Coffee is a favorite drink for many around the world. And that is for a good reason. Not only does it taste good, but it also keeps us awake when we need a caffeine boost.
Despite coffee’s delicious taste and the helpful dose of energy it provides, coffee is not always good for our health.
For example, if you regularly drink coffee with lots of sugar, it can lead to medical conditions such as diabetes. What about other medical conditions? For instance, does coffee cause acne?
Today, we will share with you if coffee can cause acne or not.
Does Coffee Cause Acne?
No, coffee does not necessarily cause acne. However, it is possible that drinking coffee can make acne worse.
Coffee has high amounts of caffeine, which can contribute to your acne. And additional ingredients can also worsen your condition.
Caffeine and Acne
Caffeine makes you feel alert and awake but also heightens your body’s stress reaction. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, can cause your sebaceous glands to produce more oil, making you more prone to acne breakouts.
In fact, a large cup of coffee can increase your body’s stress reaction by more than twofold. Although stress does not cause acne, it can exacerbate existing acne.
Stress hormones like cortisol may cause your sebaceous glands to generate more oil. Cortisol in excess might be damaging to one’s health. Higher stress levels were linked to greater acne in a study of 144 young women.
Another way coffee can exacerbate acne is by disrupting sleep.
Sleep Deprivation and Acne
Sleep deprivation leads to increased stress, which can worsen acne. High cortisol levels can also affect other health problems such as weight gain, digestive issues, anxiety, and depression.
Caffeine’s impact on sleep differs from person to person. If you are sensitive to caffeine, try to stop drinking caffeine by the early afternoon to avoid sleeping problems.
Coffee Additives and Acne
Aside from caffeine, the way you consume your coffee may have an impact on your skin. Milk and sugar, two of the top four dietary acne triggers that make skin more prone to breakouts, are key ingredients in a cup of coffee or tea.
A lot of people put milk or cream in their coffee. Some research suggests that drinking more dairy milk can lead to or worsen existing acne.
According to a study on the link between food and acne, drinking milk raises insulin-like growth factor levels (IGF-1). According to another study, high levels of IGF-1 cause acne.
A lot of research has previously been done to prove the link between sugar consumption and acne—the amount of insulin released by the body increases when you eat a high-sugar diet.
Coffee can also dehydrate you and your skin.
So, while coffee cannot cause your acne directly, it can worsen your current acne. For more information on how to best treat acne, check out our article “11 Acne Treatments That Really Work.”
