Over the years, I’ve had many patients sit in front of me and say the same thing:
“Doctor, I’ve already changed my skincare. I’m using good products. Why is my acne still not improving?”
And honestly, this is a very common situation.
Because sometimes, the issue is not just what you are putting on your skin.
It’s what you are consuming every day.
Food like bubble tea, milk-based coffee, desserts — these don’t seem like a big deal. Most people don’t even think twice about them. But when taken regularly, they can quietly affect your body in ways that make acne much harder to control.
Let me explain what’s going on.
Now let’s talk about sugar — because this is one of the most common triggers I discuss with patients.
Many people don’t realise this, but sugary foods, especially those with a high glycaemic index, can directly affect how your skin behaves [1].
When you take these foods, things like sweet drinks, desserts, or processed snacks, they are broken down very quickly into glucose. This causes a rapid spike in your blood sugar levels.
Your body responds by releasing insulin. That’s a normal process.
But when this happens frequently, it starts to influence your skin in ways that are often overlooked.
Higher insulin levels, along with insulin-like growth factors, can activate pathways that are closely linked to acne development [2].
What this means for your skin is quite straightforward.
Your oil glands become more active, producing more sebum. This excess oil can build up within pores and create an environment where acne-causing bacteria thrive [3].
At the same time, inflammation in the body increases, which is why breakouts may appear more red, more swollen, and slower to settle [4]. Skin cell turnover can also become less controlled, which makes it easier for dead skin cells to accumulate and clog pores.
When all these changes happen together, such as increased oil, inflammation and clogged pores, acne becomes much harder to control. This is often why breakouts persist even when skincare is consistent.
If you think about common daily habits, many foods fall into this category, such as sweetened beverages, desserts, processed snacks and drinks like bubble tea.
On their own, they may not seem like a problem.
But when consumed regularly, the effect builds up over time and that’s when it starts to show on your skin.
This is another area that often surprises patients.
Dairy products, especially milk, have been associated with acne in some individuals [5]. Not everyone is affected, but it does come up quite frequently in clinical practice.
The exact mechanism is still being studied, but we do have a reasonable understanding of what may be happening.
Milk contains naturally occurring hormones and bioactive molecules [6]. These can influence your body’s hormonal balance and activate pathways that are quite similar to what we see with high sugar intake.
In other words, the effect is not completely different from sugar — it can stimulate insulin and growth factor activity in the body.
And once that happens, the skin responds in predictable ways. Oil production may increase, making the skin more prone to clogged pores. At the same time, inflammatory acne can become more noticeable and more difficult to settle.
So while dairy is not necessarily the root cause of acne, it can act as a trigger that pushes the skin in the wrong direction.
This is also why some patients notice that their acne worsens when they consume milk-based drinks regularly, especially things like lattes, milk tea or protein milk shakes.
At the same time, it’s important to keep things in perspective.
Not everyone will break out from dairy. Some people can consume it without any noticeable effect on their skin. But if you already have acne-prone skin, dairy may act as a contributing factor rather than the sole cause, and that’s usually how we approach it in practice.
This is where things get a bit tricky.
Dietary triggers are actually quite difficult to identify, mainly because the effects are not immediate.
If a skincare product irritates your skin, you will usually notice it within a few hours or days. It’s quite obvious. You apply something new, and suddenly your skin reacts.
Diet doesn’t work that way.
You might have a sugary drink or a milk-based beverage today, and the breakout only shows up several days later. Naturally, you won’t link the two together.
And because of that delay, most people don’t realise that what they are consuming could be affecting their skin.
On top of that, acne is influenced by many different factors at the same time. Genetics [7], hormones [8], stress [9] and even your skincare habits [10] all play a role. So diet becomes just one part of a much bigger picture.
When everything is happening together, it’s not easy to pinpoint a single trigger.
There’s also another reason this gets overlooked.
Many of the foods involved, things like bubble tea, milk coffee or desserts, don’t feel like “unhealthy” choices in the same way as fast food or fried snacks. They’re part of everyday routines. Something you grab without thinking twice.
So the connection between these habits and acne often goes unnoticed.
And that’s usually when patients feel confused, because from their perspective, they haven’t really done anything wrong, yet the breakouts keep coming back.
Now the next question patients usually ask is:
“Doctor, do I need to completely stop sugar and dairy?”
Well, not really.
In most cases, I don’t advise patients to cut everything out completely. That’s usually not realistic or practical.
What matters more is awareness and frequency.
If you are taking high-sugar foods or drinks very regularly, especially things like sweetened beverages, desserts or bubble tea, it may be worth cutting down and seeing how your skin responds. Reducing the frequency may make a noticeable difference over time.
The same idea applies to dairy. If you are having milk-based drinks every day, and your acne is persistent, it’s reasonable to scale back and observe whether there is any improvement.
Another thing I usually tell patients is to pay attention to patterns.
Your skin often gives you clues. If you start noticing that breakouts tend to follow certain foods or drinks, that’s useful information. Everyone responds differently, so understanding your own triggers is more helpful than following very strict or generic rules.
At the same time, your overall diet still matters.
A more balanced diet supports your skin in ways that are not always obvious. It helps regulate inflammation, supports healing and keeps your skin barrier functioning properly. All of these play a role in how your acne behaves.
That being said, diet alone is usually not enough, especially for moderate to severe acne.
If breakouts are persistent, these adjustments work best when combined with proper medical treatment, whether that’s topical medications, oral therapy or in-clinic procedures. When everything is addressed together, results tend to be more consistent and longer lasting.
One thing I often remind patients — acne is usually not caused by just one factor.
Diet can play a role, but it’s often working together with hormones, stress, poor sleep and even skincare routines. That’s why you might feel like you’re doing everything right, yet the acne still doesn’t fully settle.
What tends to work better is stepping back and looking at the bigger picture.
Once we identify what’s actually driving your acne, treatment becomes much more targeted, and that’s when you start seeing more consistent results, instead of temporary improvements that don’t last.
If your acne keeps coming back despite your efforts, I totally understand that it can feel frustrating and discouraging. Many patients reach a point where they start wondering if anything is actually working. In reality, it’s often not just about skincare alone. Factors like sugar and dairy can quietly influence oil production and inflammation, which then affects how your skin behaves over time.
You don’t have to cut everything out or make drastic changes. What usually helps is a better understanding of what might be triggering your breakouts, along with the right treatment approach with the right doctor. When these are managed together, improvements tend to be more steady and easier to maintain.
If your acne is still not settling, don’t worry — you’re not alone in this. At One Face Clinic, we take the time to understand what’s really driving your acne and guide you through a treatment plan that makes sense for your skin. You can schedule a consultation with us for a more personalised assessment and clearer direction on what to do next.
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