The best teas for your voice
Here are our top picks for the best teas for singers, whether you sing professionally or just want to be able to hit the high notes on your drive home from work.
1. Licorice root tea
Licorice root adds a sweet, cool flavor to loose leaf teas. It’s often added as a natural sweetener to herbal tea blends. Licorice root tea blends are warm, soothing, and hydrating. They also tend to go well with honey, making these teas a great choice if your throat is feeling a little scratchy or sensitive.
Our pick: Sing Your Song Herbal Tea
One of Santa Fe's local opera singers began drinking this tea to help keep her voice in perfect condition, so we named the blend "Sing Your Song" in her honor. Warming and nourishing, this blend is great for soothing scratchy throats. It features peppermint, lemongrass, licorice root, cardamom, and ginger, and is blended by hand in small batches in our Santa Fe store.
2. Chamomile tea
Chamomile has been used in herbal medicine for centuries for its soothing, therapeutic properties. Whether you need help falling asleep at night, boosting your immune system, or soothing your singing voice, a cup of chamomile tea can help. This herbal tea has a light, floral flavor with a hint of natural sweetness. You can enjoy chamomile tea on its own, but it’s also a popular ingredient in a variety of herbal tea blends.
Our pick: Lavender Lullaby Herbal Tea
Lavender Lullaby is a great choice if you’re looking for a tea to help protect your singing voice. We created this tea for customers looking for a natural blend to help them relax and unwind. With chamomile, lavender, roses, sweet orange peel, and calendula petals, this handcrafted organic herbal infusion helps soothe away the day to promote more peaceful rest.
3. Ginger tea
Ginger tea has been used for centuries in herbal medicine for its powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Whether consumed fresh or dried, ginger has plenty of beneficial qualities. It can help to soothe your throat if it’s feeling a little scratchy. Ginger is often paired with other healthful tea ingredients like turmeric and licorice root.
Our pick: Atomic Gold Herbal Tea
Sweet and spicy, warm and soothing, and packed with powerhouse ingredients, Atomic Gold is our most popular herbal tea! This remarkable blend of turmeric, ginger, licorice, lemongrass, and orange has a deep and satisfying flavor and brews up a beautiful bright gold color. It’s a great choice if you’re looking to warm up your voice and want a tea that’s full of flavor.
4. Peppermint tea
Peppermint is cooling, soothing, and a great pick if you need to pamper your voice. We carry several peppermint herbal teas, all of which are great for soothing sore throats. Peppermint tea is both calming and energizing, which means it’s a great option if you need to destress while still staying alert before a big performance.
Our pick: Lavender Mint Herbal Tea
One of our most popular herbal teas, Lavender Mint is a simple but satisfying herbal blend. Calming lavender blossoms complement cooling peppermint for a fresh, lightly floral cup that tastes great hot and makes a superb iced tea.
5. Tea and honey
Did you know that honey can actually be good for your throat? Honey can help to coat your throat and soothe irritation. Honey also has antibacterial properties (and it’s a tasty addition to many kinds of herbal tea!) If you’re drinking tea in order to soothe your throat, a dollop of honey is a great addition.
What about caffeinated teas?
All of the teas we’ve recommended above are herbal teas, which means that they’re naturally caffeine-free. But is drinking caffeinated teas, or other caffeinated drinks like coffee, bad for your singing voice?
Short answer: it depends. Caffeine can dehydrate you, which is bad for your vocal chords. But the moderate amount of caffeine present in tea probably isn’t enough to have a huge impact, especially since tea itself is hydrating. Still, if you’re trying to keep your voice in tip-top shape, it might be best to stick to herbal teas, or at the very least to space out caffeinated drinks with plenty of water.
FAQs
Does tea help your singing voice?
Tea is a great way to help soothe your throat and make sure that you’re in tip-top singing shape. Tea isn’t a match for a serious cold, injury, or severe allergies, but it can provide a little bit of extra warmth, hydration, and soothing properties. Tea is also relaxing, which can help to calm pre-performance jitters!
Does tea make your voice deeper?
Tea doesn’t make your voice deeper. However, if you already have a voice that can hit deep notes, tea can help to keep you hydrated and reduce inflammation so that your singing voice is able to reach its full potential.
What is the best tea for your vocal chords?
Tea (or any liquid) doesn’t actually touch your vocal chords. However, drinking tea can help to keep you hydrated and soothe your throat. Plus, the steam from can also help to soothe and hydrate the area around your vocal chords. While any drink that hydrates you is good for your voice, herbal teas with ingredients like peppermint, ginger, chamomile, and licorice root can be especially helpful.
