Does sugar cause acne?

Sugary drinks

Sugary drinks are sodas, sweetened teas and fruit-flavoured drinks with added sugar.

In a study of 24,452 French adults, sugary beverages went with 1.18 times the odds of current acne after adjustment. Fatty and sugary products went with 1.54 times the odds (Penso et al., 2020).

Among 8,226 Chinese students, daily soft drinks went with moderate-to-severe acne. Sugar from drinks at 100 g a day or more went with 3.12 times the odds (Huang et al., 2019).

Sweetened tea drinks seven or more times a week went with 2.52 times the odds. Fruit-flavoured drinks went with 1.90 (Huang et al., 2019).

Later surveys found the same pattern. Sugar-sweetened drinks went with 1.56 times the odds in 1,299 Shanghai students (Cai et al., 2026). Sugary drinks went with an odds ratio of 1.561 in 819 Wuhan students (Chen et al., 2026).

We found no trial that took sugary drinks out and measured acne. The nearest trials changed a whole high-GI plate. Cans of energy drink are a sugar question too; see energy drinks and acne.

Sweets

In the same French study of 24,452 adults, fatty and sugary products went with 1.54 times the odds of current acne (Penso et al., 2020).

In 248 young adults in New York, those with moderate-to-severe acne reported more added sugar and a higher dietary GI than those with none or mild acne (Burris et al., 2014).

We still grade this Limited: two surveys, no trial of cutting sweets alone. The sweets row is not the same as a glass of milk; that story is on dairy and acne.

Low-GI carbs

Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly a food raises your blood sugar. It runs from 0 to 100, with pure glucose at the top. Foods at 55 or below count as low-GI (MedlinePlus).

A 2022 review found high-GI diets were linked to more acne, "an observation supported by randomized controlled trials" (Meixiong et al., 2022). A 2026 review lists high glycaemic load diets among the foods observational studies have linked to acne (Dessinioti and Dreno, 2026).

In a 12-week trial of 43 young men, spots fell by 23.5 on a low-GI diet against 12.0 on a control diet. The diet group also lost 2.9 kg (Smith et al., 2007). In a 2012 trial of 32 people, a low-GI diet for 10 weeks led to fewer spots and smaller oil glands (Kwon et al., 2012).

A 2024 controlled trial of 50 women aged 15 to 35 used dietary counseling plus low-GL foods for 12 weeks. Average acne severity in the treatment group fell from 2.68 to 1.56 (Raza et al., 2024). In a trial of 66 adults, IGF-1 decreased after 2 weeks on a low-GI diet (Burris et al., 2018).

Not every trial found a benefit. In 58 teenage boys, facial acne improved on both a low-GI and a high-GI diet over 8 weeks (by 26% and 16%), with no clear difference between them (Reynolds et al., 2010).

Among 2,467 Thai teens and adults, white rice went with more severe acne, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.80 (Roengritthidet et al., 2021). The carb swaps those trials used sit on our low-glycemic guide and the bread page.

Unsweetened tea and vegetables

In a survey of 2,467 Thai teens and adults, tea without sugar or milk went with milder acne, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.61. Eating vegetables went with milder acne too, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.74 (Roengritthidet et al., 2021).

The WHO suggests at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day (WHO, 2026). We found no trial that tested unsweetened tea, or vegetables alone, for acne. The acne plate is on foods for clear skin.

Fruit juice and honey

Free sugars include sugars added to foods and drinks, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. The WHO advises keeping free sugars under 10% of daily energy, about 12 level teaspoons (WHO, 2026).

While fruit juice can be consumed, most varieties including those without added sugars contain significant amounts of free sugars (WHO, 2026). Huang's survey linked fruit-flavoured drinks, not named as 100% juice, with moderate-to-severe acne (adjusted odds ratio 1.90) (Huang et al., 2019).

We found no acne trial of honey, and no acne trial of 100% fruit juice. Apple, as whole fruit, sits at 36 on the GI tables (Atkinson et al., 2008).

Glycation

Glucose and fructose link the amino acids present in the collagen and elastin that support the dermis, producing advanced glycation end products or AGEs. This process is accelerated in all body tissues when sugar is elevated and is further stimulated by ultraviolet light in the skin (Danby, 2010).

We found no acne trial that measured AGEs in skin as the reason spots appear. Glycation is an ageing pathway, not a proven acne pathway. When the American Academy of Dermatology updated its acne guidelines in 2024, available evidence was insufficient to develop recommendations for dietary changes (AAD, 2024).

How long to give a swap

We found no trial of cutting sugar that reported a timeline of its own. The closest guides are acne diet trials: 12 weeks in 43 young men (Smith et al., 2007) and 10 weeks in 32 people (Kwon et al., 2012).

The American Academy of Dermatology says a treatment that works should show some improvement in 4 to 6 weeks, and clearing can take two to three months or longer (AAD, 2023). Our "about 12 weeks" comes from those timelines. Track meals against your own skin with the acne food tracker.