The best buchu teas, soaps and oils from South African makers

It is buchu on its own rather than a rooibos blend, so you get the real flavour of the leaf and can decide whether you like it before spending more. The listing keeps its claims simple: organic, caffeine-free, no preservatives.

On price it sits well below the loose-leaf and bulk options and only a little above the rooibos blends. Shoppers rate it at the top of the scale, and the number of ratings is among the higher counts here, which is worth something in a category where most listings have one or two.

Skimmelberg runs a wide buchu range, so if you get on with this one there is an easy next step in loose leaf, mint or chamomile blends.

The catch. Buchu is a strong, minty-blackcurrant sort of taste and not everyone takes to it. The listing doesn't say how many bags or what weight you get, so check that before ordering.

Cut leaf gives you options a tea bag cannot: brew it weak, brew it strong, mix it into rooibos or mint yourself. The listing is specific about weight and describes the aroma as fresh, minty and blackcurrant-like, which matches how buchu is usually described.

It carries the best rating count of the non-Skimmelberg listings here, and it is well priced against the loose-leaf buchu alternatives.

The catch. A small pack for the money, and loose leaf means you need an infuser or strainer.

Rooibos does most of the heavy lifting in this blend, with buchu and orange peel on top. That makes it milder than straight buchu and a better bet if you are not sure you want the full herb.

It is among the cheapest things here and still comes as loose leaf rather than bags, which usually means a fuller cup. Two shoppers have rated it at the top of the scale.

The catch. Only two ratings, and the listing gives no weight or leaf ratio, so you cannot tell how much buchu is actually in there. African Oils has a near-identical listing with no ratings at all.

The soaps here all sit at the same low price, and this one has the strongest rating profile of the bunch. Charcoal gives it a point of difference from the honey and mint versions.

At this price it also makes a decent small gift or a way to try the range without committing to a tea.

The catch. Three ratings only, and the listing says nothing about bar weight or the full ingredient list.

This is the most specific listing in the category: named species, single origin, and a clear description of the aroma as bright, green and citrus-minty. That specificity is rare here and it counts.

It is the priciest buchu oil on the shelf, but essential oils are used a drop at a time, so a bottle lasts. Two shoppers rate it top marks.

The catch. Easily the most expensive pick here, with only two ratings, and no bottle size stated in the listing. Skimmelberg's oil costs less if you just want to try one.

Decide on form first. Bags are convenient and cheap to try. Loose or cut leaf costs more up front but lets you brew to taste and blend. Oil and hydrosol are for people who already make their own toners, mists and blends, and they are not drinks.

Read the blend, not the name. Several listings called buchu tea are mostly rooibos with buchu added. That is a perfectly good cup, and usually cheaper, but it will taste far milder than straight buchu. If a listing does not state a ratio, assume the first ingredient named dominates.

Check the weight, or the absence of one. Half the listings in this category skip pack size entirely, which makes value impossible to work out. Where a weight is given, use it. Where it isn't, ask the seller before you compare prices.

Weigh rating counts as much as rating scores. Almost everything here sits at or near five stars, often off one or two reviews. A four-something average off six or eight people tells you more than a perfect score off one.