Slimming teas, which have been around for a while, are now appearing in hip reincarnations.They are so trendy that you will not find them on store shelves next to traditional slimming tea products.Instead, they are sold online and promoted on social media.
But do not attempt to label them as just another type of slimming tea. They are all about detoxing and there is even a name for them: Teatox.
Teatox firms - many of which hail from the United Kingdom and Australia - say their teas can help you lose weight, detoxify the body, suppress your appetite, increase your energy levels and boost your metabolism.
What's more, their teas boast natural herbs and ingredients - and they apparently taste good.
Prices of traditional slimming tea products vary greatly - they can cost as little as under $5 for a pack of six teabags. Teatox products, however, do not come cheap. A 14-day starter teatox pack, which has 14 "morning" teabags and seven "evening" teabags, can cost around $40.
Teatox firms often carry the word "skinny" in their names - Skinny Tea, Skinny Teatox, SkinnyYou Tea, SkinnyMe Teatox - or may boast cute names such as Tiny Tea or Bootea.
Singapore-based SkinnyMint Tea, for instance, started selling its products here in February. It reportedly said in July that more than 10,000 people have tried its teas.
Like other teatox firms, its website carries reviews from photo-sharing site Instagram posted by mostly young, pretty and slim women. The women, some clad in bikinis, show off their mid-sections in before-and-after shots. Most say how much they are happy with the weight loss or flatter tummy, or tell you they are going on a teatox.
Its founder and chief executive Alexander Ostrowski, a German national who has lived in Singapore for five years, told Mind Your Body that he is not selling slimming teas.
"It's about a lifestyle. It's not for weight loss, it's for detoxing. Some customers achieve weight loss and that's a bonus," he said.
Mr Ostrowski said his firm is revamping its website to include more features, such as a magazine that will offer healthy recipes and even career tips, and it is also set to launch in new markets overseas.
Yet, the seemingly growing interest in these detox or weight-loss teas appears to have eluded the traditional slimming tea players.
Health and beauty stores here, such as Guardian Pharmacy, Watsons and Unity Pharmacy, carry a variety of slimming teas, which may include 21st Century's Herbal Slimming Tea and SlimSpa.
Guardian launched a new slimming tea called Stressbelly last month, but it said that sales for slimming teas have been falling.
Unity Pharmacy, which carries several brands of slimming tea, said it has not seen a rise in demand for them. - See more at: http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/drink-tea-lose-weight#sthash.T7MZTZn5.dpuf
But do not attempt to label them as just another type of slimming tea. They are all about detoxing and there is even a name for them: Teatox.
Teatox firms - many of which hail from the United Kingdom and Australia - say their teas can help you lose weight, detoxify the body, suppress your appetite, increase your energy levels and boost your metabolism.
What's more, their teas boast natural herbs and ingredients - and they apparently taste good.
Prices of traditional slimming tea products vary greatly - they can cost as little as under $5 for a pack of six teabags. Teatox products, however, do not come cheap. A 14-day starter teatox pack, which has 14 "morning" teabags and seven "evening" teabags, can cost around $40.
Teatox firms often carry the word "skinny" in their names - Skinny Tea, Skinny Teatox, SkinnyYou Tea, SkinnyMe Teatox - or may boast cute names such as Tiny Tea or Bootea.
Singapore-based SkinnyMint Tea, for instance, started selling its products here in February. It reportedly said in July that more than 10,000 people have tried its teas.
Like other teatox firms, its website carries reviews from photo-sharing site Instagram posted by mostly young, pretty and slim women. The women, some clad in bikinis, show off their mid-sections in before-and-after shots. Most say how much they are happy with the weight loss or flatter tummy, or tell you they are going on a teatox.
Its founder and chief executive Alexander Ostrowski, a German national who has lived in Singapore for five years, told Mind Your Body that he is not selling slimming teas.
"It's about a lifestyle. It's not for weight loss, it's for detoxing. Some customers achieve weight loss and that's a bonus," he said.
Mr Ostrowski said his firm is revamping its website to include more features, such as a magazine that will offer healthy recipes and even career tips, and it is also set to launch in new markets overseas.
Yet, the seemingly growing interest in these detox or weight-loss teas appears to have eluded the traditional slimming tea players.
Health and beauty stores here, such as Guardian Pharmacy, Watsons and Unity Pharmacy, carry a variety of slimming teas, which may include 21st Century's Herbal Slimming Tea and SlimSpa.
Guardian launched a new slimming tea called Stressbelly last month, but it said that sales for slimming teas have been falling.
Unity Pharmacy, which carries several brands of slimming tea, said it has not seen a rise in demand for them. - See more at: http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/drink-tea-lose-weight#sthash.T7MZTZn5.dpuf
