Nature's Most Studied Winter Tea

Weekly DIY

Nature's Most Studied Winter Tea

This week’s DIY is a powerful herbal tea blend featuring three botanicals traditionally enjoyed to support the body's natural defences.
Elderberries and echinacea are two of the best-known herbs studied for seasonal immune support, while rooibos adds a smooth, caffeine-free base rich in unique antioxidants.

20 minutes
Beginner
Concerns
Low Immunity • Feeling Run Down • Daily Resilience
Benefits
Cell Protection • Daily Resilience • Bodily Nourishment
Format
Tea Blend
Shelf life
7 days, refrigerated (best used in first 3 days)

What You'll Need

Echinacea
1½ teaspoons
One of the world's best-known wellness herbs, used to strengthen the body’s natural defences and is widely studied for its potential to support the body at the first signs of a cold.

Elderberries
1 tablespoon
Long traditional use in supporting the body during illness, due to its compounds that protect cells and have been studied for their potential to support immune response and help shorten the duration of some cold and flu symptoms.

Rooibos
3 tablespoons
Rich in protective antioxidants, defending your cells from stress while supporting overall health and resilience.

How to Make

  1. Add the herbs to a pot with 1 litre of room temperature water.
  2. Bring just to the boil then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to steep for another 5 minutes.
  4. Strain into a jug or bottle.

How to Use

Guidance

Drink 1 cup daily during periods of seasonal illness or when you feel you need extra support. Because this blend contains echinacea, it is best enjoyed for shorter periods rather than continuously throughout the year. Rooibos and elderberries can be enjoyed more regularly as part of an everyday wellness routine.
Add honey, lemon, stevia or ginger to taste.

Make It Yours

  • For A Warmer, More Comforting Blend:
    Add 2 teaspoons of fresh or dried ginger for a spicier flavour and an extra boost of gingerols and shogaols, traditionally valued for supporting digestion, throat comfort and winter wellness.
  • For Broader Seasonal Support:
    Add 1 tablespoon rosehips for a brighter, fruitier flavour and a wider variety of antioxidant compounds traditionally associated with vitality and seasonal wellness.
  • For Added Skin And Liver Support:
    Add 1½ teaspoons Burdock Root for a deeper, earthier cup and traditional support for healthy liver function, clearer-looking skin and everyday wellbeing.
  • For A Fruitier Flavour:
    Replace the Rooibos with Forest Berry Tea for a naturally sweeter, more vibrant blend while keeping the Elderberries and Echinacea.

Pro Tips & Storage

  • Can I make one cup at a time?

    Yes! Simply use the following portions with one cup of water:

    • 2 tsp Rooibos
    • 1 tsp Elderberries
    • ½ tsp Echinacea

    You could even place it in our Reusable Teabags

  • Can I turn this tea into a soothing face gel?

    Yes! This antioxidant-rich botanical infusion also makes a beautiful base for a simple hydrating gel.

    For 50 ml cooled tea into a face gel:

    • ¼ tsp Vegetable Glycerine
    • ⅛ tsp Xanthan Gum

    Mix these together first until a smooth slurry forms. Slowly whisk in the cooled tea, then stir in:

    • 10 drops Geogard 221

    Allow the gel to hydrate for 20–30 minutes before transferring it to a clean bottle.

    This gel helps hydrate and comfort the skin while delivering a rich blend of antioxidant plant compounds. It's perfect for skin that feels dry, stressed or exposed to everyday environmental factors, leaving your complexion feeling calmer, healthier and more refreshed.
    NOTE: Even if it's fine to drink as a tea, we recommend doing a patch test before applying to your face - apply a small amount to your inner arm and wait 24 hours.

  • Can I drink this every day?

    This blend is designed as a comforting daily herbal tea. However, echinacea is traditionally enjoyed for shorter periods during the colder months rather than continuously year-round. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have an autoimmune condition or are taking medication, it's always best to speak with your healthcare professional before regularly consuming herbal teas containing echinacea.

  • Can I reuse the herbs for a second cup?

    You can, but the second infusion will be milder as most of the flavour and many of the water-soluble plant compounds are extracted during the first brew. For the fullest flavour and benefits, we recommend using fresh herbs for each cup.

  • Can I drink it hot or cold?

    Both! Enjoy it warm for a comforting winter brew, or chill it in the fridge and serve over ice with a slice of lemon or orange for a refreshing antioxidant-rich iced tea.

  • Can children drink this tea?

    Yes - with one adjustment.
    Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and elderberries have a long history of traditional use, making them a lovely winter tea for the family. Because echinacea is generally recommended for shorter-term use and isn't routinely advised for young children without professional guidance, we suggest leaving it out when preparing tea for little ones.
Echinacea Herb Cut - 50g

Echinacea Herb Cut - 50g

R 85.00
Elderberries - 100g

Elderberries - 100g

R 135.00
Rooibos Tea

Rooibos Tea Leaves Cut - 100g

R 72.25

Aiden van Wyk

Aiden is an eccentric explorer of ideas, endlessly curious and always eager to share his discoveries. His mind is a maze of rabbit holes, each leading to new insights (and occasionally pure chaos). In all honesty - he's a little impulsive, he's easily distracted, delightfully scatterbrained, and unapologetically himself. But through every deep dive and misstep, his mission remains the same:

To make the world a teeny tiny little better, one lesson at a time :)