In short

Diet may play a role in acne, but the evidence is more mixed than often suggested, so if in doubt consult your doctor or a dermatologist.

High-glycaemic foods and skim or low-fat milk have the strongest observed links. 

Whey protein supplements are worth avoiding. 

The hormonal changes of puberty remain the primary driver, and current clinical guidelines don't recommend any specific diet for acne treatment.

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Can what my daughter eats cause acne?

If she's been struggling with persistent spots, it's natural to wonder whether what she eats is making things worse.

Acne is fundamentally hormonal, driven by testosterone acting on the skin's oil glands during the stages of puberty. 

Diet doesn't cause that process, but certain eating patterns may influence how severe the acne becomes.

Both the UK's NICE (2023) and the American Academy of Dermatology (2024) reviewed the available evidence and reached a similar conclusion: it's not strong enough to recommend any specific diet for treating acne. 

What they do support is balanced nutrition and a healthy weight as part of general wellbeing, not as a targeted acne treatment.

If your daughter has been reading that cutting sugar or dairy will clear her skin, the reality is a bit more nuanced than that.

Do sugary foods make my daughter's acne worse?

High-glycaemic foods – those that raise blood sugar quickly – have the most consistent observed links to acne, though even here the evidence is mixed.

The theory is that these foods trigger a spike in insulin, which then stimulates oil glands in a way that compounds the hormonal effects already driving acne. 

Several randomised controlled trials have tested low-glycaemic diets against standard diets in acne patients. Some showed reductions in acne lesions. 

Others, particularly where participants' weight stayed stable throughout the study, found no significant difference between the two groups.

It's worth knowing that some of the apparent benefits in low-glycaemic diet studies may be partly explained by the weight loss that tends to come with them, rather than the dietary change itself.

High-glycaemic foods to be aware of include:

• White bread, white rice and refined pasta
• Sugary drinks and fruit juices
• Biscuits, cakes, sweets and highly processed snacks

Shifting towards whole grain alternatives is sound general nutrition. 

Whether the direct impact on your daughter's acne will be significant is harder to predict.

Could dairy be making my daughter's acne worse?

The dairy picture is more specific than it's often reported.

The strongest links in the research are with skim and low-fat milk specifically, rather than dairy as a whole. 

Milk has a high insulin index regardless of fat content, and skim milk may also contain higher concentrations of proteins that could stimulate oil production. 

Meta-analyses suggest that people drinking one or more glasses of milk per day are around 40% more likely to have acne than those who drink little or none – though these are observational associations, not proof of cause.

Interestingly, cheese doesn't show a significant association with acne in the research. 

Cheese has a low insulin index, which may help explain the difference.

There are no randomised controlled trials specifically on dairy and acne, all the existing evidence comes from observational studies. 

The association also appears to be more marked in Western populations than in others.

If your daughter suspects dairy is a trigger, she could try reducing skim or low-fat milk for six to eight weeks and track whether her skin responds. 

There's no strong basis for eliminating all dairy.

Should my daughter avoid whey protein if she has acne?

This is particularly worth knowing if she's sporty or following fitness trends online.

Whey protein supplements are derived from milk and have a very high insulin index. 

The 2024 American Academy of Dermatology guidelines specifically caution against whey protein supplements for adolescents and young adults with acne as it's one of the clearer practical takeaways in an otherwise cautious evidence base.

If she'd like a protein supplement, plant-based alternatives don't carry the same insulin-stimulating effect. 

luna's guide on whether teenage girls should take protein powder covers the options in more detail.

Does chocolate really cause my daughter's spots?

The link between chocolate and acne is one of the most persistent myths and the evidence doesn't support it.

Current guidelines don't recommend cutting out chocolate for acne management, and studies on chocolate specifically have been small and methodologically limited. 

Occasional chocolate, pizza or fried food is unlikely to explain acne on its own.

That said, highly processed milk chocolate that's high in sugar may have some indirect effect through the glycaemic route. 

Plain dark chocolate has a much lower glycaemic index than milk chocolate.

The overall quality of the diet matters far more than any single food.

What should my daughter eat to help her acne?

Rather than cutting individual foods, the evidence points toward an overall balanced, Mediterranean-style eating pattern as the most useful framing.

The foods worth including are:

• Olive oil, vegetables and fruits
• Whole grains and legumes
• Oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines (omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and some evidence of benefit in acne)
• Plenty of water

It's also worth knowing that maintaining a healthy weight may be one of the more meaningful links between nutrition and acne, not because of any specific food, but because excess weight can affect insulin sensitivity and the hormonal pathways involved.

luna gives teen girls a space to explore topics like skincare and nutrition at their own pace, with content reviewed by medical experts which might be useful if your daughter wants to understand what's driving her skin changes herself.

For more on the practical treatment side, luna's guide to helping your daughter manage acne is a useful companion read.

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FAQs

Should my daughter cut out dairy completely to help her acne?

There's no need to cut out all dairy based on current evidence. 

The stronger association is specifically with skim and low-fat milk, and cheese doesn't appear to carry the same risk. 

If she wants to test whether milk is a personal trigger, reducing it for a couple of months and tracking her skin's response is a reasonable approach. 

If she does cut it back, it's worth making sure she gets calcium from other sources.

Can vitamins or supplements help with acne?

Some studies suggest omega-3 supplements or more oily fish in the diet may help reduce inflammation, and zinc has shown modest benefit for mild to moderate acne in smaller trials. 

Neither is a substitute for medical treatment. 

If her acne is affecting her daily life, that's a conversation worth having with her doctor.

Is it worth keeping a food diary to spot triggers?

Yes, this can be a useful exercise if she suspects certain foods are making things worse. 

A two to three week diary tracking what she eats and how her skin looks can reveal patterns. 

It's also worth noting where she is in her menstrual cycle, as acne often fluctuates around her period.

Are there risks to focusing on her diet for her skin?

One worth being aware of. NICE's 2023 guidelines specifically flagged that detailed focus on food and weight in teenagers can risk fuelling eating disorders and adolescents are already more prone to body image anxiety. 

If your daughter is already anxious about food or her body, framing any nutrition adjustments as general wellbeing rather than a skin fix is worth keeping in mind.

If her acne is affecting her confidence or daily life, when to see a doctor about teen acne covers the signs it's time to get medical support.