By: Miles
Tea may not bring dramatic results all the time but they are well tolerated and produce far fewer side effects that regular acne medications. This is why they are one of the best drinks to take to help fight acne. The best teas for acne are: Rooibos tea, Chamomile tea, Spearmint tea, Stinging Nettle tea, Dandelion, arrowroot, ginger, and Green tea.
Along with drinking the teas for acne, you can use the tea as topical agents for acne too.However, the tea has to be brewed to allow the active ingredients to seep into tea solution. This should be the case for both actions - for drinking and for topical application. And in some cases, acne can be treated both by drinking and applying the same herbal teas on the skin.
Rooibos is a legume plant that is native to South Africa. It is also called Red Bush and has been used in the traditional medicine of its native country for centuries.
Rooibos tea is considered an effective tea for acne because it has benefitslikeAntioxidant,antibacterial andimmune-modulating properties.
Rooibos tea helps acne because it contains high levels of nothofagin and aspalathin as well as superoxide dismutase. These 3 antioxidants provide an effective and broad protection against harmful free radicals and they are active on the skin too. Therefore, they can mop up reactive oxygen species and prevent damage to the skin.
Rooibos Tea also helps with acne by reducing the severity and breakout of inflammatory acne lesions since some of the chemical contents of this tea help regulate the immune system and the detrimental aspects of the immune response in acne breakouts.
How this tea helps acne by applying it on skin:
For many centuries chamomile tea has been used as a traditional medicine. Chamomile tea is considered one of the best teas for acne, because it can provide antioxidant,anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits.
Benefits of Chamomile tea for acne are:
Spearmint tea is one of the best teas for acne because it is anti-androgenic and known to prevent a hormonal imbalance that is known to trigger acne breakouts. If your acne is due to an excess of male sex hormones like testosterone and androgen, than spearmint tea is worth a try. It stimulates the production of female sex hormones such as estrogen which are known to reduce acne breakouts. Spearmint tea is also recommended for hormone based conditions like PCOS too.A study showed that women drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea daily for 5 days reduced free testosterone levels in blood.
If your hormonal acne is caused by a high ratio of testosterone levels compared to estrogen, then spearmint tea could be great to try for hormonal acne.
This is especially recommended for women experiencing adult acne which flares up during their menstrual cycles. Because of its ability to affect the hormone levels in the body, spearmint tea should only be consumed in moderate amounts.
Important Note: This should not be used by pregnant and lactating women.
This tea is thought to purify and detoxify the blood, which naturally clears the skin right up. Herbalists also claim that this can be used to make a herbal tea that supports skin and hair health.
This tea is rich in B vitamins, vitamin K, selenium, and zinc. These factors combine to help give the drinker firmer and clearer skin.
This herb has actually been used medicinally for centuries. Native Americans used it to promote skin health, and some of the today’s herbalists and naturopathic doctors recommend it for the same purpose.
Dandelion is thought to help the skin by improving liver function, which cleans the blood and removes toxins from the body.
Dandelion root also contains a ton of antioxidants, which help prevent premature aging, as well as vitamins A, B, C, and the minerals iron, potassium, and zinc, which all support clear skin.
Green tea is considered as the Powerhouse of all teas for acne. Many point to green tea if they are looking for the best tea for acne. But does green tea really help with acne? The short answer is yes!
Green tea contains multiple antioxidants including EGCG, carotenoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and selenium which are responsible for promoting skin health by preventing oxidative damage due to harmful free radicals, making green tea effective for reducing acne.
When Green tea was applied topically in a formula with 2.5% concentration of green tea daily for 60 days. the results showed thatsebum production was decreased by as much as 80% after 8 weeks. If your acne is due to oily skin and excessive sebum, applying green tea daily for several weeks could reduce your acne and sebum production without the strong side effects of medications.
Arrowroot tea is known to be anti-inflammatory and a digestive aid. It's not entirely known exactly how it works, but it helps soothe digestive issues, and it is also protective of mucous membranes which is why its beneficial for digestive issues. Some studies of arrowroot show that it also boosts the immune system. Reducing inflammation, and aiding digestion can reduce acne as inflammation is usually what leads to the redness and flare up of acne. To use, mix arrowroot powder into some water and enjoy!
Ginger is well known for soothing an upset stomach, but it could also benefit those with acne too! This is because ginger contains over 30 gingerol compounts that have antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties. Ginger tea can be made by boiling a spoonful of chopped ginger in water for a minute, you can also apply the liquid topically too so the anti-inflammatory properties go directly do the skin. If you have been having digestive issues, and dealing with more pain and redness on your skin, ginger may be a good choice for you to try out.
Other Acne Benefits of Green Tea:
One important thing to remember is that preparing and drinking tea is straightforward, but applying herbal tea on the skin requires some guidance.
You can pick any of the teas for acne mentioned in this list. Prepare the tea by placing your tea bags, or tea leaves in just boiled water for about 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let them cool so you don’t burn your skin. If you are using leaves, you can filter it out and place the leaves on a clean paper towel for use later. Let the brewed tea cool down as well. Both the leaves, and the tea can be used topically.
How to make a tea poultice for acne:
Clearly, these best teas for acne have superpowers! However, just because these teas and herbs are natural, doesn’t mean they don’t come with possible side effects or reactions. Still, consider speaking to a herbalist or other health practitioner to make sure you don’t have any contraindications or health issues that would make these teas unhelpful or even harmful to you.