My Top 5 Herbal Teas for Acne

My top 5 favourite herbal teas for acne

I have always been a big fan of herbal tea. This obsession began well before I began my naturopathic medical journey. I have never done great with caffeine as it will often trigger my anxiety. So over the years, I have leaned on herbal tea for comfort. There is something so soothing about preparing a yummy cup of herbal goodness. Even the process itself is calming to the nervous system.

When working with patients to heal their acne often times one area we need to work on is managing stress and keeping cortisol levels in check. There are so many ways we can help support our stress response, but of course one of my favourites is to use herbal medicine! In addition to reducing stress through the ritual of tea making, the herbs I have included below have many other properties that make them suitable for healing acne. Read on to learn more!

Chamomile

Chamomile is a soothing nervine tea that helps to relax the body and mind. It is most commonly found in sleepy time blends, but this tea can really be consumed at any time of day. It shouldn’t make you overly sleepy, just relaxed and calm. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and is very soothing for the gut which makes it helpful when it comes to healing acne as inflammation in the body and gut can aggravate acne.

Tastes like: floral, apple, honey-like notes

Dandelion Root

Dandelion root is excellent at supporting detoxification and can help stimulate the gut. Many people with acne struggle with sluggish detox pathways and dandelion can help to improve the function of these pathways and clearance of toxins. The bitter taste of dandelion root can help stimulate digestive secretions such as stomach acid, bile, and digestive enzymes to help optimize the entire digestive system.

Tastes like: bitter, coffee-ish

Hibiscus

Hibiscus is rich in antioxidants including vitamin C and beta-carotene. These antioxidants help to neutralize oxidative stress which is one of the drivers of inflammation in the body. When healing acne it’s important to reduce inflammation as much as possible as inflammation is one of the driving factors of acne. Hibiscus can also help to reduce insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Elevated blood sugar and insulin levels trigger more sebum production and inflammation which clogs up pores leading to acne.

Tastes like: tart, citrus, pomegranate-like

Holy Basil

Holy basil is one of my favourite adaptogenic herbs! What does this mean? Adaptogens are herbs that help your body adapt to the effects of stress. This herb helps to keep you calm, yet alert. It has been used for thousands of years as ayurvedic medicine for many different ailments and many yogis have used it before long periods of meditation to help calm and focus the mind. It is great for those who are stressed as it helps to balance cortisol and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. It also helps to reduce elevated levels of blood sugar which is so important when it comes to healing acne as was mentioned above. Further, it has anti-microbial properties which can help reduce the activity of cutibacterium acnes (the bacteria largely responsible for acne).

Tastes like: spicy, bitter

Spearmint

Research has shown that drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea a day (must be spearmint, and not peppermint) can reduce elevated levels of testosterone in women. Elevated testosterone and androgen levels are one of the main drivers of hormonal acne in adult women. Lower levels of testosterone lead to decreased sebum production which results in fewer breakouts!

Tastes like: mint

When choosing herbal teas the quality is very important. I always like to purchase from companies that source organically and ethically. Two of my favourites are Harmonic Arts and Organic Matters.