Do Sugar and Dairy Cause Breakouts? Here’s My Real-Life Answer
Yes.
Let’s not dance around it. Sugar and dairy broke me out. Not in high school. Not during the hormonal chaos of college. Not in my twenties, when I lived off cheeseburgers, Coke, and graveyard shifts. But at 30, something shifted. My skin, which had coasted through life with little drama, suddenly declared war.
The years of grace
Sophomore year of high school, I had a few breakouts—the kind you expect when puberty plays puppeteer with your face. But after that? Nothing. Junior year, clear. Senior year, still clear. College? Zip—no acne. My face never had a glass-skin moment. And it was a bit oily. But zits? Not really part of the equation.
In my twenties, I ate like someone with invincibility coded into her DNA: sugary lattes, fast food, soda like it was water. My job was stressful, but my skin didn’t care. I didn’t gain weight. Didn’t break out. I had no reason to investigate what I was eating. My body wasn’t complaining. Until it did.
When everything changed
I turned 30 and woke up with a breakout—chin, jawline, cheeks—little red signposts that said, Something’s off. I saw a doctor. She ran tests. Got pills. I took them religiously. The progress was slow.
Around that time, I started working with an agency that was helping plant-based doctors grow their online presence. I’d write their copy while listening to hours of content about the gut-skin connection, hormones, inflammation, and, of course, the usual suspects of having bad skin: sugar and dairy. These weren’t wellness influencers with jade rollers and moon water. These were real MDs.
And they swore—repeatedly—that sugar and dairy were skin saboteurs.
So, I did what any reluctant skeptic with a face full of breakouts would do: I tried it. I removed dairy and sugar. Not perfectly, but intentionally. And over time, the breakouts stopped.
Coincidence? Maybe. Until I cheated. Had a sliver of cake here, a cheesy something there—and like clockwork, a zit would show up. Usually under the jawline. Deep, hormonal, painful.
It wasn’t anecdotal anymore. It was data. My face had become a feedback loop.
What Science says
Turns out, my clients weren’t the only ones saying sugar is bad for the skin.
Dr. Nigma Talib, a hormone-focused cosmetic doctor, said it plainly on the podcast Total Skin Nerds:
“Sugar equals skin sagging... You have to be super, super careful with sugar and dairy because it causes skin sagging... Even after one week of stopping sugar, you will see a difference in your skin.”
Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, explained the mechanics on The Exam Room:
“Stay away from milk… Eat a low glycemic load, low sugar diet. Sugar, liquid calories, and flour products all drive up insulin and cause pimples.”
And on the aptly titled What’s That Rash? podcast, dermatologists laid it out: dairy’s natural hormones and growth factors can lead to excess oil and inflammation—perfect conditions for acne.
The science follows the same arc: sugar spikes insulin. Dairy stimulates IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1). Both increase sebum production and inflammation. That’s the biochemical cocktail behind many breakouts.
For some people, that’s enough to tip the balance. For others, nothing happens.
Why some people get away with it
This is where the nuance matters. Not everyone reacts to sugar and dairy the same way.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Geraghty said genetics can explain up to 81% of a person’s acne risk. In her words:
“Mother Nature is not always fair… Some lucky people can have a terrible diet, yet are somehow spared of acne.”
Translation? If your biology doesn’t respond to hormonal triggers—like insulin spikes from sugar or IGF-1 from dairy—you could live on milkshakes and cookies and still wake up with clear skin. Meanwhile, for the rest of us, even a scoop of ice cream might trigger a breakout.
Shanna Miranti, PA-C, a certified physician assistant quoted on multiple dermatology platforms like Riverchase Dermatology and Kass Center for Cosmetic Surgery, offers this clarification:
“If you’re already prone to acne, certain dairy products could make it worse.”
In other words, it’s not that sugar or dairy causes acne across the board. It’s that for people like me—those with hormonal or inflammatory sensitivity—it’s often the spark that lights the fire.
And then there’s context
It’s rarely just diet. Skin doesn’t live in isolation. It responds to stress, sleep, gut health, skincare products, and hormones. That’s why you might know someone who swears sugar gives them pimples, while someone else lives on cookies and has nothing but radiant skin to show for it.
It doesn’t mean one of you is wrong. It just means your skin responds differently.
That said, for those who’ve tried every serum and spot treatment with no luck, looking inward—at your plate—might be a worthwhile next step.
It doesn’t have to be forever. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But try it. Just as an experiment. Keep a food-skin journal. Give it a month. See what changes. Your skin will tell you everything you need to know.
The rule I now live by
When we talk about breakouts, we tend to treat them as cosmetic. While it’s true that they’re something to hide, fix, or cover up, they’re also messengers. Quiet little signs that something inside is off. The way my skin reacts to processed sugar and dairy reminds me that just because I can eat something doesn’t mean I should.
Sure, removing sugar and dairy feels like deprivation. But it’s already working. And in time, my future self will thank me for the long-term benefits of this conscious dietary choice. I’m looking at a healthier weight, steadier blood sugar, and a calmer gut.
I’m not sure why my skin played nice when I was younger, only to turn on me in my 30s. All I know is that I took it for granted. The lesson I was slow to learn, but now hold close, is simple: listen to your body. Listen early, and listen well.
