Hollywood stars swear by... rooibos?

When Hollywood’s leading ladies walk the Oscars red carpet later this month‚ their flawless looks will be boosted by an army of experts‚ serums and potions to get them to look their best. And among their armoury of beauty products is South African Rooibos. That’s according to the Rooibos Council‚ which says its sales to America are soaring.

Here’s how the Rooibos Council says the tea-based products are helping the stars to get svelte‚ lean and red carpet-ready in time for the big night:

- Angelina Jolie lathers her perfect pout with a lip balm that boasts Rooibos and a variety of other unusual ingredients;

- Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and supermodel Miranda Kerr drink Rooibos to detox and stay in shape;

- Charlize Theron‚ Jessica Alba‚ Hugh Jackman and model Candice Swanepoel all indulge in Rooibos salon treatments which revitalise the skin;

- Salma Hayek and Victoria-secret model Adriana Lima both swear by a Rooibos beauty beverage that purifies the skin from the inside out;

- Academy Award winner Helen Mirren takes her teabags wherever she goes‚ and

- Model Josie Maran swears by a Rooibos-enriched hair detox blend.

Ernest du Toit‚ spokesperson for the Rooibos Council‚ said in a statement that since Rooibos first made its debut in the US in the early 1990s‚ sales to the country have tripled and every year more cosmetics houses – local and international – are cottoning onto the nourishing and anti-ageing properties found in Rooibos.

“South Africa now exports a vast array of different Rooibos products to the US‚ from the traditional unflavoured tea to flavoured teas‚ cappuccinos and cosmetics‚ which ranges from make-up to skin‚ hair‚ perfume and nail-care products‚” he said.

“Its use in cosmetics has increased rapidly and garnered much attention over the last few years‚ as more research proving the plethora of health and beauty benefits of Rooibos has become better known. Rooibos’ high flavonoid content makes it a powerful anti-aging ingredient for skincare formulas. Since much of skin-aging is caused by exposure to UV rays‚ pollution and other environmental contaminants‚ Rooibos’ free-radical destroying abilities helps to protect the skin and to preserve a more youthful look.”

While there’s no way to independently verify the council’s assertions that Hollywood loves our Rooibos‚ South Africans can catch all the red-carpet action on Monday‚ 29 February‚ at 3:00 CAT‚ when the 88th Academy Awards will be aired on DSTV channel O (320).