Spearmint Tea and Acne: What Science Says
Intro
Many people see me for holistic & integrative acne treatment, and a lot of people have asked me in-person and online about spearmint tea and acne. If you do a quick search on various social media apps and online, you will find that people are saying that spearmint tea has been helpful for their acne. But, what’s the REAL tea? Well, we’re going to talk about that and the science behind it.
If you don’t know who I am, I am Dr. Bryant Esquejo, ND. I am a California-licensed Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood. I focus on balancing gut health and hormones for those with acne. And, as a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, that means I am an expert in holistic AND integrative medicine.
What does Holistic medicine mean?
It means looking at a person as a whole and understanding how their whole being is manifesting as their symptoms. So, it means understanding a person’s symptoms AND understanding the underlying causes of those symptoms.
What does Integrative medicine mean?
It means being trained in both pharmaceutical/conventional diagnostics and treatments AND being trained in evidence-based natural medical options. So, in my practice, I like to provide a balanced outlook on acne treatment, and explain to patients that natural medicine isn’t necessarily better than conventional medicine, and vice-versa. And, I explain to them that healing is a SPECTRUM of different healing options. Once we start to see healing as a spectrum, it opens SO MANY opportunities for different treatment options to help people reach their goals!
Okay, enough about that! What are we going to dive into in this article? Here are the topics to expect:
The science behind spearmint tea and acne
Causes of acne
Naturopathic medicine and acne
NOTE: THIS BLOG POST DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AS MEDICAL ADVICE; IS MEANT TO BE EDUCATIONAL ONLY; AND IS NOT MEANT TO DIAGNOSE, PREVENT, TREAT, OR CURE. PEOPLE SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT THEIR TRUSTED LICENSED PROVIDER BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW TREATMENTS
Spearmint tea & Acne
You can find lots of people on TikTok, Instagram, and more speaking about their experiences with spearmint tea. So, what does science have to say?
What science says about spearmint tea and acne:
Going back to 2007, a small study showed that when females with PCOS took 1 cup of spearmint tea twice a day for 5 days during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle, it led to reductions in free testosterone, but no changes to total testosterone. Now why is this important? Well, we know that male sex hormones, called androgens (like testosterone), play a role in the development of acne. And, in PCOS, we know that people with PCOS can experience symptoms of high androgens, which look like hormonal, cystic acne; head hair loss; facial hair growth; and body hair growth; in addition to menstrual symptoms, and more!
Then, a follow-up study completed in 2010 showed that when people with PCOS took 1 up of spearmint tea twice a day for 1 month, it lead to reductions in free and total testosterone, and reductions in subjective changes of high testosterone symptoms. This sounds promising, right? Researchers do note that when high testosterone symptom scores were compared before and after the 1 month, there was no significant change to objective scores for high testosterone symptoms.
And after reviewing what colleagues have written about in regards to spearmint tea and acne, many of them mentions a study competed in 2016, but I was not able to find the citation for this study and was not able to find the study at all after deeper digging. So, if anybody has this study, please comment it down below!
So, what do I think of spearmint tea?
Science shows that it has the potential to reduce subjective changes in high testosterone symptoms, but that there were no significant changes to objective symptom scores. Additionally, the science only looks at spearmint tea in people with PCOS, and there is no other science completed in other populations. Given the current body of literature on spearmint tea and acne, it would be hard to say that spearmint tea would be helpful for those without PCOS.
Additionally, spearmint tea WOULD NOT be the first thing that I would recommend to patients seeing me for acne since it doesn’t truly address the underlying causes of someone’s acne. And, as a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, I am passionate about identifying AND addressing the root cause of a person’s symptoms with integrative options since it could provide more-meaningful solutions.
Causes (and triggers) of Acne
Acne is described as a skin condition where there is blockage and/or inflammation of the pore. Acne commonly develops on the face, forehead, chest, shoulders, and upper back. And, a doctor can diagnose acne clinically, which means a doctor can diagnose given the patient’s history and findings on physical examination. There are different types of acne, which are:
Non-inflammatory: Open comedones (blackheads) and closed comedones (white heads)
Inflammatory: Papules, pustules, nodules, or cysts
Causes of acne
Understanding how acne develops on the skin paves the way for possible options that a doctor may recommend to their patient. Acne develops on the skin because of 4 elements that take place in the pore:
Pore blockage/occlusion
Excess sebum (oil) production
Bacteria in the pore
Immune-mediated inflammation from bacteria
And, science does tell us that hormones play an integral role in the development of acne! Science tells us that male sex hormones, called androgens (like testosterone) have the potential to modulate pore occlusion and play a role in excess sebum production.
And, science tells us that there are some triggers that cause changes to male sex hormones in males and females that could trigger the development of acne.
Triggers of acne
Understanding the triggers of acne can be very helpful and empowering for people suffering with acne. It is also helpful for licensed Naturopathic Doctors, like myself, since it paves the way for more-personalized and more-targeted integrative and holistic treatment for people with acne. Some triggers of acne (but not all) include:
Diet & nutritional triggers
Science shows that diets may affect androgen levels and play a role in the development of acne. Specifically, research says that a diet high in simple carbohydrates can trigger the body to produce more androgens by triggering higher levels of insulin, and diets high in simple carbohydrates have been linked to the development of acne. In addition to this science says that whey protein found in dairy can trigger the body to also produce more androgens, and does so by triggering higher levels of insulin-like growth factor-1. If you want to learn about the gut health-acne connection, click here.
Stress & oil production
When the brain senses a stressor (physical, emotional, and/or psychological), the brain sends out a hormone called corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), which activates the body’s stress system. Research says that CRH has the potential to active oil-producing cells in the pore, which may explain why people may experience acne after a stressful event.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) & Male sex hormones
PCOS is a condition where people experience a hormone imbalance that has been linked to metabolic issues. More specifically, people with PCOS may experience higher levels of male sex hormones, leading to symptoms of high testosterone (as mentioned earlier), irregular or absent menstrual periods, and more. And, in regards to metabolic issues that have been linked to PCOS, research says that many people with PCOS experience issues with blood sugar and insulin resistance. If you want to learn more about PCOS, click here.
Medications & supplements linked Acne-like skin issues
Medications and supplements can sometimes trigger the development of acne and acne-like skin issues. Science shows that certain synthetic progesterones found in hormonal birth control have the ability to activate androgen receptors, possibly leading to the development of acne. Science also shows that whey protein supplements have been linked to the development of acne in bodybuilders. Beyond these, research shows that supplementation of vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 have been linked to the development of acne-like skin issues. And, literature shows that other medications may trigger acne-like skin issues, such as lithium, amoxapine, carbamazepine, phenytoin, azathioprine, ciclosporin, and more!
Skincare and make-up products
Sometimes acne is due to things just on the skin, and not issues deeper from within. Some skincare products have the potential to block pores, potentially playing a role in the development of acne. And, when make-up products and skincare products aren’t thoroughly cleansed off the skin, it may also block pores.
Most people like to use make-up wipes because of their easy and convenience. But, I personally prefer doing a double cleanser over using facial wipes since I’ve seen that it is better at removing all of the sunscreen that I reapply daily AND is great at taking off thick night creams that I apply in the evenings. A double cleanse is when a 2-step cleaning routine, and I prefer to use a cleansing oil or a cleansing balm as my first step to break-up think products on my skin, and then I like to use a gel cleasner as my second step to thoroughly cleanse my skin.
Naturopathic Medicine & Acne
Licensed Naturopathic Doctors are experts in integrative medicine AND holistic medicine. So, in regards to acne, we try to understand what is happening on the skin level AND understand the underlying triggers affecting skin health, and address those issues with knowledge in conventional/pharamceutical medicine AND natural medicine.
In regards to natural medicine, licensed Naturopathic Doctors are trained in:
Clinical nutrition
Lifestyle medicine
Targeted evidence-based supplementation of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids
Herbal medicine
And more!
And, I want you to know that there are many options that a licensed Nuatorpathic Doctor may recommend for people who experience acne. But, the first step is identifying the causes and triggers of YOUR acne!
From what I’ve seen in my clinical experience, and after helping many people clear up their skin, some natural options work at the same amount of time as some conventional/pharmaceutical options. And, from what I’ve learned from my patients, addressing underlying triggers and addressing causes provide more-meaningful treatments since plans are personalized for that person’s specific health nuances AND patients become more educated about their bodies and are empowered to adopt new habits that provide long-lasting effects.
Summary & Takeaways
This whole entire article was meant to address what science has to say about spearmint tea and acne. We went over what science has to say about spearmint tea and acne, and science seems to show that it reduces subjective severity of high-testosterone symptoms in PEOPLE WITH PCOS. And, due to the current body of literature, spearmint tea wouldn’t be the first thing that I would do for people who see me for acne. I would want to address what is happening on the skin level and actually identify and address the underlying causes and triggers of their acne.
Thanks so much for reading this article today! I hope you found it educational and helpful!
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