The Best Teas For Clearing Up Acne

Jan 29, 2025

Tea may not bring dramatic results for acne, but they are well tolerated and produce far fewer side effects than acne medications. This is why these teas are some of the best drinks to help fight acne.

The best teas for acne are: Rooibos tea, Chamomile tea, Spearmint tea, Stinging Nettle tea, Dandelion, Arrowroot, Ginger, Green tea, and hibiscus tea

Along with drinking teas for acne, you can use the tea as topical agents for acne too. In some cases, acne can be treated both by drinking and applying the same herbal teas on the skin.

The best teas for acne are

Rooibos tea
chamomile tea
Spearmint tea
White Tea
Stinging nettle tea
Dandelion Tea
Green tea
Arrowroot tea
Hibiscus Tea

ROOIBOS TEA

Rooibos tea is considered an effective tea for acne because it has benefits like Antioxidant, antibacterial and immune-modulating properties.

Rooibos tea helps acne because it contains high levels of 3 powerful antoxidants: nothofagin and aspalathin as well as superoxide dismutase. These antioxidants provide an effective and broad protection against harmful free radicals and protect skin from damage.

Rooibos Tea also helps with acne by reducing the severity of inflammatory acne lesions since it helps regulate the immune system response.

How To Use Topically:

Applying on skin provide a mild antibacterial effect as it can contribute to the elimination of acne-causing bacteria on the skin
help remove excess sebum and dead skin cells from the skin
help protect the skin from irritants

CHAMOMILE TEA

Chamomile tea is considered one of the best teas for acne, because it can provide antioxidant, a nti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits.

Benefits of Chamomile tea for acne:

Drinking the tea can reduce the severity of acne breakouts, applying the tea topically can also help relieve acne symptoms.
Chamomile compresses used on the skin was compared to have a comparable activity to 1% hydrocortisone ointment in reducing skin inflammation. It can also help protect the skin by reducing the damage done by free radicals and also acne-causing bacteria.
Cold chamomile tea bags can be pressed on pimples to reduce the swelling and redness.

SPEARMINT TEA

Spearmint tea is one of the best teas for acne because it is anti-androgenic and known to prevent a hormonal imbalance that could trigger acne breakouts. If your acne is due to an excess of male sex hormones like testosterone and androgen, then spearmint tea is worth a try.

It stimulates the production of hormones like estrogen which can help balance out the excess androgen or testosterone hormones. 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.

The antioxidant effect of spearmint tea can help prevent oxidative damage to the skin. Thus it can protect the skin and prevent the formation of acne lesions.
When drank, spearmint does not also reduce the amount of total testosterone in the body, it produces far less side effects unlike other acne drugs used to reduce the levels of androgens in the body.

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 with guidance from a doctor.

Important Note: This should not be used by pregnant and lactating women.

White Tea

White tea also has high anti-inflammatory properties that can benefit skin. It is high in catechins which has anti microbial properties. White tea may also reduce oxidative stress which can be beneficial for acne.

STINGING NETTLE TEA

This tea is thought to purify and detoxify the blood, which naturally clears the skin right up.

This tea is rich in B vitamins, vitamin K, selenium, and zinc. These factors combine to help give the drinker clearer skin.

Using plant extracts on skin containing stinging nettle resulted in decreased acne most likely due to the anti inflammatory and anti bacteria properties of stinging nettle.

DANDELION TEA

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 FOR ACNE

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.

According to a recent study, green tea was just as effective as 4% benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne.

When Green tea was applied topically in a formula with 2.5% concentration of green tea daily for 60 days. the results showed that sebum 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

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!

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Hibiscus tea

Hibiscus tea is known for its high level of antioxidants like Vitamin C and betacarotene. The anti oxidant effects can be beneficial for acne.

It can also help reduce acne when applied topically too. That's because hibiscus contains AHA's like malic acid which can help exfoliate the skin to prevent clogged pores. There's also potential for hibiscus to promote collagen which is beneficial if you have acne scarring.

HOW TO APPLY TEA TOPICALLY FOR ACNE

One important thing to remember is that preparing and drinking tea is straightforward, but applying herbal tea on the skin requires some guidance.

Prepare Your Tea For Topical Use

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 freshly 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.

Cleanse skin first. I like to use this mint cleanser because it has ingredients like chamomile for acne as mentioned earlier.
After washing, apply the cooled brewed tea on the skin with a cotton ball like a toner.
Allow the tea to dry on the skin and rinse off after 10 minutes.

How to make a tea poultice for acne:

You can also soak a small, clean towel in the tea to make a poultice (a soft, moist mass of cloth).
Spread the poultice on the affected area of the skin and leave it for 15 minutes before rinsing off.
Apply a good quality moisturizer after to prevent skin dryness.

Clearly, these best teas for acne have lots of acne clearing benefits! However, just because these teas and herbs are natural, doesn’t mean they don’t come with possible side effects or reactions. Consider speaking to a herbalist or 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.