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Does white sugar cause acne?
Photo: Polina Tankilevitch / Pexels
White sugar is one of the more skin-friendly foods you can eat.
One serving brings some glycemic load.
Why this score
- Glycemic: 4 g carbs at GI 65 = glycemic load 2.6 (low to medium). A small, slow rise in blood sugar.
- Dairy: none.
- Inflammation: almost no saturated fat or omega-6.
Evidence: Smith 2007 RCT (n=43): a low-glycemic-load diet for 12 weeks lowered acne lesion count by 23.5 on average, versus 12 on the control diet (study). Burris 2018 (n=66): 2 weeks of a low-GI diet lowered IGF-1, a skin growth hormone, by 9% (study). All 13 sources.
Score breakdown
| Axis | What it measures | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic | Glycemic load GL 2.6 | −4.7 / 50 |
| Dairy | Dairy grams (milk hormones) | −0 / 25 |
| Inflammation | Saturated fat + omega-6 | −0 / 25 |
| Skin Boost | Omega-3 + polyphenols | +0 / 25 |
| Skin Score | 95 / 100 · GLOW |
Nutrition in one serving (4 g)
| Carbs | 4 g · GI 65 |
|---|---|
| Dairy | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Omega-6 | 0 g |
| Omega-3 | 0 g |
| Polyphenols | low |
Estimates for a typical serving eaten with a meal. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Compared with
Not medical advice. This score is for white sugar on its own. What you eat with it changes the result: protein and fat slow the sugar spike, and breakouts usually show up 3 to 7 days after a meal, which is why SpotBite tracks your meals over time rather than judging one food. Diet is one factor among many (hormones, genetics, skincare, stress, sleep).
See your own pattern
Scan what you actually eat and SpotBite shows which foods line up with your breakouts a few days later. Free on iPhone and Android.
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- Honey 86
- Maple syrup 92
- Chocolate syrup 91
- Caramel sauce 67
- Strawberry jam 93
- Nutella 82
- Brown sugar 87
- Chocolate chips 94