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 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.

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.