Chocolate and acne- debunking the myth

With Easter time now behind us, with any luck you’ve probably got a stack of chocolate eggs just waiting to be eaten- or maybe you’ve gobbled them up already! Either way, you’ve probably heard in beauty magazines, on television, or online that chocolate gives you spots, which can be troubling if you suffer from acne.

But is this really the case? Does chocolate really cause acne, or is it just another case of uninformed people spreading scare stories among the masses?

I’ve spent some time surfing the internet this week trying to find answers. As you would probably expect, I’ve had some very mixed results.

Most articles I’ve read point to milk chocolate and white chocolate being prime suspects in sudden acne break-outs. The theory makes sense when you look what goes into milk and white chocolate- both tend to be very high in sugar and fat, which obviously aren’t the best things for you and your skin. Also many people don’t realise they are allergic to milk, which often triggers hormonal changes and cause spots.

However, there are some very mixed accounts about the benefits (or, indeed, the problems) with eating what is usually perceived to be the ‘healthier’ option- dark chocolate. A dermatologist tells the Huffington Post that dark chocolate is better for you, even going as far as saying it has “many benefits to our health” as it contains chemicals that act as antioxidants in the body, but another dermatologist tells Elle that many studies are flawed. He claimed that the chocolate used in studies have much higher antioxidant extracts than ones you would normally find in the supermarket.

My verdict? I am no expert in this subject and I can assure you that I am no nutritionist, so please don’t take my word for it, but I believe that everything is fine in moderation. Have a dozen Easter eggs? It doesn’t mean you have to eat them all at once! Why not share them with your family, or just eat a little square each day as a treat? I personally am not a big chocolate eater, but I see no harm in treating myself to a little chocolate as part of a balanced diet.