters the kidney meridians and its main actions are clearing excess heat, improving digestion, replenishing fluids and quenching thirst. It does these by working on the kidney, whose key role is to store the essence (Jing) and controls the fluid production and metabolism in the body.
Is the Roselle Flower good for beauty?
In traditional beauty recipes, Roselle is commonly used to promote beautiful skin, as it prevents pigmentation on the face and lightens and brightens overall complexion. Free radicals cause premature aging and with its superior efficacy in scavenging free-radicals and anti-inflammatory effects, Roselle is great for anti-aging and preserving our beauty. In addition, due to its effects on lipid metabolism and improving digestion and by improving the fluid metabolism in our body, it is great to use for slimming, helping us to achieve our ideal figure. With its high vitamin content, it’s great for soothing fever, colds and coughs too.
Due to its cold & sour nature, it is not suitable for those who are pregnant or those with weak stomach or spleen. It should not be consumed during menstrual period. It’s best to consume it after food.
It is very simple to use the Roselle, it can be used in tea, jam, jelly, cakes, sauces or even cocktails. Below are 2 simple recipes to incorporate Roselle into your diet.
You can also check out our new Serenity Floral Tea- The Classic Beauté Tea to beautiful radiant skin. The unique blend of flowers works on all 4 organs to help in regulating Qi and preventing Qi stagnation. It is packed with anti-oxidants, anthocyanins and vitamins A & C to fight aging.
Roselle drink (serves 1-2)
Ingredients
- Dried Roselle Flowers 10pcs
- Honey or Rock Sugar to taste (optional)
- Lime/Lemon slices to taste (optional)
Method
- Rinse the roselle flowers and add them to a pot of boiling water (500ml). Boil for 5 mins and turn off the heat. Let it steep for another 10mins.
- Add sugar or honey to taste when cool.
- Optional : Add some lime/lemon slices when serving.
- Can be served chilled or iced or warm.
Rose buds can be used to replace the lemon/lime.
Roselle Konnyaku Jelly (24 jellies)
Ingredients
- Dried Roselle Flowers 20-30pcs
- Dried Orange peel 10g
- Konnyaku Jelly Powder 10g (Redman brand)
- 1/8 teaspoon of Citric acid
- Water 1000ml
- Rock sugar to taste
- Cut fruits (optional)
Method
- Rinse the roselle flowers dried orange peel and add them to a pot of boiling water (1000ml). Boil for 10 mins and turn off the heat. Let it steep for another 10mins. Strain out the liquid.
- Mix the Konnyaku powder with the sugar and add it to 950ml of the liquid. Bring to boil.
- Stir for 5mins till all bubbles disappear.
- Add 1/8 teaspoon of Citric acid and stir well.
- Pour into jelly moulds, cut fruits can be added to the jelly.
- Chill in fridge to set the jelly for 3 hours before serving.
