Does Dairy Cause Acne? The Real Link Between Dairy and Breakouts

By Lucy Sugars, Nutritional Therapist

If you have acne, you may have come across the advice to give up dairy. But does dairy really cause breakouts, and should everyone with acne avoid it?

The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

Research has found an association between dairy intake and acne in some populations, particularly with milk. However, this does not mean that dairy causes acne in everyone, and eliminating it unnecessarily can make your diet more restrictive without necessarily improving your skin.

So, what do we actually know?

What Does the Research Say About Dairy and Acne?

Several observational studies and reviews have found an association between milk consumption and acne.

Some research has found stronger associations with skimmed or low-fat milk, although whole milk has also been associated with acne in some studies. Importantly, most of this research is observational. This means it can identify a relationship between two things, but it cannot prove that one causes the other.

The evidence for other dairy foods such as yoghurt and cheese is less consistent.

This is an important distinction. If milk appears to affect your skin, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you need to remove every form of dairy from your diet.

Why Might Milk Be Linked With Acne?

There isn’t yet a definitive answer.

One area researchers have explored is the effect of milk on insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signalling. These pathways are involved in sebum production and the activity of skin cells and may therefore be relevant to acne development.

However, acne is complex and rarely comes down to one food or nutrient.

Hormones, genetics, skin products, medications, stress and dietary patterns may all contribute, and the factors involved can vary considerably from person to person.

Does This Mean You Should Give Up Dairy?

Not necessarily.

Dairy foods can provide useful nutrients including protein, calcium, iodine and vitamin B12, and many people with acne tolerate them perfectly well.

I don’t recommend removing an entire food group simply because you have acne.

Instead, it can be more useful to look at your diet and symptoms as a whole. If you regularly consume milk and suspect there may be a connection with your skin, a structured trial may help you work out whether it is relevant to you.

How to Trial Reducing Dairy Sensibly

If you want to investigate whether dairy is affecting your acne, try to make the experiment as useful as possible rather than cutting out multiple foods at once.

You could:

  • Keep the rest of your diet and skincare routine reasonably consistent.
  • Reduce or remove milk for a defined period and monitor your skin.
  • Keep a simple record of breakouts and other relevant factors, such as your menstrual cycle, stress and changes to skincare.
  • Reintroduce the food afterwards and see whether you notice a consistent change.

Skin changes take time, so don’t expect an answer after a few days.

And remember, if your skin improves during a dairy-free period, this still doesn’t automatically prove dairy was responsible. Other factors may have changed at the same time.

You May Not Need to Remove All Dairy

This is another reason I prefer a personalised approach rather than blanket dairy avoidance.

The evidence around milk is more consistent than it is for yoghurt and cheese. If milk appears to be relevant to your skin, you may find that you can still comfortably include other dairy foods.

Fermented dairy foods such as natural yoghurt or kefir can also be useful additions to the diet for people who tolerate them.

The aim isn’t to make your diet as restrictive as possible. It’s to identify whether particular foods genuinely seem to matter to your skin while maintaining a varied and nutritionally balanced diet.

If You Reduce Dairy, Don’t Forget Calcium

If you substantially reduce or remove dairy, it’s important to replace the nutrients it was providing rather than simply taking foods away.

Milk, yoghurt and cheese are significant sources of calcium in many people’s diets.

Useful non-dairy sources include:

  • Calcium-fortified soya or other plant-based drinks
  • Calcium-set tofu
  • Sardines or tinned salmon with edible bones
  • Kale and some other green vegetables
  • Beans and pulses
  • Tahini and sesame seeds
  • Some fortified foods

If you’re replacing cow’s milk with a plant-based alternative, check the label and choose one fortified with calcium. Depending on the rest of your diet, it’s also worth looking at protein, iodine and vitamin B12 rather than assuming all milk alternatives are nutritionally equivalent.

Look at the Bigger Picture

Dairy is only one small part of the acne picture.

Research has also explored the relationship between acne and overall dietary patterns, particularly diets with a high glycaemic load. There is some evidence that lower-glycaemic dietary patterns may improve acne for some people, although diet should not be viewed as a replacement for appropriate skincare or medical treatment.

When I look at nutrition alongside acne, I’m much more interested in the whole picture than finding one food to blame.

That might include:

  • Overall diet quality and variety
  • Blood sugar balance and glycaemic load
  • Adequate protein and healthy fats
  • Fruit, vegetables and fibre
  • Hormonal factors
  • Individual symptoms and health history
  • Skincare and topical treatments
  • Stress, sleep and lifestyle

For some people, dairy may turn out to be relevant. For many others, it won’t be.

The Bottom Line

So, does dairy cause acne?

Not necessarily.

Research suggests there may be an association between milk consumption and acne in some people, but this is not the same as proving that dairy causes acne.

You don’t need to give up milk, cheese and yoghurt simply because you experience breakouts.

If you suspect milk may be affecting your skin, a structured trial can be a reasonable way to explore your individual response, while making sure your overall diet remains varied and nutritionally complete.

Acne is multifactorial, and the most useful approach is usually to look at potential contributing factors together rather than searching for one food to blame.

If you would like personalised nutrition support that considers your skin alongside your wider health, diet and lifestyle, you can find out more on my Bespoke Nutrition page.

References:

Juhl CR, et al. Dairy Intake and Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review and Meta‑Analysis of 78,529… Nutrients. 2018

Dai R, et al. The Effect of Milk Consumption on Acne: A Meta‑Analysis of Observational Studies. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018