Can chamomile tea help improve your libido? I tried it out, along with some other unconventional methods, and here are the results.
They say you’re at the prime of your life in your 20s. Your metabolism’s still high, you can survive on coffee and little sleep, and your sex drive is through the roof. Things start getting shaky once you enter your next decade. You’re gaining weight, you need naps to get through the day, and your libido… well, it’s all downhill from there. Research has shown that a man’s sex drive slowly decreases from age 35, though it may start earlier for some dudes.
The internet lists myriad ways to increase your libido, ranging from getting enough sleep, cutting out smoking, and reducing alcohol, to trying out natural remedies such as garlic and ginkgo biloba or eating libido-enhancing foods like figs, bananas, and red meat.
While mindlessly scrolling through Twitter one day, I came across a tweet claiming that bathing your genitals in chamomile tea has a powerful aphrodisiac effect. “Don’t underestimate the potency of a well-steeped cup of chamomile tea,” it said. I asked if this method worked for men but didn’t receive a response. So, I did my research. While some websites mentioned it, they didn’t elaborate much on its sexual benefits; neither did they say I should wash my parts with tea.
Regardless, I was curious to find out, so I decided to try it out once a day for a month – yes, I was that ambitious. My editor suggested testing other unconventional ways to increase my sex drive and report my findings afterwards. Armed with a stash of chamomile teabags and encouragement from a friend, I proceeded with my (mis)adventure.
Week 1: I almost forgot about it
Since it slipped my mind, I started with a slight delay. The plan: boil water every night, steep a teabag, cool it to room temperature, and do the genital washing. I didn’t want to scald my ding-dong and kill my sex drive for the foreseeable future. I brought my first cup of potential sex booster to the bathroom, poured it over my gonads, and showered. It was a strange sensation, but all in the name of “investigative journalism”, right?
For the next few days, I decided to drink half the tea and use the remainder in my established ritual. I didn’t want to waste the brew, and the tweet didn’t say I couldn’t drink it. Wrong move – I felt off hours after every drink, like I was mentally spaced out. But hey, at least it helped with my sleep.
Week 2: I contemplated killing the experiment
“How’s the experiment going?” my friend asked. It was only the second week, but I already felt like giving up. I shared what went down (literally and figuratively); she told me to cut the exercise if I still felt off. (I refused, of course, for journalistic integrity.) She suggested measuring my privates to see whether the method might’ve, ahem, lengthened it. I logged the suggestion into my brain, though I never did it.
Nearing this week’s end, I stopped drinking the chamomile tea and just used the mixture for cleansing purposes. Even though I was getting good rest because of it, drinking tea wasn’t helpful for me. On the plus side, I noticed heartening results on some mornings. Hey, maybe it was working… or I was just being hopeful. As long as it wasn’t a placebo effect.
Week 3: I introduced a new tea into the ritual
By now, I was counting down the days. I grew impatient waiting for the water to boil and the mixture to cool down. The end was nigh; I just needed to persevere so that I could write about my experience. At the same time, it became part of my nightly ‘self-care’ routine: make a cup of chamomile tea, wash my bits and shower. TBH, I was doubtful it worked at all. I didn’t notice any significant changes in my sex drive.
It’s said that Korean red ginseng also helps boost your sex drive. My friend passed me a few sachets of red ginseng tea, so I brewed a cup to drink before my chamomile tea rite. Verdict: it was tasteless. Granted, I didn’t add sugar, so that was probably my fault. It’s unfortunate I didn’t get to try the red ginseng tea with sugar or milk, though I was secretly glad I didn’t have to. My tongue and throat thanked me.
Week 4: I was glad it was over
I ended the month-long experiment with surprisingly renewed vigour. I switched things up by doing the routine earlier on some days and also resumed drinking half the tea. On the last day, I decided to dunk my dong into the cup first (sorry, mum and dad) before pouring everything down my genitalia. I felt accomplished, and yes, I thoroughly washed the cup afterwards.
Towards the end of the week, I also consumed some maca root, a vegetable native to Peru. It really improved my libido and gave me more energy for the horizontal mambo. Now, this might be considered cheating since I’ve tried and tested this method before, but cut me some slack – I needed to end this “sexual adventure” on a good note.
Conclusion? Don’t bother with tea
I survived the four weeks, which was a massive relief. Was it that bad? Not exactly, though I constantly needed to remind myself to prepare the mixture. I felt terrible wasting food, which was why I initially chose to drink half of it. While that didn’t help my case, at least now I know chamomile tea helps me sleep better.
Final verdict: it’s not worth a try. This unconventional method isn’t proven to increase your sex drive, so you’re better off just drinking it instead of spilling the tea. Between the Korean red ginseng and maca root, you’ll have better luck consuming the latter. However, exercise precautions before taking it, as maca root contains side effects including headache, heartburn, upset stomach, and even acne breakout. Yikes.
Truth be told, a waning sex drive is normal. If you’re concerned about it, I suggest visiting a medical professional for guidance. However, if you’re keen on trying out aphrodisiacs, stick to the common ones such as chocolates and oysters. At least they’re prepared beforehand – you just have to eat them.
Have you tried other unconventional ways to increase your sex drive? DM us @honeycombers.
