Spearmint Tea For Acne | Does It Really Help?

Do you also want to get rid of your stubborn pimples? If you have tried all the medicines and homegrown techniques to reduce your acne but still can spot a blister, I have something for you. Yes, I’m talking about spearmint tea. You may know it for its fresh aroma and delectable taste, but it has more to offer. The revitalizing minty tea sweeps away all the acne adversities. But is it invincibly potent or incites a few side effects too? Here, we try to sketch the benefits, correct usage, reviews, and side effects of spearmint tea. To know if you can genuinely relish your spearmint tea for acne, stick to the end of this detailed report.        

It may be slightly difficult to digest that herbal tea has an all-pervading advantage without a tinge of any possible complications. Behind the zesty splash of lime-colored drink lies the complete picture of spearmint tea which you may want to know.  

Spearmint Tea For Acne | A Boon For Acne-Prone Skin?

It is a well-known fact that drinking herbal tea positively impacts our skin’s overall health. But not everyone finds it to be a friend in their acne-healing journey. Similarly, spearmint tea has its own story. I will also share my first-hand experience of drinking spearmint tea for my acne cysts in a while. But first, let us know the real cause of your acne. 

Reasons behind your Breakouts

The prime reason behind your breakouts is the blockage of hair follicles on your skin. The sebaceous glands on our skin’s surface begin to produce extra sebum (oil complexes that keep our skin moisturized) in some areas. With time, it accumulates the dead skin cells that later seal the bottom part of the follicle to cause acne.

Your acne may be noninflammatory, like a whitehead or a blackhead. But when some bacteria infect those targeted areas, it forms inflammatory nodules, pustules, papules, or cysts. To know what kind of acne you are going through, look at its details. Anyways, there are many causes linked to the breakouts. See whether the possibility of your acne is the one that includes these points.

• Irregular sleep and stress induce breakouts indirectly. Insufficient sleep pauses our body’s natural healing process and can cause anxiety. During stress, CRH or corticotropin-releasing hormones released by our bodies trigger excess oil production that can later clog pores. 

• An improper diet can flare up your acne. It includes food with a high glycemic index (aggravating blood sugar levels), like fried food items, sugary drinks of soda or juice, white bread, rice, pasta, etc. Our body releases more insulin that hikes sebum production to tackle a spike in blood sugar. 

• Bad makeup habits like selecting unsuitable skincare products for our skin or not washing the makeup before bedtime fuel the fire. Touching your face often or not washing your pillowcase once every week can transmit dirt, bacteria, and the like to flare up your acne.    

• Other factors include cigarette smoking, medications, dehydration, and increased testosterone levels in teenagers during puberty or in adults. Inherited acne in families also triggers it. Significantly, women may face inconsistent pop-ups of acne during periods, PCOS, and pregnancy. 

Now, let us see how persuasive spearmint tea is. You may want to know about androgen hormones which can largely contribute to acne in women. Generally, they are male hormones, but women can develop it too. These hormones bind specific receptors that lead to increased oil production, due to which women see painful cystic acne around the jawline that flares up during their menstrual cycles.

Spearmint tea has anti-androgenic properties. Research shows that testosterone levels dipped after 30 days of having spearmint tea in a group of people. The American Academy of Dermatology conducted a study in 2015 that showed people drinking two cups of spearmint tea a day for a month reduced their acne severity by 20% and eventually 51% by the end of three months.

Compare it to people who took the acne medication of minocycline 100 mg twice a day instead of spearmint tea, and the results are surprising. At the end of three months, people on medication noticed a 52% reduction in their acne severity against the 51% of spearmint tea. While people on spearmint tea faced no side effects, 20% of people on minocycline noticed adverse effects.

The key takeaway is the same endpoint, i.e., the results both acne treatments bring in. But spearmint tea ranks safer in terms of side effects. However, dermatologists suggest not replacing your acne medicines altogether, especially if you have severe acne. The study only displays the compelling results of spearmint tea in our bodies and that it stands true to its label – a literal boon for breakouts. But does the overall perks of drinking spearmint tea end here? Lest you think! 

Benefits of Spearmint Tea for Acne

There are numerous benefits of having spearmint tea. This healthy herbal tea has high amounts of antioxidants that prevent free radicals (that cause illness and aging) from damaging your body. It also contains calcium, potassium, Vitamin C, flavones, and dihydrochalcone in minute amounts, among other nutrients. Not only does it help with digestion, but it also lowers blood pressure due to its carvone compound.

A study shows that it lessened blood sugar levels in rats consuming spearmint. This herbal tea is good for PCOS as it reduces male hormones and increases female hormones. In women with hirsutism, it reduces the facial hair level, helps regulate follicular development in the ovarian tissues, and promotes ovulation. It may also sharpen your memory and fight other skin problems such as dullness, dark spots, etc.   

How to make Spearmint Tea for Acne?

There are a couple of ways to prepare your spearmint tea. You can get spearmint tea bags or pouches from any online or offline retail store. But the best way is to pluck the natural tea leaves from the homegrown spearmint plant or get some fresh leaves from your nearest grocery store. If you plan to have tea from tea bags, simply dip your sac in your boiled water and let it rest for a few minutes before it’s ready to consume.

But, if you have a loose pack of the herbal tea leaf, put a teaspoon of it in the simmering water. Add honey instead of sugar for sweetness, and take your hot sip. As I said earlier, the best way is to get your hands on a few fresh leaves from your home garden and follow these steps.

1. Adjust the number of spearmint leaves to the flavor you want in your tea. Avoid the highly wilted or colorless leaves.
2. Pour a cup of water into your pan and allow it to boil. 
3. Then take off your pan and let it sit for a minute.
4. Add your fresh spearmint leaves to the water, close the lid, and leave it for five to seven minutes.
5. Strain the tea in your mug, and enjoy your slow, hot sip.  

You don’t want to intensify your acne cysts or burst open your breakouts. Be careful when using tea bags, as they may leach nano plastics into your drink. The same is with loose pouches, where you must verify the packet’s ingredients before consuming it. So, stick to the natural tea leaves as much as possible.

Spearmint Tea for Acne Reviews | Customer Testimonies

Not surprisingly, the spearmint tea for acne before and after results are jaw-dropping. But it was surprising for me to notice its initial effectiveness. My doctor first advised me to have two cups daily alongside some medicines. Though it’s uncommon to see cystic hormonal acne in my late twenties, I, unfortunately, had them. It only gives you a rough picture of what I was going through some eight months back. The inflammation around my cheeks and forehead sometimes shot up, leaving me in terrible pain. Add the stinging sensation that would last some minutes before calming down.

Trust me! This tea has been a lifesaver. The acne burn felt negligible in my third week, and the soreness softened. Though the scars are still visible, I feel much relieved now. Plus, I took care of my food and sleep during the healing period, which I think has helped me reach my goal faster. See what others have to say.

Ruby comments, “It’s true, folks! You can drink spearmint tea for acne scars, just like me. I drank the tea twice a day for seven days. By this time, my scar area shrank, and its irritation lessened. Even my facial hair growth noticed a change. They grew back slower and didn’t itch like they used to before drinking this tea.”

Mike asserts, “Skeptical at first, I tried the tea after seeing tons of positive spearmint tea for acne Reddit reviews. I drank once a day for eight months to manage acne rosacea on my chin and nose, which seemingly helped reduce the soreness. I would recommend giving it a try, at least.” 

Taylor shares, “Honestly, the tea tastes amazing. Due to this reason, I’ve been keeping up with the evening tea for about a year now. But apparently, it neither inflates nor deflates my acne.”

Nina alleges, “Quite contrary to the existing opinions, drinking spearmint tea worsened my period pain. I don’t have any acne issues, but for your information, it does not help with my PCOS either. It helped me lessen the facial hair growth, which stopped altogether after I stopped drinking it for a week.”

Many reviews attest that drinking spearmint tea does aid in treating acne, PCOS, Hirsutism, and their symptoms. It may take time to heal acne, from a few weeks to several months. The results may last long or cease to appear once you stop drinking the tea. 

FAQs | Spearmint Tea For Acne

People usually have plenty of questions about drinking spearmint tea for acne. Check out this section to clear out the remaining doubts you may have about the topic.

How to make spearmint tea for acne?

It is pretty simple to make spearmint tea perfectly. So much so that you can have it anywhere, have some tea leaves and add them to your boiled water that you earlier put to rest. Let it sit for a few minutes before you strain and drink it. Scroll up to see the complete details.

Who should not drink spearmint tea?

Spearmint tea is primarily safe to consume by most people. But it may be risky to consume it orally in large amounts during pregnancy. Also, there is a threat spearmint tea meddling with your particular medication to cause side effects. Suppose you have gastrointestinal reflux disease or GERD. In that case, you may want to avoid drinking it as it may trigger acid reflux. To check if you have the correct tea dose, consult a doctor.

What does spearmint tea do for acne?

Though it does not reduce your acne directly, it still works. When you consume spearmint tea for a few weeks, its antiandrogen properties lower the testosterone levels that flare up your hormonal acne. The male androgen hormones induce breakouts in women by overproducing sebum. The sebum, in turn, clogs the pores on the skin, causing acne or breakouts.  

How long does it take spearmint tea to work for acne?

Spearmint tea starts to work within four weeks, but you should anticipate complete results only by the end of three to four months. The results may differ individually, which is valid for your case too. But you should start seeing the effects of the tea within a few weeks of its consumption. It may begin by lessening redness or stinging sensation, followed by a shrink in the acne area.  

Is peppermint tea good for acne?

Peppermint is much similar to spearmint except for its flavor and menthol concentration. The former (sweet) contains 0.5 percent of menthol, while the latter has 40 percent. However, there is a need for more research on this topic. Like spearmint, peppermint tea too may give an excellent fight to your acne inflammation. 

Can spearmint tea make acne worse?

The chances are rare that spearmint would make your acne worse as the prime effect of the tea is to do the exact opposite thing, i.e., healing. However, avoid consuming this tea in large amounts during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and kidney or liver disorders. You may see adverse effects on your kidney and liver if you drink spearmint tea in high quantities.  

Conclusion

Now you know how potent spearmint tea for acne is. Not only do research studies back this claim, but also tons of reviews vouch for it. The overall benefits of this mint tea surpass the realm of acne and cover other health perks too. Preparing the drink correctly to secure its complete gains would be best. Remember that spearmint tea has a few side effects, and verify if you can consume it.

Also, it may not work on some individuals, as you witnessed earlier. But familiarize yourself with the real cause behind your breakouts and follow the essential tips. Keep a check on your clean diet, hydration levels, and makeup habits. Lastly, sleep soundly to keep your stress at bay. You may take the last piece of advice as your first step today.

Let us know in the comments below if you have any more doubts about the topic. We will get back to you soon.