We discuss what the science actually says about dairy and acne, why most diet research is so shoddy, why cutting out foods isn’t the panacea that wellness culture makes it out to be, and some non-diet options for dealing with acne.

Resources Mentioned

• My forthcoming book, The Wellness Trap: Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses and Find Your True Well-Being

• Subscribe to the podcast

• 2003 letter to the editor of a dermatology journal about "acne diets" (Content Warning for food-stigmatizing and weight-stigmatizing language)

• 2020 systematic review on acne epidemiology (CW: food-stigmatizing and weight-stigmatizing language)

• Study on the significant correlation between acne and disordered eating

• 2018 meta-analysis on dairy and acne (CW: food-stigmatizing and weight-stigmatizing language)

• Study on high-school dairy consumption and acne (CW: BMI and calorie numbers, nutritional minutiae)

• Official position of the American Academy of Dermatology (CW: names of diets)

• Skin-acceptance and acne-positivity movements 

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