Women’s health is full of phases and transformations, each one inviting us to understand our bodies better and embrace a new and different kind of wisdom as we age. From the delicate balance of our menstrual cycles to the transformative power of menopause, our bodies are built to embrace change.
As a folk herbalist and tea master with over 30 years of experience crafting teas for women’s health, I’ve witnessed the profound healing that comes from aligning with nature. Our bodies are designed to flow in harmony with the Earth’s cycles, and with the right herbal allies, we can support that flow, finding balance during the changes that life brings.
In my personal and professional journey, I’ve curated a collection of teas and herbs that help ease the discomfort of hormonal transformative changes like menopause while nurturing the body, mind, and spirit.
Let’s explore how these potent herbs can become part of your daily ritual, bringing harmony and grace to these delicate shifts in your body.
What is a Hormone Imbalance? Understanding Its Symptoms
Hormones can have a profound influence on our emotions and well-being. Even the smallest imbalance can ripple through our daily lives, causing us to feel out of balance both inside and out. Estrogen and progesterone have some of the biggest impacts on a woman's health, and, for the most part, they gently guide the intricate rhythms of our moods, reproduction, and metabolism. But when these delicate hormone balances are disturbed, there are many ways our body can tell us, including:
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Mood swings
- Sleep issues
- Weight loss or gain
- Low energy levels
- Anxiety and depression
While hormonal imbalances affect each woman differently, certain herbs and teas can provide gentle, natural support, helping you navigate these phases with greater ease.
The Best Hormone Balance Tea Blends
I've chosen the following hormone-balancing teas to help support women's health through the changes life (and your body) brings.
1. Red Clover Tea: Cooling Relief for Hot Flashes
With its light, floral taste, red clover has long been a trusted herb for women’s health, especially when it comes to menopausal symptoms. This beautiful plant contains phytoestrogens — natural compounds that mimic estrogen in the body, which can be helpful during menopause. Research has shown that this special tea can help soothe menopausal symptoms.
One study found that hot flashes decreased by 73% within three months after taking herb supplements containing red clover. That’s right – if hot flashes and night sweats are making sleep elusive, red clover’s cooling, balancing energy can offer sweet relief.
In addition to its ability to alleviate menopausal symptoms, red clover also supports bone health — an essential consideration as women move through menopause and beyond.
2. Chamomile Tea: For Restless Nights
Chamomile is one of those gentle, nurturing herbs that never fails to comfort and soothe anxious thoughts, relaxing your mind, body, and spirit. If insomnia or restlessness is keeping you up at night, a cup of chamomile before bed can help ease you into a deep, restful sleep, acting as a friend that’s here to say, “Relax, you’re safe with me.”
Poor quality sleep can upset the body, raising stress hormones and unsettling the delicate balance of estrogen and progesterone – both of which are essential for supporting women's health.
But this herbal tea is not only here to soothe – it also possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may ease symptoms of hormonal imbalances such as irritability and anxiety and even restore harmony to your menstrual cycle.
3. Ashwagandha: A Restorative for the Nervous System
Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic powerhouse known for its ability to reduce stress, balance hormones, and support the nervous system. During menopause, when mood swings and anxiety can feel overwhelming, ashwagandha steps in to calm the mind and uplift the spirit.
Its adaptogenic properties also help regulate cortisol levels, which is essential for managing stress, fatigue, and even weight gain during menopause.
With a long history in women’s health, ashwagandha is a staple in many Magic Hour blends, such as our intoxicating Queen of the South tea, incorporating flavors such as chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee, our Aquamarine Dream, and Mantra Mint. It offers gentle yet profound support for those navigating life’s transitions.
4. Green Tea: For the Fight Against Inflammation
Green tea has long been celebrated by many different cultures as a magic elixir for good health. Rich in antioxidants such as catechins, this tea works its magic to reduce inflammation and support your body’s metabolism.
According to research carried out in journals such as Diabetes Metab J, sipping on a cup of green tea regularly may even improve insulin sensitivity, lowering insulin levels — a hormone that works to regulate blood sugar levels and plays a key role in hormonal health.
If you’re suffering from hormonal conditions such as PCOS (otherwise known as polycystic ovarian syndrome), you may want to pick up a cup of green tea, sit back, and breathe in its fresh, grassy taste.
I love to pair my green tea with other delicious flavors, such as matcha, uplifting lemongrass, to passion fruit. This beloved tea is more than a remedy; it’s a pathway to living a balanced, vibrant life.
5. Milk Thistle Tea: To Gently Encourage Hormone Balance
Milk Thistle tea has a calming, soft, and motherly nature, gently encouraging the body’s hormonal balance by supporting liver health. If you’re wondering what impact the liver could possibly have on hormonal health, this organ works tirelessly to detoxify excess hormones (such as estrogen), which may lead to an imbalance.
When the delicate balance of estrogen is upset, women may find themselves suffering from mood swings, weight gain, and issues with their menstrual cycle. But a soothing cup of this caffeine-free tea can nourish the liver, helping your body synchronize with your mind and soul once again.
6. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea: Essential For Women’s Health
Red raspberry leaf doesn’t just look and taste enchanting; this tangy tea is one of the best and most effective teas for bringing our bodies back into line and supporting women’s hormonal health.
Even though this magic elixir was traditionally used to ease menstrual discomfort, from heavy bleeding to painful menstrual cramps, raspberry leaf comes with many other benefits beyond its ancient roots. Welcome the nurturing power of iron, calcium, and magnesium — minerals essential to the health of the female body. It’s no wonder that this is such a cherished and beloved tea for women of all ages looking for hormonal relief.
7. Hibiscus Tea: Nature’s Healing Elixir
Hibiscus isn’t just a beautiful flower; it’s a natural healing elixir for those with hormonal imbalances and women in menopause. Home to powerful antioxidants and vitamin C, hibiscus tea can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress – the latter of which can cause your skin to dry out. (That’s right – indulge in a cup of hibiscus tea and say hello to beautiful skin!)
A cup of this vibrant red tea will also help lower estrogen levels, bringing your body naturally back into hormonal harmony.
It also supports heart health by lowering blood pressure, a critical consideration for women entering menopause. Sipping on hibiscus tea can also provide relief from bloating and water retention, which many women face as a result of fluctuating hormones.
You can find hibiscus in our Ruby Moon, Amethyst, and Strawberry Shortcake teas.
8. Spearmint Tea: For Gentle PCOS Relief
There’s nothing as refreshing as a warm, fresh cup of spearmint tea. But this herb doesn’t just offer an invigorating wake-up – if you find yourself feeling out of harmony with your body, spearmint tea may offer a gentle remedy to restore balance.
With each sip, spearmint tea works its quiet magic, lowering androgen levels and offering a natural option for women seeking relief from PCOS or other hormonal disruptions. Many women have shared stories of how this simple daily ritual has brought them back in tune with their bodies. But the evidence is not only anecdotal– studies and research have supported this, too!
Beyond its hormonal health benefits, many women cherish this refreshing herb for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant gifts – not just supporting hormonal health but your overall well-being with each fragrant cup.
If you love the taste of spearmint, you’ll love our High Priestess and Moonlight in Marrakesh teas.
9. Lemon Balm Tea
There’s something about lemon balm tea that just feels like a warm, comforting embrace. Whether it’s the tea’s warm, sweet aroma or fresh taste, a sip of this delicious elixir is perfect for when you’re feeling stressed and out of sync.
Just like chamomile, lemon tea is known for its soothing touch, helping to reduce stress and anxiety (which can send your hormones spiraling out of balance), and inviting in calm.
Lemon balm tea also offers a magical touch for women struggling with thyroid-related hormonal issues, helping to support thyroid health by gently calming the nervous system and reducing cortisol levels.
This tranquil tea also encourages restful sleep, which is essential when it comes to nurturing hormonal harmony. When cortisol stays in balance, other hormones — such as estrogen and progesterone — are more likely to find harmony, too.
Which Tea is Best for Menopause? 4 Magical Recommendations
Menopause is not an end of vitality; in fact, for many women, this time of transition brings physical, emotional, and spiritual changes for the better! In other countries, this change of life is often referred to as the “Second Spring.” But night sweats, hot flashes, brain fog, dry skin, and mood swings can make this sacred rite of passage feel more like a struggle than a celebration.
Every single woman experiences menopause differently, and what helps soothe their symptoms may be different, too. And while I do use nature-identical hormone replacement therapy (I started perimenopause at 40, and now I'm almost 50!), I also find that the hormones are only as good as my daily habits – tea drinking, meditation, exercise, and a large dose of love and laughter!
Here are some powerful teas that I believe stand out for their powerful support during this transition:
- Red clover tea may help alleviate hot flashes and night sweats.
- Chamomile tea can improve sleep, addressing the insomnia that often accompanies menopause.
- Licorice root tea has a sweet, balancing energy, making it a powerful ally for menopause.
- Goji berry tea is known for its ability to nourish the kidneys and liver — organs closely linked to hormonal balance.
Our beautiful Renewal: Peach-Goji-Rose Oolong Tea, with stunning flavor notes of sweet goji berry, floral rose, and juicy peach, is designed to aid digestion and rejuvenate your mood.
Introducing Tea into Your Wellness Routine: Honoring Hormonal Balance
Over the centuries, countless different cultures have woven tea into the fabric of their rituals, using its warmth, magic, and might to unite the mind, body, and soul, finding harmony between themselves and nature.
I have seen and experienced how each sip can carry you closer to your highest self. The simple act of making tea is sacred – a ceremony that can help you get back in touch with your divine feminine essence. Here's how you can embrace this ritual of connection.
1. Set Your Intention
The magic of tea lies not only in its physical gifts but also in the intention you weave into the ritual. Approaching tea drinking as a mindful practice will create a bridge between your thoughts and actions, opening up a sacred space where you can find the inner balance you may be yearning for.
Before you brew your tea, take a gentle pause. Reflect for a moment — what do you wish the tea to bring? Is it harmony for your hormones, peace for a restless mind, or the promise of deep, restful sleep? Let your intention seep into your soul as you begin this quiet, transformative ritual.
2. Create a Sacred Space
Carve out a corner that is yours and yours alone, a haven where the world falls away, leaving only stillness. This can be as simple as clearing a space at your kitchen table or creating a cozy nook in your living room where you can center yourself without distractions.
Light a softly scented candle, let the smoke of incense curl gently through the air, or play calming music that lulls your spirit.
3. Engage Your Senses
The ritual of tea drinking is a ceremony for the senses. As you prepare your tea, remain present by breathing in the delicate aroma of the tea leaves, listening to the bubbling of boiling water, and watching the steam rise from your cup as you pour.
As you sip your tea, savor the flavor notes and feel the warmth spreading through your body. If you're drinking iced tea, focus on the refreshing coolness of it and how it awakens the mind.
4. Make Tea a Daily Ritual
To truly embrace the transformative power of tea, it's important to be consistent. When tea becomes part of your daily ritual, it serves as a gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and realign with your body and soul. I mentioned above how our bodies are designed to flow in tandem with the Earth’s cycles. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, or the seasons ebb and flow, so do our bodies, emotions, and hormones. Let tea be your companion as you embrace these natural rhythms.
Tea Ritual Tips
- Choose a moment that feels right for you.
- Beginning your morning with a cup of green or peppermint tea can help awaken your body and prepare you for the day ahead.
- A soothing cup of lemon balm tea may be more suited to the quiet of the afternoon, calming your mind and easing away the stress.
- As evening falls, a cup of chamomile tea will whisper to your body that it’s time to rest.
Queen of Wellness: Women's Hormone Balancing Tea
At Magic Hour, we make delicious teas, weaving the wisdom of the Earth into every blend. Our blends are lovingly created using ingredients designed to support your body's natural rhythms and cyclical hormonal shifts.
Our Queen of Wellness Tea is fit for a goddess, designed to harmonize your hormones, ease symptoms of PMS, soothe digestive discomfort, and melt away stress. Each cup holds the potential to ground you in the present and nourish your body from the inside out.
Incorporating this specific tea into your daily ritual can be a beautiful and powerful way to nurture your body and mind. Savor the magic of our wellness teas and allow them to help you connect with your feminine energy, bringing your body back into balance naturally.
Conclusion
Whether you’re seeking relief from hot flashes, a better night’s sleep, or emotional balance, there’s a tea that can support your journey. At Magic Hour, we are honored to create these blends with intention, bringing you healing in every cup. With the right herbs by your side, you can navigate the journey of womanhood with grace, wisdom, and vitality.
References
Ghazanfarpour M, Sadeghi R, Roudsari RL, Khorsand I, Khadivzadeh T, Muoio B. (2015.) Red clover for treatment of hot flashes and menopausal symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Obstet Gynaecol.
Lopresti AL, Smith SJ. (2021). Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) for the treatment and enhancement of mental and physical conditions: A systematic review of human trials. Journal of Herbal Medicine.
Rotem C, Kaplan B. (2007). Phyto-Female Complex for the relief of hot flushes, night sweats and quality of sleep: randomized, controlled, double-blind pilot study. Gynecol Endocrinol.
Yu J, Song P, Perry R, Penfold C, Cooper AR. (2017) The Effectiveness of Green Tea or Green Tea Extract on Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis. Diabetes Metab J.
Grant P. (2010) Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res.
