The key botanicals behind Numi's Herbal Wellness collection — and the traditional wisdom steeped into each cup. (part 1 of a 4-part series)

During this time of year when your throat feels scratchy, your head feels stuffed, or you just need to relax, the instinct to put on the kettle and reach for tea is so common — and it's the foundation of Numi's Herbal Wellness collection. Throat Soother, Congest Away and Damiana Relax are some of our most-loved wellness teas, each containing organic botanicals with long histories of traditional use. They are blended by us to be as effective as they are delicious and enjoyable to sip. Here's to your health!

What Makes a Wellness Tea “Functional”?

All of our herbal teas, or “teasans,” are naturally caffeine-free infusions of dried herbs, roots, flowers, and spices — no Camellia Sinensis, the tea plant that produces white, green, oolong, black or pu-erh teas. Our Herbal Wellness blends take that foundation a step further: each one is built around botanicals traditionally reached for during a specific kind of discomfort or goal, whether that's a sore throat, a restless night, or a sluggish immune system. We combine the various ingredients together for their potencies and function to create a synergistic and holistic blend that tackles the issue on multiple levels.

Numi's Approach to Wellness

We approach every herbal blend, wellness teas included, by first honoring where the plants came from and how they've traditionally been used. Flavor and quality come first: we source 100% organic herbs, flowers, roots, and spices — including Fair Trade Certified™ fennel seed and ginger root in Congest Away — and never add artificial or “natural” flavorings. We cup hundreds of combinations with care to ensure overall enjoyment before landing on a final blend, so the plants can speak for themselves, cup after cup.

“It's difficult to get my patients to consume a tea remedy for long periods when they have a poor taste experience. With Numi, it's easy because their teas taste so good!”
— Kelsey Barrett, Herbalist Clinician

Damiana Relax: An Earthy, Floral Wind-Down

Organic damiana, butterfly pea flower, rose, and lavender combine in Damiana Relax, a smooth and mellow cup built to relax the nervous system while lifting the mood.

Damiana
Damiana (Turnera diffusa) has been used for centuries by the Maya and Aztec peoples of Mexico and Central America, who steeped its leaves into a tea believed to promote vitality, ease the mind, and support a positive mood. Modern herbalists classify damiana as a nervine — an herb believed to have a calming, soothing effect on the nervous system — which is why it anchors all three teas in Numi's Relax & Regenerate line.*
Source: PeaceHealth

Butterfly Pea Flower
Butterfly pea flower has long been used across Southeast Asia both as a natural blue-violet dye and in traditional herbal preparations valued for their calming, antioxidant-rich properties — here it lends both a soft hue and a gentle sense of ease.*

Rose & Lavender
As in Hibiscus, rose and lavender round out Damiana Relax with their traditional calming, mood-supporting qualities.*

Brewing note: Steep 8–10 minutes and let the evening unwind.

Throat Soother: Sweet & Spicy Relief for a Scratchy Throat

Organic sage leaf, licorice root, marshmallow root, cinnamon bark, and clove bud come together in Throat Soother, a Sweet & Spicy blend built for the days your throat needs a little extra care.

Sage
Sage (Salvia officinalis) has been part of Mediterranean folk medicine for centuries, traditionally used to ease sore throats and inflammation in the mouth. Its genus name comes from the Latin word for “to heal” or “to save,” a nod to how long people have turned to this herb for relief. Today, sage is recognized for its antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.*
Source: Healthline, WebMD

Licorice Root
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has a history stretching back thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, where it was used to treat coughing and soothe irritated tissue. Its active compound, glycyrrhizin, reduces inflammation and has a soothing, coating effect on the throat.*
Source: Healthline

Marshmallow Root
Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) takes its genus name from the Greek althainein, meaning “to heal.” Its use as a folk remedy for coughs and sore throats dates back to ancient Egypt. The root's high mucilage content acts almost like a natural syrup, helping to loosen mucus and inhibit bacteria.*
Source: Healthline

Cinnamon Bark & Clove Bud
Rounding out the blend, cinnamon bark and clove are warming spices with long histories in traditional remedies for cold and flu discomfort. Alongside their soothing role, they give Throat Soother its signature sweet-and-spicy character.*

Brewing note: Steep 8–10 minutes for the fullest effect — soothe and savor.

Congest Away: A Minty, Cooling Brew for Clearer Breathing

Organic fennel seed, peppermint leaf, ginger root, cinnamon bark, and licorice root make up Congest Away, a Minty & Cooling blend designed for the days breathing easy takes a little more effort.

Peppermint
Peppermint's medicinal use goes back to at least 1550 BCE, documented in Egypt's Ebers Papyrus, and was prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans for respiratory and digestive relief. The menthol in peppermint works as a decongestant, shrinking swollen membranes in the nose and helping loosen mucus that has collected in the lungs.*
Source: UCHealth

Fennel Seed
Fennel has been cultivated and used since antiquity in Egypt and Greece — the herb even lent its name (marathon in ancient Greek) to the site of a famous battle. Beyond its history, fennel offers antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory benefits.*
Source: Medical News Today

Ginger Root
Ginger has been a cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries and later traveled across ancient trade routes to the west. Prized for its warming, restorative qualities, its bioactive compound, gingerol, delivers potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.*
Source: Healthline

Cinnamon Bark & Licorice Root
As in Throat Soother, cinnamon bark adds warmth while licorice root contributes its own soothing, anti-inflammatory properties — rounding out Congest Away's cooling, minty profile with a touch of sweetness.*

Brewing note: Steep 8–10 minutes. Sip and breathe deep.

Botanicals at a Glance

Here's how the key botanicals across our full Herbal Wellness collection line up, from traditional use to their role in the cup today.

How to Brew for Maximum Benefit

• Choose Quality Tea — Start with organic, whole botanicals like Numi's wellness blends.
• Use Fresh Water — Filtered water brings out the truest flavor.
• Steep Time — All herbals steep a full 8–10 minutes. Because herbal teas are caffeine-free, you can leave the bag in as long as you like.
• Enhance the Flavor — A spoonful of honey or a squeeze of lemon rounds out the cup beautifully.
• Serve It Cold — Most blends in this collection, including Hibiscus, Dandelion Detox, and Turmeric Amber Sun, cold-brew beautifully for 8–10 hours in the refrigerator.

Whether it's a scratchy throat, a restless night, a sluggish immune system, or simply a need to slow down, Numi's Herbal Wellness collection is here to help — built from botanicals people have leaned on for generations, blended by us to taste as good as they make you feel.

Explore the rest of the Herbal Wellness collection, try the Stress Relief Tea Variety Pack, or learn more about Our Ingredients and Fair Trade & Beyond sourcing stories to see what goes into every Numi cup.

Sources & Further Reading

• Healthline — Sage Tea
• WebMD — Health Benefits of Sage
• Healthline — Licorice Root
• Healthline — Marshmallow Root
• UCHealth — The Power of Peppermint
• Medical News Today — Fennel
• Healthline — Ginger Root Benefits
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — Chamomile
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — Valerian
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — Myths About Popular Natural Products (Turmeric & Ginkgo)
• University of Iowa Health Sciences — Valerian, Historical Use
• Livestrong Health — Dandelion vs. Milk Thistle for Liver Support
• American College of Healthcare Sciences — Echinacea and Natural Health
• The Herb Society of America — Elderberry, Herb of the Month
• National Institutes of Health (PMC) — Biological and Pharmaceutical Properties of Sceletium tortuosum (Kanna)
• PeaceHealth — Damiana
• Nutrition Insight — Lion's Mane and Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Wikipedia — Hibiscus Tea, Traditional and Cultural Use
• Wikipedia — Dried Lime
• Hilda's Kitchen Blog — Noomi Basra Chai
• Shoba et al., Planta Medica (1998) — Influence of Piperine on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin in Animals and Human Volunteers

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.