We Heart: Numi Tea

No exaggeration here—there is not a single day that goes by at Annmarie Skin Care HQ that is not fueled by tea. As soon as 9 am rolls around, the electric kettles get flipped on and we start sippin’. One of our all time favorites is Numi Tea—not just for their high quality and ethical sourcing, but because they’re local!

A fellow resident of the California’s East Bay, Numi was founded in Oakland, California in 1999 by siblings Ahmed and Reem Rahim. Since then, Numi has been dedicated to producing unique, high quality teas and inspiring the well-being of mind, body and spirit.

So what makes Numi different from the countless other tea brands available?

Real Ingredients

Did you know, most teas on the market are blended or sprayed with “natural” or artificial flavorings or fragrances? This results in a manufactured perfume-y after-taste that masks the true flavor of tea.

For a pure, authentic taste, Numi blends premium, organic teas and herbs with only 100% real fruits, flowers and spices. They never use “natural” flavorings, perfumes or fragrances.

Full Leaf Quality

Numi uses full leaf quality (FOP grade & above) organic tea in all of their products. Their full leaf teas steep slowly and evenly, and deliver a smooth, rich flavor.

Grades of Tea and Why They Matter

After tea leaves are picked, they are sorted by size. The larger the leaf, the greater its surface area for steeping. The longer it takes to steep, the more complex and nuanced the infusion.

Whole Leaf Grades are primarily used for loose leaf tea. They range from Orange Pekoe to Flowery Orange Pekoe to Super Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. Numi uses Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP) and above for their tea bags.

Fannings are the small pieces of tea that have fallen to the bottom in the sifting process, and are left over after higher grades of teas are gathered and sold. Fannings with extremely small particles are sometimes called “dust.” Fannings and dust are considered the lowest grades of tea. These are predominantly used in lower quality tea bags. Due to their small surface area, these tea bags can only be steeped for a short time before tannin (a natural compound in tea) is released. This results in a bitter taste. This grade of tea is often masked with milk, sugar, or flavorings.

Other full leaf tea bags use a see-through, mesh material made from GMO corn, or petroleum-based plastic. Numi uses a natural, compostable paper filter tea bag.

Why Organic Tea?

Organic Certification is especially important when it comes to tea. The first time tea comes into contact with water is when it steeps in our cups. Organic cultivation protects the environment, the farmers, and you.

100% of Numi’s teas and ingredients are certified organic. Numi only sources organic tea, spices and herbs; they are committed to sourcing only the highest quality organic, non-gmo teas from farms they have known and partnered with directly for years.

Additionally, they require laboratory testing for all of their teas and each purchase they make from their partners is accompanied by a Certificate of Analysis verifying that the teas and herbs meet their quality requirements. Their suppliers are also subject to random and annual inspections to verify organic and fair trade/fair labor practices.

Organic Tea Farming

Organic tea farming began in 1987. Beyond delivering the highest quality product, organic agriculture ensures a healthy and sustainable environment because organic farming does not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or insecticides. This practice preserves our earth’s resources by minimizing pollutants, as well as protects the health of the workers who would otherwise be exposed.

Try it yourself!

Don’t just take our word for it. We want to share Numi Tea with you! We’re including Numi’s Holistic Tea Sampler pack with every Annmarie Skin Care purchase while supplies last.

Plus, we’re offering 15% off your first purchase over at Numi’s online shop. Just use code WEHEARTNUMI at checkout.