Does coffee cause acne?

There's no good evidence that coffee directly causes acne. Caffeine can raise cortisol, especially in large amounts or with poor sleep, which could theoretically aggravate skin — but this is speculative. More often, the milk and sugar people add to coffee are the relevant variables, both of which have better-established links to acne.

Black coffee in normal amounts is very unlikely to be your acne trigger.

What the research says

There are no studies showing coffee causes acne. The theoretical worry is that caffeine can nudge cortisol up, especially with poor sleep, which could in principle aggravate skin — but this is speculative, not demonstrated.

In practice the milk and sugar people add to coffee are the variables with real evidence behind them, not the coffee itself.

What you can do

• If you suspect coffee, look at what you add to it first.
• Keep caffeine moderate if it's harming your sleep — poor sleep affects skin.
• Stay hydrated through the day.

Bottom line

Black coffee in normal amounts is very unlikely to be your acne trigger. If you suspect your coffee, look at what you add to it first.

Vet your skincare too

Diet is only one piece. Many breakouts are driven by what you put on your skin. Paste your products into our comedogenic ingredient checker to rule out pore-clogging ingredients, and check for fungal-acne triggers if your bumps are small and itchy.

Sources & further reading

• No controlled studies establish this link; the evidence is anecdotal or theoretical and is described as such above.
• American Academy of Dermatology — acne resources

By Mitchell Zandwijken · Last updated July 2026. See our sources & methodology.