Acne Cut

Myths & Misinformation

Does chocolate cause acne?

Drafted with AI assistance · not reviewed by a dermatologist · Published August 2, 2026 · Last updated October 5, 2026

Short answer

Probably not on its own for most people, but the question is not settled. A 1969 trial found no difference [1], while two small recent trials in young men found more spots after pure cocoa or very dark chocolate [2][3]. None is large enough to give a firm answer.

How settled

Still argued about

What we read

  1. Fulton JE Jr, JAMA 1969
  2. Caperton C, J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2014
  3. Vongraviopap S, Int J Dermatol 2016
  4. Reynolds RV, J Am Acad Dermatol 2024
  5. Williams HC, Lancet 2012
  6. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Acne: overview, symptoms and causes; diagnosis and treatment
  7. Smith RN, Am J Clin Nutr 2007
  8. Aghasi M, Clin Nutr 2019
  9. NHS, Acne
Pieces of dark chocolate on a white plate beside a glass of milk
Dark chocolate and a glass of milk. AI-generated illustration.

What the trials actually tested

Folded towels, amber bottles and a potted plant on a white shelf
A bathroom shelf. AI-generated illustration.

Only a handful of trials have tested chocolate directly, and they tested quite different things.

In 1969, researchers gave 65 people either a bar containing about ten times the chocolate of a normal 45-gram bar, or a look-alike bar made without chocolate, and found no significant difference in their acne [1][2]. Later critics pointed out that the comparison bar was built to match chocolate's fat and sugar, so the trial mainly tested the remaining ingredients, that it did not report the bars' xanthines, the family of compounds that includes caffeine, and that it counted every kind of spot the same way, whatever its severity [2].

In 2014, a team at the University of Miami recruited 14 men aged 18 to 35 who had a history of acne but very few spots at the start. Each swallowed capsules once, containing between none and six ounces of unsweetened 100-percent cocoa, with gelatin powder making up the rest. Thirteen finished. Spot counts were higher on day 4 and day 7 than at the start, and men who took more cocoa tended to develop more spots [2].

Two smaller studies sit between them. In one, 27 medical students ate chocolate bars for a week and the author saw no link with their acne, though the methods were poorly reported. In the other, an earlier pilot by the Miami team, 10 men ate up to six ounces of pure chocolate and developed more spots, but the study was neither blinded nor placebo-controlled, which is why the team repeated it with capsules [2].

In 2016, a group at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok asked 25 acne-prone men to eat 25 grams of 99-percent dark chocolate every day for four weeks. Acne scores and counts of blackheads, whiteheads and inflamed bumps were higher from the second week on [3].

Bar chart of the three chocolate trials by number of people: 65 in 1969 with no difference; 14 men in 2014 and 25 men in 2016, both with more spots.
The three trials at a glance. Bar length shows how many people took part. Sources 1, 2 and 3.

Why the answer is still open

The numbers are small: 65, 14 and 25 people [1][2][3]. The two recent trials included only men; the 2014 team left women out on purpose to avoid the effect of menstrual hormones, and noted that this limits what the result says about women [2].

The designs also leave gaps. The 2014 trial gave a single large dose rather than normal eating, and some participants felt sick afterward [2]. The 2016 trial compared each man with his own starting point rather than with a group that ate no chocolate, so it cannot rule out other changes over the four weeks [3].

Reviews of the wider evidence land in the same place. A review in The Lancet described diet as implicated in acne but not proven [5], and the US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases says some studies suggest certain foods may make acne worse while research continues [6].

Sugar and milk, the other ingredients

Most chocolate is not pure cocoa. It usually contains sugar, and milk chocolate contains milk, and both have been studied on their own, which is one reason the chocolate question is hard to pull apart.

In a 12-week trial of 43 young men, those on a low-glycemic-load diet saw their spot counts fall further than those on their usual diet, though they also lost more weight [7]. An analysis that pooled observational studies found that people who drank more milk were more likely to have acne, while yogurt and cheese showed no link; studies of that kind show an association, not a cause [8].

If you want to test it on yourself

Because the trials cannot answer the question for any one person, some people try a simple experiment. The fairest way is to change only one thing, keep everything else in your routine the same, and give it several weeks, since in the four-week trial changes appeared from the second week [3].

It helps to write down roughly what you ate and how your skin looked each week, because memory is a poor judge of slow changes. Acne also rises and falls on its own: changes in hormone levels, including around periods, are a common trigger, which can make a food look guilty when it is not [9].

What this means for you

There is no strong reason to give up chocolate because of acne. If you notice your skin is worse after eating a lot of it, a few weeks with less is a harmless thing to try for yourself, ideally changing one thing at a time so you can tell what made the difference.

Treatments have far stronger evidence behind them. The American Academy of Dermatology's 2024 guideline makes strong recommendations for benzoyl peroxide and topical retinoids such as adapalene [4]. If your acne is painful, leaving marks, or getting you down, a doctor can help [6].

The four evidence labels used on Acne Cut, with “Still argued about” highlighted for this article.
This article's label: Still argued about. The labels describe the research, not how likely something is to work for you.

Sources

  1. Fulton JE Jr, Plewig G, Kligman AM. Effect of chocolate on acne vulgaris. JAMA. 1969;210(11):2071–2074. PubMed 4243053
  2. Caperton C, Block S, Viera M, Keri J, Berman B. Double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing the effect of chocolate consumption in subjects with a history of acne vulgaris. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2014;7(5):19–23. PubMed 24847404
  3. Vongraviopap S, Asawanonda P. Dark chocolate exacerbates acne. Int J Dermatol. 2016;55(5):587–591. PubMed 26711092
  4. Reynolds RV, Yeung H, Cheng CE, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024;90(5):1006.e1–1006.e30. PubMed 38300170
  5. Williams HC, Dellavalle RP, Garner S. Acne vulgaris. Lancet. 2012;379(9813):361–372. PubMed 21880356
  6. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Acne: overview, symptoms and causes; diagnosis and treatment. NIH, last reviewed July 2023; accessed October 5, 2026. Read it
  7. Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A, Mäkeläinen H, Varigos GA. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86(1):107–115. PubMed 17616769
  8. Aghasi M, Golzarand M, Shab-Bidar S, et al. Dairy intake and acne development: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Clin Nutr. 2019;38(3):1067–1075. PubMed 29778512
  9. NHS. Acne. Page last reviewed September 22, 2026; accessed October 5, 2026. Read it

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