5 Things to Know About Femenina, Peru's Women's Tea Blend

August 29, 2026

Ask a Peruvian grandmother what to drink when the month gets rough and she probably won't hand you a single dried leaf. She'll hand you a blend. Femenina is one of those combinations, four plants brewed together the way a lot of Peruvian herbal tradition actually works: not one miracle herb, but a handful of them stacked for a reason. Here's what's really in the bag, why each plant made the cut, and what to know before your first cup.

1. It's four herbs, not one

Femenina's teabags carry a blend of Cat's Claw (Uña de Gato), Matico (Soldier's Herb), Huamanpinta, and Manayupa, about 1,000 mg of dried plant material per filtered bag. That's a deliberate combination rather than a marketing bundle. Each of these four shows up on its own in Peruvian herbal medicine, and Femenina is essentially a shortcut so you're not brewing four separate pots.

2. Cat's Claw and Matico carry the anti-inflammatory weight

Cat's Claw, the inner bark of the Amazonian vine Uncaria tomentosa, is probably the best-studied plant in this blend, with small trials looking at its effect on inflammation and joint swelling. Matico, nicknamed Soldier's Herb because Peruvian troops reportedly used the crushed leaves on cuts in the field, has a long folk history as a mild anti-inflammatory and wound-care plant. Together they're doing double duty here: general inflammation support, which is a big part of why this blend gets reached for during a rough week, not just a rough day.

3. Manayupa is the liver herb hiding in the mix

Manayupa doesn't get much attention outside Peru, but inside the country it's a household liver-support tea in its own right, usually brewed after heavy meals. Traditional use ties it to digestion and detox support broadly, which is likely why it earned a spot in a blend meant to ease overall discomfort rather than one specific symptom.

4. Huamanpinta is the quiet fourth ingredient

Huamanpinta is the least familiar name on this list, even to people who know Peruvian herbs reasonably well. It's a lesser-known Amazonian plant that shows up in traditional liver and kidney formulas, often alongside better-known herbs like Chanca Piedra. There isn't much clinical research on it specifically, so its role here is best understood as traditional, not proven, the same honest caveat that applies to a lot of folk blends passed down without a lab attached.

5. It's a stress-week tea, not a same-day fix

Peruvian women don't typically drink Femenina as a rescue remedy for the worst hour of a bad day. It's more commonly brewed as a daily habit for the stretch of days when everything, cramps, mood, fatigue, tends to pile up at once. Steep one bag in hot water for 8 to 10 minutes, and most people start it a few days before their period rather than waiting until symptoms are already in full swing. Like the joint-support herbs in our other blends, this is a slow-building habit, not a fast-acting pill.

Who should be cautious

Cat's Claw isn't recommended during pregnancy and can interact with immunosuppressant medications, so anyone with an autoimmune condition should check with a doctor first. If you're on blood thinners or prescription anti-inflammatories, the combined effect of Cat's Claw and Matico is worth a conversation with your doctor before adding this daily. And because Huamanpinta is the least-studied herb in the blend, anyone with existing liver or kidney conditions should treat it with the same caution as any unfamiliar supplement, start slow and watch how you feel.

You can find the full blend in our Femenina Women's Tea, or shop the individual herbs, including Cat's Claw Tea and Manayupa Liver Tea, in our full tea collection.