In anticipation to the upcoming Dermatology and Cosmetic Skin Care Course that we are planning to launch at the end of July, we will be releasing multiple dermatology focused clinical pearls over the next few weeks prior to the course!

Acne is one of the most common reasons for a patient to seek treatment with a dermatology provider. We have a vast armamentarium of prescription options at our disposal when it comes to treating acne; but what happens when your patient wants nothing to do with traditional medicine?

For some patients with hormonal acne, drinking two cups of spearmint tea daily has been shown to be helpful. A study done in 2015 by the American Academy of Dermatology demonstrated that patients who drank a cup of organic spearmint tea twice daily demonstrated a reduction in their inflammatory acne lesions with the effects seen as early as one month and continuing to improve at three months of use.

Additionally, there is an added bonus! This treatment may also help a little with hirsutism, which is excessive growth of hair on the face. The benefits of spearmint tea are that it is inexpensive, easy to obtain, and seems to be well tolerated without side effects.

Keep this option in mind for patients that need an alternative to traditional treatments for their acne and also advise them that as with any treatment, the regimen must be kept up for the results to continue to be seen.