What Drinks Worsen Acne? Navigating Your Diet for a Clearer Complexion

October 6, 2025 •

4 min read

Research indicates that consuming high amounts of sugar from soft drinks can significantly increase the risk of moderate-to-severe acne. Understanding what drinks worsen acne? is a crucial step towards managing breakouts and promoting overall skin health.

Quick Summary

Certain beverages can exacerbate acne by spiking insulin levels, increasing inflammation, and altering hormones. These include highly processed, sugary, and dairy-based drinks, which can lead to excess oil production and more frequent breakouts.

Key Points

Sugary Drinks: High-glycemic beverages like soda and sweetened juice cause insulin spikes, leading to increased sebum and inflammation.
Dairy Products: Consuming milk, especially skim milk, has been linked to acne due to hormones like IGF-1 and its impact on insulin.
Alcohol: Regular alcohol consumption can promote inflammation, dehydrate the skin, and disrupt hormones, which can worsen breakouts.
Inflammatory Response: Many acne-triggering drinks contribute to systemic inflammation, which is a key factor in the development of inflammatory acne.
Healthy Alternatives: Opting for water, green tea, herbal teas, and fresh vegetable juices provides hydration and antioxidants that support clearer skin.

The Connection Between Your Beverages and Your Skin

While genetics and hormonal shifts play a significant role in acne, dietary choices, including the beverages you consume, can act as a trigger for some individuals. The link between what you drink and skin health lies in how certain ingredients influence your body's hormonal balance, inflammation, and sebum (skin oil) production. High glycemic index (GI) drinks, dairy, and alcohol are among the most cited culprits. By identifying and reducing your intake of these problematic beverages, you can help minimize flare-ups and support clearer skin from the inside out.

Sugary and High-Glycemic Drinks

One of the most widely recognized links between diet and acne is the consumption of high-glycemic foods and beverages. These are items that cause a rapid and significant rise in blood sugar and insulin levels. When you drink a beverage high in sugar, your body produces more insulin to manage the blood sugar spike. This surge in insulin can have several knock-on effects that negatively impact your skin:

Increased Sebum Production: Higher insulin levels can trigger the body to produce more androgens, or male hormones, which in turn cause the sebaceous glands to produce more pore-clogging sebum.
Inflammation: Frequent insulin spikes are associated with increased inflammation throughout the body, and acne is fundamentally an inflammatory skin condition.
Altered Gut Microbiome: High sugar intake can disrupt the balance of healthy gut bacteria, and research suggests a connection between an imbalanced gut and skin issues.

Common culprits in this category include:

Sodas and Carbonated Drinks: These are often loaded with refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, which directly lead to the issues mentioned above.
Sweetened Teas and Juices: Even '100% fruit juice' can be a concentrated source of sugar, causing blood sugar spikes similar to soda. Store-bought smoothies with added syrups or sweetened yogurts should also be considered.
Energy Drinks: These typically contain both high sugar levels and caffeine, which can exacerbate the hormonal and inflammatory response.

The Dairy Dilemma: Is Milk an Acne Trigger?

For many, dairy products are a significant dietary component, but studies have frequently found a link between dairy consumption and acne, especially with skim milk. The exact mechanism is still being researched, but several factors are at play:

Hormones: The milk from pregnant cows contains hormones that can disrupt the human body's own hormonal balance. This includes insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which has been linked to increased sebum production and inflammation.
Whey Protein: This common protein supplement, derived from milk, can elevate IGF-1 levels and has been associated with acne breakouts, especially on the back and chest.

Interestingly, some research suggests that skim or low-fat milk is more consistently linked to acne than full-fat milk, possibly because the fat-removal process enhances the concentration or effect of certain acne-promoting components. For those concerned about dairy, switching to plant-based milk alternatives or fermented dairy like plain, unsweetened yogurt (which contains probiotics) might help.

The Impact of Alcohol on Skin Health

While social drinking is common, frequent or excessive alcohol consumption can negatively impact your skin's clarity. Alcohol has several effects that can promote breakouts:

Inflammation: Alcohol is pro-inflammatory, which can exacerbate existing acne and trigger new blemishes.
Dehydration: As a diuretic, alcohol dehydrates the body and skin, compromising the skin barrier and making it more susceptible to breakouts.
Hormonal Disruption: Heavy drinking can disrupt hormone balance, potentially contributing to excess sebum production.
Sugar Content: Many popular alcoholic beverages, particularly cocktails, mixers, and certain beers, are high in sugar, amplifying the high-glycemic effects.

What to Drink Instead for Clearer Skin

To promote a healthier complexion, consider swapping problematic drinks for hydrating, nutrient-rich alternatives. Proper hydration is fundamental for skin health, helping to flush out toxins and maintain the skin's barrier function.

Excellent choices for clear skin include:

Water: The most important and effective beverage. To add flavor, infuse it with slices of lemon, cucumber, or mint.
Green Tea: Packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds like EGCG, green tea can help calm irritation and reduce sebum production.
Herbal Teas: Chamomile, spearmint, and rooibos teas have calming, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Fresh Vegetable Juices: Juices made from carrots, spinach, and beetroot are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are beneficial for skin health.
Unsweetened Coconut Water: This is a natural, low-sugar electrolyte source that helps with hydration.

The Bad vs. The Good: A Comparison Table


Feature	Drinks That Worsen Acne	Drinks That Improve Skin Health
Glycemic Impact	High, causing insulin spikes and inflammation	Low, maintaining stable blood sugar
Hormonal Effects	Can increase IGF-1 and androgens, leading to more oil	Neutral or balancing effects
Inflammation	Promotes systemic inflammation	Contains anti-inflammatory compounds
Hydration	Often dehydrating (alcohol, excess caffeine)	Primarily hydrating and rich in electrolytes
Key Ingredients	High sugar, dairy proteins, alcohol	Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, water
Examples	Soda, sugary coffee, milkshakes, cocktails, energy drinks	Water, herbal tea, green tea, fresh vegetable juice, plain coconut water

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Clearer Skin

While focusing on what you drink can be a powerful tool for managing acne, it is important to remember that diet is one part of a multi-faceted approach. Your hydration, gut health, hormonal balance, and genetic predispositions all interact to influence your skin. By consistently choosing low-glycemic, hydrating, and anti-inflammatory beverages, you can support your skin's health from within. Observe how your skin reacts to dietary changes, and for persistent or severe acne, consult a dermatologist for a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses all potential triggers. A mindful approach to what you drink can complement a good skincare routine and help you achieve a clearer, healthier complexion.

For more in-depth information on diet and acne, you can visit the American Academy of Dermatology's website.

Frequently Asked Questions

While soda doesn't directly 'cause' acne in everyone, research indicates that the high sugar content in soft drinks can significantly increase insulin levels. This can trigger an inflammatory response and boost sebum production, potentially making breakouts worse.

Studies have found a stronger correlation between skim or low-fat milk and acne compared to whole milk. One theory is that the processing involved in removing fat may affect how the body absorbs milk proteins, and skim milk is associated with higher levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which can increase oil production.

Caffeine itself doesn't directly cause acne, but it can trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels can lead to increased oil production, which contributes to breakouts. The high sugar and dairy content in many coffee drinks can further exacerbate the issue.

Alcohol can worsen skin clarity in several ways. It is pro-inflammatory, which can aggravate acne. As a diuretic, it dehydrates the skin and can disrupt your body's hormonal balance. Many cocktails also contain large amounts of sugar, adding to the high-glycemic impact.

For many people, switching to dairy-free alternatives like unsweetened almond, oat, or coconut milk can be beneficial. These options avoid the hormones and proteins in cow's milk that can trigger breakouts in some individuals. Always choose unsweetened versions to avoid excess sugar.

Results can vary, but some people notice a difference within 2–6 weeks of making consistent dietary changes. It's a gradual process, and other factors like genetics and skincare routines also play a role. Keep a journal to track changes and identify patterns.

For healthier skin, focus on hydrating, low-glycemic, and anti-inflammatory options. Excellent choices include plain water, green tea, herbal teas (like chamomile or spearmint), and fresh vegetable juices.