While Excessive hair growth caused by hormones, genetics, and drugs can be dealt with through temporary hair removal methods like waxing, shaving, and threading, you need more than that to manage hirsutism.
Recently, spearmint oil has been the talk of the town and a popular TikTok remedy to reduce unwanted facial hair growth significantly. Therefore, women often wonder “Does spearmint oil stop hair growth” before using it on the face and other areas with excess hair.
So, did you also find your way here while wondering the same? Or are you looking forward to another method to help you eliminate unwanted facial hair?
Many people seek effective solutions for unwanted facial hair, exploring various methods that may suit their needs.
Well, in any case, we have got you covered as we will talk about spearmint oil, its uses, its benefits for unwanted hair, its alternatives, and much more in this article.
This article will provide comprehensive information about spearmint oil, highlighting its potential benefits and alternatives to address unwanted hair.
Table of Contents:
- Part 1: What is Spearmint Oil and Its Benefits?
- Part 2: Spearmint Oil for Facial Hair
- Part 3: Does Spearmint Oil Stop Facial Hair Growth?
- Part 4: Spearmint Oil Vs. Peppermint Oil
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Part 5: Spearmint Oil Alternative
Understanding whether spearmint oil can effectively stop facial hair growth is crucial for those considering its use as a hair removal method.
Comparing spearmint oil to peppermint oil may reveal key differences in their properties and potential effects on hair growth.
Part 1: What is Spearmint Oil and Its Benefits?
Spearmint is a member of the mint family of herbs that resembles mint in appearance. It is fragrant, tasteful, and beneficial for health. It can be used as it is, to make tea, or in the form of oil. While spearmint itself has many applications, we will only discuss spearmint oil here.
Spearmint Oil
Spearmint oil is an essential and concentrated oil extracted by distillation of the spearmint plant’s roots, shoots, and leaves. Depending upon the type of spearmint used and the process involved, the oil varies in color from clear to olive green.
Benefits of Spearmint Oil
The benefits of spearmint oil from every organ of your body are given as,
Spearmint oil is known for its potential benefits across various systems in the body, contributing to overall health.
1. Balances Hormones and Reduces Excess Hair
The topmost reason why women use spearmint oil is to balance their hormones, especially in conditions such as PCOS. Here is a little table showing its effects on different hormones.
Many women turn to spearmint oil as a natural method to balance hormones, particularly when dealing with hormonal imbalances like those associated with PCOS.
| Increased level of | Decreased level of |
|
|
Consequently, hirsutism in women is reduced as increased levels of the male hormone testosterone are the culprit behind it.
The reduction of hirsutism is significantly linked to the lowering of testosterone levels, which can help alleviate excessive hair growth in women.
2. Plays a Role in Fighting Oxidative Damage
If we talk about the composition of spearmint oil, it contains a high level of
Spearmint oil is rich in antioxidants, which can help combat oxidative stress and promote healthier skin and hair.
- Vitamin C
- Flavones
- Flavonols
- Rosmarinic acid.
As most of these components are anti-oxidants, they protect the body against oxidative damage caused by free radicals.
Antioxidants play a crucial role in safeguarding the body from harmful oxidative stress, which can lead to various health issues.
Thus, it helps in the maintenance of health and preventing cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and lifestyle disorders.
By doing so, it may help reduce the risk of developing serious conditions, promoting overall wellness.
3. Good for Gut Health
The use of mint or spearmint in our everyday lives helps make your gut healthy by,
The incorporation of spearmint into your diet can significantly support digestive health.
- Stimulating digestion
- Relaxing abdominal muscle
- Treating nausea and vomiting
- Managing irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and indigestion.
By stimulating digestion, spearmint can help improve nutrient absorption and overall gut function.
Relaxing abdominal muscles may lead to a more comfortable digestive process and alleviate discomfort.
Spearmint has been traditionally used for soothing nausea, making it a natural remedy for upset stomachs.
These benefits make spearmint a popular choice for those seeking to manage digestive issues effectively.
The carvone compounds of spearmint are mainly involved in enhancing your gut health.
The carvone compounds in spearmint not only enhance gut health but may also contribute to better digestion and nutrient absorption.
4. Helps in the Management of Diabetes
Spearmint can be used in the management of diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes. This is because spearmint oil reduces,
Spearmint oil's ability to reduce body weight and improve insulin sensitivity may support diabetes management.
- Body weight
- Cholesterol
- Blood sugar.
Additionally, phenols present in spearmint oil work as antioxidants to fight free radicals produced due to increased blood sugar.
These antioxidants may help protect cells from damage, which is particularly important for individuals managing diabetes.
Also, remember that most of these effects of spearmint are shown in animal studies and its effects on humans are yet to be found.
While promising, further research on humans is essential to confirm the benefits of spearmint for diabetes management.
5. Relieves Muscle Pain, Headache, and Cramps
Spearmint oil relaxes the muscles and in this way, it helps relieve muscle pain and cramps. Additionally, it can reduce the intensity of headaches by calming your mind.
By relaxing muscles, spearmint oil may provide a natural remedy for tension-related pain, making it a popular choice for relief.
Note that, these benefits are mainly associated with peppermint oil and spearmint oil, being part of the same family has mild effects in alleviating pain.
6. Useful for Patients of Arthritis
Arthritis is associated with joint pain, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Rosmarinic acid present in spearmint essential oil and spearmint tea can deal with all of the joint issues caused by arthritis, specifically pain.
Rosmarinic acid is a compound that may help reduce inflammation and pain, making spearmint oil potentially beneficial for those suffering from arthritis-related discomfort.
Furthermore, it has shown effective results in the treatment of patients with arthritis.
Effective treatment for arthritis can greatly enhance quality of life, as it aims to alleviate pain and improve joint function.
7. Improves Mental Health
Spearmint oil helps in improving mental health by,
- Reducing anxiety, and stress
- Enhancing memory cells
- Stimulating peaceful sleep
Reducing anxiety and stress can lead to improved overall well-being, making spearmint oil a popular choice for relaxation.
Enhancing memory cells is vital for cognitive function, and spearmint oil may support better mental clarity and focus.
Stimulating peaceful sleep is essential for mental health, and using spearmint oil could assist in achieving a more restful night.
It does so by boosting the effects of GABA neurotransmitters. Therefore, you can enjoy better mental health and functions if you use spearmint oil.
Boosting GABA neurotransmitters contributes to a sense of calm and relaxation, which is essential for maintaining good mental health.
8. Helps in the Treatment of Lifestyle Diseases
In addition to diabetes, spearmint oil reduces blood pressure as well. The carvones in spearmint relax the blood vessels and reduce contractions in them. As a result, blood flow increases while blood pressure is reduced.
9. Can be Used Against Microbes
Spearmint oil has antimicrobial properties. Its use in meal prep reduces the incidence of diseases caused by bacterial infestation of food. Such diseases include E.Coli and Listeria infections.
Additionally, its topical application helps in the treatment of fungal infections like Athlete’s foot.
Topical application of spearmint oil has shown promise in addressing common fungal infections, providing a potential natural option for relief.
Part 2: Spearmint Oil for Facial Hair
Spearmint oil has recently gained popularity as a natural remedy against excessive hair growth. Being an essential oil, using it directly on the skin might cause skin irritation and sensitivity.
While effective as a natural remedy, it is crucial to handle spearmint oil with care to avoid skin issues.
Therefore, the trick is to mix a few drops of spearmint oil with a moisturizer and massage it into the skin with unwanted hair.
Spearmint oil increases the level of female hormones, decreases the level of male hormones, and has antiandrogenic effects. As a result, it reduces facial hair growth.
By influencing hormonal levels, spearmint oil may offer a natural solution for those seeking to manage unwanted facial hair growth.
Its effects on animals have been determined scientifically in a study published in PubMed [1]. Similarly, a clinical trial took place in women in Turkey to find out if spearmint oil can help hirsutism in humans.
This research underpins the potential of spearmint oil in reducing excess hair growth, opening avenues for further exploration in human applications.
According to this research, the finding has been encouraging [2].
The study's findings suggest that spearmint oil may be a promising option for women seeking relief from hirsutism, warranting further investigation.
Part 3: Does Spearmint Oil Stop Facial Hair Growth?
If we talk about stopping facial hair growth entirely, spearmint oil cannot do that. However, if we talk about reducing facial hair growth, spearmint oil is definitely effective as determined by a few clinical trials and research.
Spearmint oil may help in reducing facial hair growth, but it does not completely stop it.
There needs to be more research to confirm its effects on facial hair growth. Also, its efficiency in reducing facial hair differs from person to person. So, you will need additional methods to manage hirsutism in addition to spearmint oil.
Part 4: Spearmint Oil Vs. Peppermint Oil
As people confuse spearmint oil with peppermint oil, here are the comparisons between both.
Specie
Both spearmint and peppermint belong to “the mint or Lamiaceae family”. Spearmint or mentha spicata is garden mint while peppermint is produced as a result of the reproduction of spearmint with watermint.
Spearmint (mentha spicata) and peppermint are both part of the mint family, contributing to their similar characteristics.
Composition
Both oils are rich in antioxidants. However, the content of menthol and menthone is higher in peppermint oil while the content of carvone and limonene is higher in spearmint oil.
Antioxidants in both oils contribute to their beneficial effects, but their chemical compositions differ significantly.
Properties
Because of the chemical properties of spearmint and peppermint, the scent and flavor of peppermint are stronger than compared of spearmint.
The stronger scent and flavor of peppermint is attributed to its unique chemical properties, making it more potent than spearmint.
Benefits and Uses
Let us compare the benefits and uses of both with the help of a table.
| Spearmint Oil | Peppermint Oil |
|
|
Role in Facial Hair Reduction and Hair Growth
As you can see from the table above, spearmint oil plays an important role in reducing unwanted hair growth. On the other hand, peppermint has a subtle to no effect in treating hirsutism.
Spearmint oil is effective in reducing unwanted hair growth, particularly when compared to peppermint, which has minimal effects.
Therefore, the anti-androgenic and hormone-balancing properties of spearmint make it highly efficient in the management of PCOS and hirsutism.
The effectiveness of spearmint is linked to its anti-androgenic properties, making it beneficial for conditions like PCOS.
Which One to Choose?
Spearmint essential oil can serve you better if you want to get rid of unwanted facial hair with natural remedies as it has clinically proven anti-androgenic effects.
Spearmint essential oil has been studied for its effects on unwanted hair, particularly on the face, making it a popular choice for those seeking natural remedies.
In contrast, peppermint essential oil seems like a better option if you want to make your cuisine more flavourful and healthy. Also, it has more benefits for pain in different areas of the body.
Peppermint essential oil not only enhances the flavor of dishes but also provides additional benefits, including potential relief from pain, making it a versatile option.
Part 5: Spearmint Oil Alternative
As spearmint oil alone is not enough to get rid of unwanted facial or body hair, you should use a hair removal method that can give you long-lasting results without any pain or skin damage. As spearmint oil alone is not enough to get rid of unwanted facial or body hair, you should use a hair removal method that can give you long-lasting results without any pain or skin damage.
In such cases, the Ulike Air 10 IPL Laser Device brings you the most advanced and revolutionary IPL hair removal technology with,
This device uses advanced IPL technology to offer a modern solution for hair removal, making it an option worth considering.
- Dual lights, a wide treatment window
- Next-generation ice-cooling technology
- Quick 10-minutes treatments
- Results lasting for 6 months
- Complete hair removal kit
Therefore, we recommend you use it in addition to spearmint oil. In this way, you can manage both the cause and effect of hirsutism. Here the cause is hormonal imbalance and the effect is strong hair follicles.
Conclusion
Spearmint oil has a high content of carvones, limonene, rosmarinic acid, and flavones. These antioxidants and phenol compounds help in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, gut disorders, and more.
However, its role in managing hormonal imbalance and thus reducing facial hair growth is worth appreciation. Therefore, we put a light on the way spearmint oil can reduce unwanted hair growth in this article.
Additionally, ensure that you use spearmint oil and not peppermint oil for facial hair as peppermint oil shows effects on reducing unwanted hair. Lastly, you can boost the effects of spearmint oil by using IPL hair removal devices.
References
1. Role of Essential Oil of Mentha Spicata (Spearmint) in Addressing Reverse Hormonal and Folliculogenesis Disturbances in a Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in a Rat Model. Mahmood Sadeghi Ataabadi, Sanaz Alaee, Mohammad Jafar Bagheri, and Soghra Bahmanpoor. Adv Pharm Bull. 2017 Dec; 7(4): 651–654. PubMed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788221/
2. Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. A randomized controlled trial. Paul Grant. Phytother Res. 2010 Feb;24(2):186-8. doi: 10.1002. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19585478/
