Spearmint Tea for Acne, Green Tea and 5 More: What the Trials Actually Show
The best teas for acne are green tea, spearmint tea and, for a specific group of women, licorice tea; everything else on this page is tradition with a plausible mechanism and no acne trial. Green tea is the only one of the three with randomised trials that actually counted spots: oral decaffeinated green tea extract reduced inflammatory lesions on the nose, chin and around the mouth in women with moderate-to-severe acne over four weeks, and topical 2% green tea lotion cut lesion counts by more than half in small trials.
Spearmint deserves its reputation, with a caveat. Two small randomised trials in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and excess hair found that two cups a day lowered free testosterone within five to thirty days. That is the hormone behind jawline and chin acne that flares before a period, which is why spearmint became the internet's hormonal-acne tea. But no trial has ever measured acne lesions on spearmint; the evidence is for the hormone, not the skin, and 30 days was not long enough for hair to change, so expect eight to twelve weeks before you can judge your skin.
See a dermatologist rather than relying on tea if you have nodules or cysts, scarring, acne that started suddenly in your twenties or thirties with irregular periods or hair growth (ask about PCOS), or if you are already on isotretinoin or spironolactone, since a few teas here add to those drugs. Prescription options such as topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and spironolactone have far larger evidence bases than anything that comes in a cup.
Quick answer
- Green tea — oral extract and 2% topical lotion reduced inflammatory lesions in randomised trials; the only tea with acne-count data
- Spearmint tea — 2 cups a day lowered free testosterone in two small PCOS trials; promising for hormonal jawline acne, no acne trial yet
- Licorice tea — lowered serum testosterone in a small study of healthy women; blood pressure caveat limits it to short courses
- Cinnamon tea — targets the insulin and IGF-1 pathway that a low-glycaemic diet improved acne through in an RCT
- Chamomile tea — anti-inflammatory apigenin and better sleep; useful for stress-driven breakouts, no acne trial
- Milk-and-syrup matcha lattes — dairy and sugar are both linked to acne; drink your tea plain
The 7 best teas for acne
Ranked by the strength of human evidence. Strong = multiple trials or a meta-analysis. Moderate = a few small trials. Preliminary = early, traditional or animal data.
In a four-week double-blind trial of 80 women aged 25 to 45 with moderate-to-severe acne, 1,500 mg a day of decaffeinated green tea extract (about 856 mg EGCG) significantly reduced inflammatory lesions on the nose, around the mouth and on the chin compared with placebo, although total facial counts did not reach significance. Topically, a 2% green tea lotion cut lesion counts by 58% in six weeks in a 20-patient trial, and 1% and 5% EGCG solutions reduced lesions and sebum in an eight-week split-face study. EGCG lowers sebum output and the IGF-1 signalling that drives it.
- Key evidence
- Lu and Hsu 2016 RCT, 80 women (Complement Ther Med); Elsaie 2009 topical trial
- How to brew it
- 1 heaped teaspoon (2 g) per 250 ml at 75 to 80°C, 3 minutes; 3 cups a day, and the cooled tea works as a toner on a cotton pad
- Best for
- Oily, inflamed acne in adults; anyone who also wants a daily antioxidant habit
- Cautions
- Brewed tea is safe; high-dose extract capsules have caused rare liver injury, so do not escalate to supplements without talking to a clinician. Reduces iron absorption with meals, and the caffeine stacks with coffee. Patch-test the topical use first.
In a 30-day randomised trial of 42 women with PCOS and hirsutism, two cups of spearmint tea a day significantly lowered free and total testosterone and raised LH and FSH compared with chamomile placebo; women reported less hair growth, but the objective hirsutism score had not changed yet. An earlier five-day study in 21 women found the same hormone shift. Jawline and chin acne that flares premenstrually is largely androgen-driven, which is the logic for spearmint. Be clear-eyed: these are small trials of a hormone, not of acne, and the effect size on skin is unknown.
- Key evidence
- Grant 2010 RCT, 42 women with PCOS (Phytother Res); Akdoğan 2007
- How to brew it
- 1 tablespoon (2 g) dried spearmint, or a small handful fresh, per 250 ml just-boiled water, covered, 5 to 10 minutes; 2 cups a day, every day, for at least 8 weeks
- Best for
- Women with cystic jawline or chin acne that tracks the menstrual cycle, with or without a PCOS diagnosis
- Cautions
- Spearmint lowers androgens, so it is not for men trying to conceive or anyone on testosterone therapy, and it adds to spironolactone's effect. Avoid daily medicinal use in pregnancy. Mint can relax the lower oesophageal sphincter and worsen reflux.
In a small Italian study, nine healthy women who took 3.5 g of licorice daily saw serum testosterone fall from about 28 to 19 ng/dL in the first cycle and 17.5 in the second, returning to baseline when they stopped; glycyrrhizin blocks 17-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Licorice was later tested alongside spironolactone in women with PCOS, where it softened the drug's blood pressure drop. This is an anti-androgen signal from a handful of women, with a real side effect profile, so it ranks below spearmint despite similar logic.
- Key evidence
- Armanini 2004, nine women (Steroids); Armanini 2007 PCOS trial
- How to brew it
- 1 teaspoon (2 to 3 g) chopped licorice root simmered in 250 ml water for 10 minutes; 1 cup a day for no more than 4 weeks at a time
- Best for
- Short courses in women with hormonal acne who cannot tolerate spearmint's taste or want a second anti-androgen tea
- Cautions
- Glycyrrhizin raises blood pressure and lowers potassium; avoid entirely with hypertension, heart or kidney disease, diuretics, digoxin or corticosteroids, and in pregnancy. Deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) licorice is safer but has no anti-androgen effect.
Cinnamon's case rests on the insulin pathway rather than on acne trials. A 12-week randomised trial in 43 young men found a low-glycaemic-load diet reduced acne lesion counts roughly twice as much as a conventional diet, with falls in insulin and free androgen index, and cinnamon improves post-meal glucose and insulin sensitivity in meta-analyses. In the lab, cinnamon extract inhibits Cutibacterium acnes, but no human acne trial of cinnamon exists.
- Key evidence
- Smith 2007 low-glycaemic-load RCT (Am J Clin Nutr); cinnamon glucose meta-analyses
- How to brew it
- 1 Ceylon cinnamon stick simmered in 300 ml water for 10 minutes, or half a teaspoon of powder steeped 5 minutes; 1 to 2 cups a day with meals
- Best for
- Acne that worsens with sugar and refined carbohydrate, and people with insulin resistance or PCOS
- Cautions
- Use Ceylon rather than cassia for daily drinking to avoid coumarin. Cinnamon adds to glucose-lowering drugs. Cinnamaldehyde is a common contact allergen, so never apply the tea to skin.
A 2016 systematic review found 10 of 18 clinical studies of turmeric or curcumin for skin conditions reported benefit, mostly for psoriasis and wound healing; the acne data were a single small topical study. Curcumin kills Cutibacterium acnes in vitro and lowers IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in human trials, which are the cytokines behind red, swollen papules. Reasonable as an anti-inflammatory add-on, not a treatment.
- Key evidence
- Vaughn 2016 systematic review of 18 clinical studies (Phytother Res)
- How to brew it
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric or 2 cm fresh root simmered in 250 ml water or milk alternative for 10 minutes with a pinch of black pepper and a little fat; 1 cup a day
- Best for
- Inflammatory acne alongside other inflammatory complaints such as joint aches
- Cautions
- Turmeric has antiplatelet activity; check with your prescriber on warfarin or daily aspirin. It can trigger gallbladder contraction, so avoid with gallstones, and it may worsen reflux. Turmeric stains skin and clothing.
Chamomile has no acne trial, and its place here is indirect. Its flavonoid apigenin is anti-inflammatory in skin models, and chamomile improved sleep quality and lowered anxiety in randomised trials, which matters because sleep loss and stress raise cortisol and sebum output and are among the better-documented acne triggers in observational studies. It was also the placebo in the spearmint PCOS trial, where it did not lower testosterone, so it is a comfort tea, not a hormone tea.
- Key evidence
- Served as the inactive comparator in Grant 2010; chamomile sleep and anxiety RCTs
- How to brew it
- 1 tablespoon (2 g) dried flowers per 250 ml just-boiled water, covered, 5 to 10 minutes; 1 cup an hour before bed
- Best for
- Stress and exam-time breakouts, and as the evening cup when green tea is your daytime tea
- Cautions
- Avoid if allergic to ragweed, daisies or chrysanthemums. Chamomile adds to sedatives and may increase warfarin's effect at high intakes. Used on the skin, it can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people.
Nettle leaf is a traditional 'skin-clearing' tea across Europe with no human acne trial. The plausible pieces are an anti-inflammatory effect on cytokines in small human studies of allergic rhinitis and joint pain, and a modest effect on sex-hormone-binding globulin from the root (not the leaf) in men with prostate symptoms. It is caffeine-free, mineral-rich and harmless for most people, which is the strongest thing to be said for it.
- Key evidence
- Traditional use; small anti-inflammatory trials in other conditions
- How to brew it
- 1 tablespoon (2 g) dried nettle leaf per 250 ml just-boiled water, 10 minutes; 1 to 2 cups a day
- Best for
- People who want a caffeine-free daytime tea that does no harm while green tea and spearmint do the work
- Cautions
- Nettle has a mild diuretic and blood-sugar-lowering effect, so watch it with diuretics or diabetes drugs. Avoid medicinal amounts in pregnancy. Rarely, it causes stomach upset or a rash.
How to choose
- If your acne is oily, red and all over the face, start with green tea three times a day and consider using the cooled brew as a toner.
- If your acne sits on the jawline and chin and flares before your period, add two cups of spearmint a day and give it 8 to 12 weeks.
- If you also have irregular periods, hair growth or weight gain, ask your doctor about PCOS before you commit to a tea plan; spearmint and cinnamon still fit, but you may need more.
- If you have high blood pressure, skip licorice entirely and use spearmint as your anti-androgen tea.
- If breakouts track stress and bad sleep, chamomile at night is worth more than a third daytime tea.
- Whatever you choose, drink it unsweetened and without dairy; the tea cannot outweigh a daily sugar-and-milk habit.
What to skip
'Detox' and liver-cleanse teas for skin
Acne is not caused by toxins and the liver does not need cleansing. Senna-based detox teas cause cramps and dehydration, and dehydrated skin often produces more oil, not less.
Matcha lattes and milk tea
A 2018 meta-analysis of 78,529 people found dairy intake associated with higher acne odds, and sugary drinks are linked independently. The milk and syrup undo whatever the matcha was doing.
Peppermint as a spearmint substitute
They are different species. Spearmint is the one tested in the hormone trials; peppermint's anti-androgen data are from a rat study. Peppermint is fine for digestion but do not expect the same effect on skin.
Safety and when to see a clinician
- Tea is an add-on. If you have nodules, cysts or scarring, see a dermatologist within weeks, not months; scars are permanent and prescription treatment prevents them.
- Spearmint and licorice both lower androgens; do not combine them with spironolactone or anti-androgen contraceptives without telling your prescriber, and avoid them if you are trying to conceive as a couple or on testosterone.
- Licorice can raise blood pressure within two weeks; stop it if you get headaches, swelling or palpitations, and never use it with hypertension or diuretics.
- Green tea extract capsules, as opposed to brewed tea, have caused liver injury; if you want more EGCG, drink more tea rather than buying pills.
- Avoid medicinal amounts of spearmint, licorice and cinnamon in pregnancy; green tea is fine within 200 mg of caffeine a day.
- See a clinician urgently if acne appears with fever, joint pain or painful lumps in the armpits or groin, or if a 'breakout' is on one side of the face only.
What matters as much as the tea
- A low-glycaemic-load diet is the only dietary change with a randomised trial showing fewer lesions: more whole foods and protein, fewer white carbohydrates and sugary drinks.
- Cut dairy, particularly skimmed milk and whey protein, for 8 weeks and see; the association is consistent in large studies even if the mechanism is debated.
- Over-the-counter adapalene 0.1% gel at night plus benzoyl peroxide 2.5% in the morning outperforms every tea on this page and costs about the same.
- Change your pillowcase twice a week, stop touching your face, and shower after sweating; mechanical and bacterial load matters.
- Protect sleep: seven hours or more is linked to fewer breakouts in cohort studies and lowers the cortisol that drives oil.
Frequently asked questions
Does spearmint tea really help hormonal acne?
Probably, for some women, but nobody has proved it. Two randomised trials in women with PCOS found two cups a day lowered free testosterone, which is the hormone behind jawline acne. No trial has counted spots on spearmint, so the honest answer is a well-founded guess. Give it 8 to 12 weeks before judging.
How long does spearmint tea take to work for acne?
The hormone change shows up within 5 to 30 days in the trials, but a pimple takes weeks to form, so skin lags behind. Most people who respond notice fewer new cysts after one to two cycles. If nothing has changed after three months, it is not your tea.
Can men drink spearmint tea for acne?
Men can, but with care. Spearmint lowers testosterone in women, and animal data suggest the same in males, where it could affect libido and sperm. For a man with acne, green tea is the better choice, and persistent acne in adult men deserves a dermatologist rather than an anti-androgen tea.
Is green tea good for acne?
It is the best-supported tea. Oral green tea extract reduced inflammatory lesions on the nose, chin and mouth area in a four-week RCT of 80 women, and 2% topical green tea lotion cut lesions by about 58% in a small trial. Drinking three cups a day and using the cooled tea as a toner covers both routes.
Which is better for acne, spearmint or green tea?
Green tea for oily, inflamed acne across the face; spearmint for cyclical jawline and chin acne in women. They work through different pathways (sebum and inflammation versus androgens) and many women do best drinking green tea in the morning and spearmint in the afternoon and evening.
Can tea make acne worse?
Sweetened or milky tea can. Dairy and sugar are both associated with acne in large studies, so a daily matcha latte or boba is a plausible trigger. Plain tea does not cause acne, though licorice can cause fluid retention and puffiness, and very hot drinks can flush rosacea, which is often mistaken for acne.
Does chamomile tea help with acne?
Not directly. Chamomile was the inactive placebo in the spearmint trial and did not change hormones. Its anti-inflammatory apigenin and its effect on sleep and stress can help indirectly, which makes it a good bedtime cup rather than an acne treatment.
References
- Grant P. Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research (2010)
- Akdoğan M, Tamer MN, Cüre E, Cüre MC, Köroğlu BK, Delibaş N. Effect of spearmint (Mentha spicata Labiatae) teas on androgen levels in women with hirsutism. Phytotherapy Research (2007)
- Lu PH, Hsu CH. Does supplementation with green tea extract improve acne in post-adolescent women? A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2016)
- Elsaie ML, Abdelhamid MF, Elsaaiee LT, Emam HM. The efficacy of topical 2% green tea lotion in mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (2009)
- Saric S, Notay M, Sivamani RK. Green Tea and Other Tea Polyphenols: Effects on Sebum Production and Acne Vulgaris. Antioxidants (2017)
- Armanini D, Mattarello MJ, Fiore C, et al.. Licorice reduces serum testosterone in healthy women. Steroids (2004)
- Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A, Mäkeläinen H, Varigos GA. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007)
- Vaughn AR, Branum A, Sivamani RK. Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence. Phytotherapy Research (2016)
- Juhl CR, Bergholdt HKM, Miller IM, Jemec GBE, Kanters JK, Ellervik C. Dairy Intake and Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 78,529 Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Nutrients (2018)
- Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, et al.. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2016)
- Green Tea: Usefulness and Safety. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (2020)View source
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Ask about tea for acneThis guide is educational and is not medical advice. Herbal teas can interact with prescription medicines. Talk with a clinician or pharmacist before relying on any of them, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic condition, or take medication.