Hormonal acne: what zinc and spearmint can do

1. 

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   Zinc (gluconate or sulfate)

   Modest help with inflammatory acne; people with acne tended to have lower blood zinc.

   What the research shows: A 2020 meta-analysis found people with acne had lower blood zinc than controls, and people given zinc had fewer inflamed spots, with side effects similar to comparators. The trials were small and varied, and how zinc compares with standard acne treatments is not established. (PMID 32860489)

   • Adult upper limit: 40 mg/day from all sources. Weeks of zinc at 50 mg/day or more can lower copper.
   • Separate zinc from quinolone or tetracycline antibiotics, which are commonly used for acne.

   In the studies

   • The 2020 meta-analysis pooled oral and topical zinc trials in acne; doses varied and are not given in its abstract. Oral zinc above 40 mg a day exceeds the US upper limit.

   A record of what researchers gave, in whom; not a dose for you.

   EvidenceClimited (Grade C)

   Quick pick · Momentous

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   Momentous Zinc, 60 capsules

   1 capsule: 15 mg zinc (as zinc picolinate); 60 servings

   $19.99price checked Oct 19, 2026 on Momentous’ site

   One-time

   $19.99

   Subscription

   $14.99

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   Also from our partners

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   • L-OptiZinc 30 mgSupersmart

     1 tablet: 30 mg elemental zinc as zinc L-methionine (L-OptiZinc); 120 servings

     $23checked Oct 11, 2026 on Supersmart’s site

     Shop at Supersmart (paid link, opens in new tab)

   • 

     NOW Foods Zinc, 50 mg, 100 TabsHerbsPro

     1 tablet: 50 mg zinc (as zinc gluconate)

     50 mg per tablet, above the 40 mg adult upper limit.

     $5.01checked Oct 14, 2026 on HerbsPro’s site

     Shop at HerbsPro (paid link, opens in new tab)

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   • Offer terms from Momentous’ site, checked Oct 8, 2026. Offers can change; the brand's checkout is final.
2. 02Optional

   Spearmint tea

   Optional, cheap and pleasant. Small trials found lower free testosterone; visible hair changes were not confirmed.

   What the research shows: In 42 women with PCOS, spearmint tea lowered free and total testosterone over 30 days. Women rated their excess hair as improved, but clinicians measuring it with a standard scale did not see a significant change in that short time. (PMID 19585478)

   • Generally safe as a tea. Large amounts may worsen reflux.

   In the studies

   • The PCOS trial gave one cup of spearmint tea twice a day for 30 days.

   A record of what researchers gave, in whom; not a dose for you.

   EvidenceDpreliminary (Grade D)

   What to look for on the label

   Plain spearmint (Mentha spicata) tea bags or loose leaf; not peppermint, and not capsules.

   We only name brands we have vetted and work with; a specific pick will appear here once one is approved.

Listed picks above total $19.99 at one-time prices on the brands' own sites; most hold about a month of servings at the label's serving size.