Keep Your Cool with Herbs in a Hot Taiwanese Summer
How do we know that summer has truly arrived in Taiwan? It’s when you are sweaty just walking to the sevy on the corned. Or just opening your eyes.
Every year around this time I find myself reaching for the same handful of herbs for the heat and what comes along with it, so I thought I'd share a few of the seasonal teas and tinctures that I am either always using or suggesting to others.
First up is HBH Summer Chill Out Tea. This is a seasonal blend and it’s a limited batch. Get it while you can! Think cooling mint. Think hydrating and refreshing hibiscus. Think tulsi to cool the mind. All of the teas I mention here today are great in the fridge!
If you love tart teas, good old Hibiscus Tea is hard to beat. It's bright, refreshing, beautiful in the cup, and absolutely lovely chilled in the fridge for later. No matter how you drink it, it quite literally cools us from the inside. Add a little raw Taiwanese honey and voila! It’s even more hydrating. On especially hot days, I often find myself reaching for hibiscus over just about anything else.
For those who want that same tart hibiscus goodness with a deep healing twist, I brought Hibiscus & Calendula Tea back for summer 2026. It's one of those blends that's both enjoyable and quietly heals from the inside out. Ok in the fridge? Yes ma’am!
Sweating a lot in summer? In air conditioning? That about covers everybody! Keeping us hydrated while replenishing essention vitamins and electrolytes is where Nettle Tea shines. Nettle is naturally rich in vitamins and minerals and is one of my favourite nourishing herbs for this time of year. Want to support your mineral intake and your hair at the same time, HBH Wildgrowth Hair Helper Tea contains nettle along with other nourishing herbs, making it a simple two-birds-one-stone option. And HBH Daily Support Lung Tea, a simple nettle-heavy breath of fresh air.
If heat tends to leave you feeling puffy or holding onto extra water, Dandelion Leaf Tea is another herb worth getting to know. I stock it as both a tea and a tincture, depending on what fits your routine best.
And for those who want something they can keep in a handbag, backpack, or desk drawer, there's HBH Herbal Mineral Complex. Just add drops to a drink any time of day for an easy way to bring more herbal minerals into your routine. This one especially fits people who are concerned about their trace mineral content of their filtered water.
And lastly one that many people A) don’t think about except to compain about it and B) don’t think about it because they think nothing can be done I introduce heavy, tired, leg vein even achey leg helper, Horse Chestnut! This can often feel even worse in the summer, so get started on it now! Pair it with dandelion leaf if water retention in the legs is an issue, too.
What are you reaching for in summer? Let us know below!
Stay cool, Vicky Herbalist, Health Bestowing Hands Taiwan
Please remember that none of this is to take the place of advice from a healthcare practioner and is not meant to treat or diagnose. Please check herbs against any conditions you have or medications you are taking. #InformedConsent
