:Clear Skin Blog

With “got milk” ads a frequent sight in the media, could this age-old beverage actually be a contributing cause to acne for many people? Some dermatologists think so. If you’re struggling with a stubborn case of acne, cutting down on dairy products may in fact be a smart move.

The primary cause of acne is widely recognized to be hormonal. In particular, the hormone 5 alpha dihydrotestosterone (DHT) plays a specific role in activating oil glands. It so happens that cow’s milk is rich in hormones and includes progesterone, which is easily converted into DHT in the body. As early as the 1960’s, a study conducted by Dr. Jerome K. Fisher found a correlation between acne sufferers and higher dairy intake, and a more recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (Feb 2005) found teenage girls who drank multiple servings of milk or skim milk each day to be 22-44% more likely to suffer from acne.

Interestingly, if these findings are correct, they would provide an explanation for why foods such as pizza (cheese=dairy) have gotten a bad reputation among some acne sufferers. Skim milk is not an exception, and was actually shown to be more likely to coincide with acne in the second study. Despite these numbers, one should keep in mind that milk is an important source of protein and calcium for many people, so make sure you’re getting these nutrients from other sources (such as calcium-fortified soy milk) if you decide to cut off cow’s milk from your diet.

Besides the medical studies, the fact is that I’ve noticed quite a lot of testimony on the net from individuals who have reduced their dairy intake and seen clear skin result. This is an easy dietary strategy to try, so if you are consuming dairy products on a daily basis, consider reducing your dairy intake for two months. If this is indeed a contributing cause to your acne, you should see improvement in your skin over that time.