There are so many things that contribute to breakouts, from genetics to hormones to lifestyle and yes, your diet. But rest assured coffee lovers, “There isn’t evidence to support that coffee itself can directly cause acne,” board-certified dermatologist Ramya Garlapati, M.D., tells mbg. “However, there is some supportive evidence that the way coffee is consumed can potentially lead to acne,” she notes. Depending on how your body reacts to caffeine, the way you drink it, how much you consume, etc., all change the answer a little bit. There are various factors that can impact your skin related to how you use coffee in your daily life, and we’re about to dive into each one of them and offer a solution to every potential problem. High cortisol levels trigger a chain reaction in the body including activating sebocytes, the epithelial cells that produce sebum—the waxy, oily stuff that protects the skin. However, when sebum production is cranked up too far, that is linked to acne3. What’s more, “[One study on stress and wound healing4] has shown that stress can slow down healing, which may worsen acne and acne scarring,” board-certified dermatologist Jaimie Glick, M.D., once told mbg. To sum up, caffeine can stimulate a stress response in the body, which can lead to increased sebum production and slower wound healing, resulting in more breakouts that last longer and scar easier. The general limit for daily caffeine intake is 400 mg5 (or about four cups). However, if you know your metabolism runs on the slower side—or four cups make you feel jittery—a maximum of two cups a day is going to be your best bet. The goal here is to limit the side effects of consuming too much caffeine6, which include: Not only might you have more trouble initially falling asleep if you’re buzzing on caffeine, but the study demonstrates interrupted sleep as well. A lack of high-quality sleep will increase cortisol levels, which, as you now know, can manifest into more sebum production and more breakouts. Even if you don’t typically have acne-prone skin, a lack of sleep can contribute to what dermatologists refer to as “occasional acne8.” Dehydration can lead to situationally dry skin. While this doesn’t seem like a trigger for acne at first, it actually is. This is because when your skin is dry, it craves moisture. If you don’t replenish it, whether it be topically or internally, your skin creates more sebum to compensate and essentially attempts to self-moisturize. This is similar to how your skin behaves during air travel—the air in plane cabins tends to dry out the skin, making it produce oil and break out because of it. This is another type of occasional acne to look out for post or during travel. Plus, when your skin is dried out, you run the risk of disturbing your skin’s moisture barrier. This can make active acne worse and lead to redness, irritation, and sensitivity. As a secondary result, “This diet also reduced their acne, with 87% of patients saying they had less acne and 91% saying they needed less acne medication,” the study showed. All this to say, what foods are categorized as high glycemic index? Foods like white bread, many breakfast cereals, white potatoes, pineapple, watermelon, and of course, refined sugar, all score above 70 on the glycemic index—aka, they’re high in sugar and it releases quickly into the body. This quick release causes a blood sugar spike, which is what may trigger acne. See when your blood sugar spikes, it causes inflammation throughout the body. “These spikes also cause your body to make more sebum, an oily substance in your skin. Both inflammation and excess sebum can lead to acne,” as stated in the AAD review. So what does all of this have to do with coffee? Well, whether it be from a cafe or the market, many creamers are packed with sugar. This doesn’t mean there are no blood-sugar-friendly sweeteners, but you’ll likely have to be mindful of it. In one study noted by the AAD10, with a total of 47,355 women, 6,094 girls, and 4,273 boys, a strong link between cow’s milk and acne was demonstrated: However, more studies are needed before we can make the link to humans as well, cardiologist Joel Kahn, M.D., once told mbg. That being said, it’s still considered to be nontoxic to humans13 as of now. All of this to say, roasting coffee beans may destroy ochratoxin A14, but it may depend on the type of roasting and particle size, Kahn said. If there are pesticides or mold in your coffee, your gut microbiome will be directly affected—and not in a good way. The gut and skin have a strong link—which you can read all about here. There’s a plethora of benefits to consuming coffee daily, a few of which include: As a quick refresher, free radicals can put the skin into a state of oxidative stress. This can speed up the skin aging process21. Oxidative stress can also impact your skin barrier function, which can exacerbate acne. If the thought of cutting out coffee bums you out, don’t worry—you don’t have to completely cut it from your life in order to avoid breakouts. Simply cutting off consumption at 400 mg and being mindful of how you consume it by crafting up a skin-loving cup will do the job—here’s how. Here’s what you need to know about mushroom coffee benefits and the 7 best blends to try.
