🍫 Does chocolate really cause pimples?

Chocolate is often accused of causing pimples. Many people claim to notice an acne flare-up after consuming it. What's the truth?

Acne is an inflammatory skin disease that primarily affects teenagers, but also many adults. It appears when the hair follicles in the skin become clogged with a mixture of sebum and dead skin cells. Bacteria naturally present on the skin, particularly Cutibacterium acnes, can then promote inflammation and cause the characteristic lesions. This biological mechanism is well described in modern dermatological research.


For a long time, scientific studies found no clear link between chocolate and acne. Early research conducted in the 1960s did not observe significant worsening after chocolate consumption. This work led many dermatologists to consider that diet played a limited role in the appearance of pimples. Historical analyses of the scientific literature recall that early studies on diet and acne did not find a significant relationship.

Recent research, however, has provided a more nuanced view.

Several studies indicate that certain foods can influence acne, particularly those with a high glycemic index. Foods rich in simple sugars can cause an increase in insulin and other hormones that stimulate sebum production. This increased production can promote pore clogging and skin inflammation. Clinical trials have, for example, shown that a low-glycemic-index diet can reduce acne lesions.

Thus, chocolate may play an indirect role. Industrial chocolates often contain sugar and sometimes dairy products, two elements that have been associated with a possible worsening of acne in some studies. Several epidemiological studies have observed an association between milk consumption and the presence of acne, as shown in a study on diet and dairy products. So it's not necessarily the cocoa itself that is to blame, but rather the overall composition of the product consumed.

Some research has also examined the effect of pure cocoa. Experimental work has shown that consuming dark chocolate could increase acne lesions in some people already prone to this problem, as shown in a controlled clinical trial on the effect of chocolate on acne. Other studies have observed similar results, particularly in recent work on dark chocolate consumption and skin inflammation. However, these studies remain limited and do not allow the conclusion that chocolate directly causes pimples.

Science does not confirm the simple idea that eating chocolate systematically causes acne. The appearance of pimples depends on many factors, including hormones, genetics, stress, and diet type. Chocolate can sometimes contribute indirectly to the problem, especially when it is high in sugar, but it is not the sole cause of pimples.