Mint is the most cooling herb in the scorching summer heat. Drinking mint water won’t only cool down your body but will help get rid of acne as well!
Yes, it contains the first love of all acne-prone beings, the holy grail of the acne world, the salicylic acid and vitamin A too. I am not even kidding!
Along with these two amazing anti-acne actives, mint contains menthol, rosmarinic acid, and several flavonoids, primarily eriocitrin, luteolin, and hesperidin etc. These fancy-named chemicals provide all the good things and cooling effects of mint
This article is about how mint water can benefit acne and how to use it to get clear glowing skin and body.
FUN FACT – 9 types of mints are there and horsemint has the highest amount of antioxidants (source).
Table of Contents
How to Make & Consume Mint Water for Acne
You can consume acne in the form of infused (also called pretty water) water and in the form of tea as well.
How to Make Mint Water
Take 15-30 Mint leaves, crush them a bit with a mortar, then add it to a glass jug. Add a few slices of lemon and fill it with drinking water.
Keep it undisturbed for a few hours and it’s ready to be consumed!
How to Consume Mint Water For Acne
Drink about one litre of mint water every day till your skin gets cleared. Don’t overdo it and drink normal water after you have drank that one litre of mint water. Also, make a fresh batch every day and discard any unused water after a day.
Spearmint and peppermint are the two most common forms of mint available. Fortunately, both have anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory and cooling effects. You can consume any one of these as per the availability in your area.
In my area in India, I get peppermint mostly and I grow it in my container garden throughout the summer. It is so easy to propagate and grow.
Spearmint vs Peppermint
- More details here
How to Apply Mint on Acne
Mint is also known as Pudina in India and is used in various drinks, coolers, salads and for topical acne treatment as well.
Although the internet is full of various mint pack recipes but I found only two ways do-able.
Here are the two doable mint face packs for acne treatment or to calm down irritated skin –
1. Mint & Curd Face Pack For Acne
Take about 10 leaves of mint, add 2 teaspoons of curd to it and grind it in a mixer grinder, add one teaspoon of honey to avoid a watery consistency. When the consistency becomes pack-like, apply it on your clean face and wash it off after 20 minutes.
If the consistency is still watery, then you can add one teaspoon of rice flour or gram flour to it. Now it will act as an exfoliator as well.
2. Mint and Fuller Earth (Multani mitti) Pack
This pack is best for oily skin as fuller earth absorbs excess oil and cleans pores as well. Crush 10-15 leaves of mint in a mortar pestle or in a grinder with one tablespoon of water or rosewater.
Then take two teaspoons of fuller earth powder and add it to reach the pack consistency.
Once ready, apply it on a clean face and wash off after 15 minutes or when it is 80% dry, whichever is earlier.
Always follow it with a gel-based moisturizer, some of the best moisturizers in India for Oily acne-prone skin.
Things to Consider While Using Mint Face Packs for Acne
- If the mint starts tingling on your skin beyond comfort then remove the face pack immediately.
- Add any kind of flour (rice flour/gram flour) to the pack if it’s too watery.
- Always wash the mint leaves thoroughly before using to remove any dirt from them.
More topical pudina mint face packs here ( don’t apply lemon juice directly on your skin as mentioned in it, other packs are fine)
How to Make Mint Water Toner For Acne At Home
Making a mint water toner is very easy and works really well in calming inflammatory acne.
Just boil about 15-20 mint leaves in 2 cups of water, when the water remains half. Then let it cool at room temperature and strain it in a spray bottle.
You can now use this mint water as an anti-acne toner, the same as ACV toner but will last for 5-6 days in the fridge only.
You can also use it as a face-mist during the hot summer days to calm the summer heat and hydrate the skin.
Read here – Calming Face Packs for Summer for Acne Prone Skin
How to Increase the Efficacy of Mint Water For Acne
Mixing mint with Vaseline has been proven to enhance its benefits many folds (source). It is especially good for accelerating wound healing.
How to Use?
Mix mint juice and Vaseline thoroughly, and apply a thin layer on the scratch/itch/tan that you wish to treat. Peppermint is loaded with lots and lots of antioxidants like others (source).
Try not to apply it on deep wounds or open wounds without consulting your healthcare provider.
I haven’t tried it on active acne yet, so a small patch test is necessary before slugging your whole face with Vaseline.
Benefits of Mint for Skin
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The Mint Goodness
Mint has antioxidant(2), antibacterial due to the presence of zinc in it (4), anti-inflammatory (3), and antimicrobial properties. So it is effective on pretty much any kind of skin infection and inflammation, including acne.
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Decreases Androgens
Mint is known to decrease androgens (male sex hormones) so can decrease acne and facial hair when consumed regularly. However, reducing hair on the face takes a longer time as mentioned in this study.
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Treats Hormonal Acne
Not just inflammatory acne, but mint water also helps in hormonal acne. It reduces testosterone levels in this study and in this study in rats and peppermint had the same effect as spearmint, so males should take precautions and drinking mint tea daily can decrease testosterone levels significantly. Another reason why it helps in PCOS symptoms too.
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Anti-aging Properties
This cooling herb is also anti-ageing in nature and boosts fertility in women. retains its properties even when it’s dried up (source).
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Pores God
It helps in unclogging pores and tightening them as well. So no more annoying big visible pores anymore. Clean pores are invisible pores!
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Removes Blackheads
As it is an amazing pore cleanser, removing blackheads and whiteheads is a no-brainer. Simply rub some mint leaves on your nose and see the result!
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Dark Spot Reduction
Mint has skin whitening properties, so it helps in decreasing dark spots and hyperpigmentation too. Say hello to mint and say hello to clean even-toned skin.
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Calms irritated Skin
Skin irritation can be due to many things, hot weather, skin inflammation, reaction to some new skincare product, or irritation due to any chemical. Mint calms the skin down like rain on fire, menthol in mint decreases the temp and soothes the skin.
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Heals Wounds
Worked amazingly faster when peppermint essence is mixed with vaseline gel (source) (source) as mentioned above.
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Reduces Dark circles
As it has whitening properties, it reduces the pigmentation present under the eyes, More tips to remove undereye dark circles.
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Removes Dandruff
That’s why all anti-dandruff shampoos have menthol in them. Calms the irritated flaky scalp and treats dandruff. As dandruff is a kind of fungal infection and mint has anti-fungal properties.
Other Benefits of Mint/Pudina For Body
- Rosmarinic acid present in mint helps treat allergies & asthma.
- Aids in Digestion ( reduces air, pain and diarrhoea (source) as it is cooling in nature)
- Eliminates Mouth odour (No wonder all toothpastes have mint in them)
- Improves and uplifts Mood
- Repels spiders & bugs
- One of the best Nausea treatment
- Keeps the mosquitoes away (source)
- Removes Metal toxicity effect, when exposed to some metal chemicals, it doesn’t let that metal come in its leaves still making it safe for consumption (source)
- Protects from various disorders, is cardioprotective, anti-cancerous and Anti-diabetic (source) as well.
Side-Effects of Mint
- Mint decreases iron absorption, so avoid giving it to children regularly or to those adults who are already anaemic (source).
- Don’t use essential oils (like peppermint essential oil etc) on direct application for the skin, it can irritate the skin. Use only 20% of essential oils (mix with 80% of any other moisturizer) on acne as per this study and further studies are required. However, some studies quote that 1% usage of peppermint oil/extract or powder is safe enough as well as effective. So just add one drop of essential oil to your moisturizer, mix thoroughly, and perform a patch test on your arm before applying it on the whole face.
FAQs About Drinking Mint Water For Acne
Question. How to make mint drinks for acne?
Answer. Add a few crushed mint leaves to water, add lemon slices, ice and water. Enjoy this refreshing drink! You can add some honey or salt as per your liking.
Question. Can Mint remove pimples?
Answer. Yes, applying mint water on acne and drinking mint water, both help eliminate acne and provide clear skin.
Question. Is it good to drink mint water every day?
Answer. Yes, it is good to drink mint water every day but as it reduces the androgen levels, stop drinking it regularly once your acne is clear (mostly within 2 to 4 weeks). Then drink it twice a day or so.
Question. What are the side effects of drinking mint water?
Answer. Don’t drink it for a long time continuously, also if pregnant or breastfeeding, avoid it. It reduces iron absorption as well, so not recommended for anemic people.
Question. Does Mint help with hormonal acne?
Answer. As mint decreases testosterone and other androgen levels, it plays an amazing role in clearing hormonal acne.
Question. Do I need to change water every day?
Answer. Yes, the mint leaves will wilt after 24 hours so you must change the water and leaves. Make a fresh batch every day. You can also make a fresh mint water batch every night and consume it during the day.
Question. How long will acne take to clear up after drinking mint water?
Answer. At least 2-3 weeks are required to clear the skin by drinking mint water. To get a speedy clearance, follow this detoxification routine for acne.
Question. How much mint water to drink per day?
Answer. About 1 litre of mint water is enough for everyday consumption. Don’t increase it and drink normal water once you have consumed that mint water for the day.
Wishing You all a soothing and Cooling, Acne-free Summer Ahead!
