Story Behind The Blend

LAO DE explores the second of the Eight Pains of Life: Ageing.

Time changes everything.

The body changes. Relationships change. Landscapes change. The person we once thought we would become can become someone entirely different.

Ageing can be understood as loss of youth, certainty, physical possibility or versions of ourselves we thought would last forever. But it can also be understood as accumulation: experience, knowledge, memory, resilience and perspective.

This blend sits inside that tension.

Green tea brings the freshness of the living leaf, while turmeric and cinnamon bring warmth. Rosemary carries associations of remembrance, and rosehip brings a bright, fruit-like note. Burdock roots the blend beneath the surface, while Siberian ginseng and bearberry contribute to its distinctly earthy botanical character.

The result is a tea about time without pretending time can be stopped.

Perhaps the question isn't how to remain unchanged.

Perhaps it is:

Who are you becoming as you change?

Traditional Herbal Context

The botanicals in this blend have long histories within Asian, European and traditional herbal practices.

Green tea has been cultivated and consumed across China and East Asia for centuries and holds an important place within tea culture and ceremony.

Turmeric, cinnamon and liquorice have longstanding culinary and traditional herbal histories across Asia and the Middle East. Rosemary has deep roots in Mediterranean culinary and cultural traditions, while burdock has a long history within European and East Asian herbal practices.

Rosehip and raspberry leaf have also been traditionally used in European herbal preparations.

These historical and cultural uses are provided for educational purposes and are not intended as medical claims.

Botanical Research

The plants in this blend have been the subject of scientific research concerning their phytochemical composition and traditional applications.

Research topics include:

• Polyphenols

• Catechins

• Curcuminoids

• Essential oils

• Triterpenes

• Flavonoids

• Tannins

• Adaptogenic traditions

• Traditional herbal use

See individual plant pages in the Plant Library for references.

Suggested Ritual

Enjoy LAO DE as a contemplation on time rather than an attempt to escape it.

Ideas for use:

• Tea ceremony

• Journalling

• Meditation

• Life-transition reflection

• Creative practice

• Looking through old photographs

• Writing a letter to your future self

• Celebrating a birthday or anniversary

• Marking a new chapter

Eight Pains Reflection

Prepare the tea slowly.

Look at your hands.

Notice your face.

Notice what has changed.

Then ask:

What has time given me that I could not have received any other way?

Consider a version of yourself from ten years ago.

What would they recognise?

What would surprise them?

What are you carrying now that they didn't yet know how to hold?

Ageing is not only the story of what disappears.

It is also the story of what accumulates.

Artistic Practice

The Eight Pains of Life collection treats tea as both beverage and material.

The botanicals in LAO DE may be transformed through the creative process into ink for intention or incorporated into incense.

The material moves through states:

plant → tea → colour → mark → intention → incense

Forms arise.

Forms dissolve.

The process mirrors the subject itself: nothing remains exactly as it was.

Contraindications & Precautions

If pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or managing a health condition, consult a qualified healthcare professional before consuming herbal products.

Particular care should be taken with:

• Liquorice if you have high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or take medication that affects blood pressure, potassium or fluid balance.

• Green tea if you are sensitive to caffeine, have certain cardiovascular conditions, or take medication that may interact with caffeine or tea constituents.

• Turmeric if you have gallbladder or bile-duct conditions, bleeding disorders, or take anticoagulant medication.

• Cinnamon if you have liver disease or take medication affecting blood glucose or blood clotting.

• Siberian ginseng / eleuthero if you have high blood pressure, cardiovascular conditions, insomnia or take stimulant medication.

• Bearberry because concentrated traditional preparations are not suitable for everyone and prolonged use is not recommended without professional guidance.

• Rosehip and raspberry leaf if pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication, as individual circumstances may affect suitability.

Consult a doctor before consuming if you are taking medication.

See the Plant Library for detailed information and references relating to each botanical ingredient.

Allergen Information

Contains:

No major allergens intentionally added.

May contain traces of:

• Nuts

• Peanuts

• Seeds

• Gluten-containing grains

• Celery

• Mustard

• Sesame

• Soy

• Sulphites

Supplier statements and manufacturing practices may vary.

Breastfeeding Information

The herbs selected in this blend are traditionally consumed during breastfeeding and several are commonly described as galactagogues in traditional herbal practice.

However, every mother and baby are different. If your baby was born prematurely, has underlying health conditions, or if you have concerns about milk supply, seek advice from your doctor, midwife, lactation consultant or pharmacist before use.

Related Plants

• Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

• Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

• Rose (Rosa spp.)

• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

• Birch (Betula spp.)

Related Experiences

• #OwnYourRoots exhibitions

• Tea and art workshops

• Botanical painting

• Tea-as-ink experiments

• Incense-making

• Contemplative tea ceremonies

• Journalling

• Meditation

• Life-transition workshops

• Creative reflection

FAQ

What does this tea taste like?

LAO DE is warming, earthy and aromatic, with sweet liquorice and star anise notes balanced by green tea's vegetal freshness, rosemary and the gentle spice of cinnamon and turmeric.

Is this tea caffeine free?

No. LAO DE contains green tea and therefore contains naturally occurring caffeine.

When should I drink this tea?

It can be enjoyed during moments of reflection, creative practice, meditation or contemplation. Because it contains green tea, some people may prefer to enjoy it earlier in the day.

Can I drink this tea every day?

This blend is designed as a contemplative botanical tea rather than a therapeutic product. Because it contains liquorice, green tea, bearberry and other botanicals that may interact with medication or health conditions, consult a qualified healthcare professional before regular use.

Does this tea contain allergens?

No major allergens are intentionally added, although cross-contact during production may occur. Refer to current supplier information for details.

Is this tea suitable during pregnancy?

Some ingredients in this blend may not be appropriate during pregnancy. Professional medical advice should always be sought before consuming herbal products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

What does LAO DE mean?

LAO DE is the title given to the second work in the #OwnYourRoots x Her Belle Tease Eight Pains of Life collection. Lao De means Aging in Chinese. Lao De sounds like louder in English. When some people age they need things to be louder. The work considers ageing, the unavoidable movement of the body and self through time.

Rather than treating ageing solely as something to resist, the tea asks us to consider what becomes possible when we recognise change as part of being alive.

This is a cup of tea. Beauty depends on view.Drinking it will not free you from suffering. Practice might.

The plants may also become ink for intention, or incense made of water — forms arising, forms dissolving.

Always seek professional advice.

Sustainability

• Recyclable packaging

• Small-batch botanical production

• Organic ingredients where specified

• Biological ingredients where specified

• European Pharmacopoeia-compliant ingredients where specified

• Mindful botanical sourcing

• Botanical material can become part of the creative process after brewing

Packaging

LAO DE is presented as part of the #OwnYourRoots x Her Belle Tease collaboration with artist Zo Fan.

The packaging forms part of a wider artistic exploration of memory, roots, transformation and the experience of living between places and identities.

Features include:

• 15 g loose-leaf format

• 15 × 1 g servings

• Original collaborative artwork

• Recyclable packaging where possible

• Small-batch botanical production

• Designed as both a tea and an artistic object

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Regulatory Statement

Her Belle Tease products are sold as foods and traditional herbal infusions. Information provided reflects historical use, botanical research and educational purposes only.

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Food supplements and herbal products should not replace a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

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